Natural Resources Canada

In Canada, mines are most heavily concentrated in the Mixedwood Plains, Boreal Shield, Prairie, and Montane Cordillera ecozones. Mines require accessibility, and are therefore strongly correlated with transportation routes. While most mines are designed as closed systems, occasionally water...

Forests sustain hundreds of economies across Canada. The forest industry is an active player in the conservation and sustainability of forested ecosystems. Forests are managed from a legal perspective by provincial and territorial legislation. The primary objective of forest management is timber...

Industrial activities generate waste that is discharged into water bodies, the air or ends up in landfill sites. Air is the most common release medium. Ammonia, methanol, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide are by far the most common industrial pollutants released in Canada. Industrial discharge...

Urban living generates waste that is usually treated to some degree and then discharged into water bodies. Too much waste can pose a risk to aquatic ecosystems and species. Pollutants can remain environmentally damaging even after passing through conventional sewage treatment. Municipal...

Forty-five percent of the Canadian territory is forested corresponding to 417.6 million hectares. There are 234.5 million hectares of commercial forests and 0.4% is harvested each year. The forested areas managed for timber production are mostly located in the Boreal Shield, Atlantic Maritime,...

Sawmilling is an important Canadian industry. Its plant locations are widely scattered across Canada, predominantly in the coniferous forest region. This map shows sawmills whose production exceeds 10 000 cubic metres of lumber per year. The map symbols indicate the size of the mill and the type...