Agriculture

While it might be advantageous to develop the. agri-
cultural features of the North Pacific Region by physio-
graphic zones, such statistical data as are available have been
recorded largely by political divisions or by localities
within those divisions. Moreover, as a_ basis for dis-
cussion, there is a distinct advantage in utilizing the figures
covering population and land occupancy furnished by
the census, particularly since the census areas conform

fairly well to the general pattern of the North Pacific
Region.

Data with respect to soils are based substantially on
surveys and classifications of available land in Western
Canada undertaken by a number of authorities: notably,
the soil surveys carried out by the College of Agriculture
of the University of Alberta; and certain material obtained
from the Department of Agriculture of the Provinces of
Alberta and British Columbia, and from the Dominion
Department of Agriculture. Other sources yielding more
general information were the Dominion Lands Survey,
which, since 1873, has subdivided the various areas prior
to settlement; the Dominion Geological Survey, the reports
and maps of which have provided valuable information
and the Topographical Survey of Canada, which, following
the Second World War, in connection with soldier-settlement
plans, undertook a series of land-classification surveys
along the northern fringe of settlement in Western Canada.
In the following pages, an attempt is made to summarize
the information obtained from the above sources.

Information is given concerning reconnaissance soil
surveys made over nine areas in northern Alberta, and
Over two areas, the Peace River Block and the Central
B.C. Railway Belt, in British Columbia. In addition,
rough estimiates were obtained covering twelve areas in
northern British Columbia, including the Queen Charlotte
Islands, areas north of the Railway Belt, and areas tributary
to the Alaska Highway. Although exploratory surveys
in the Yukon have been limited to lands along the more
accessible routes of travel, a rough estimate of total arable
land is given, and a modest acreage, based on the limited
information available, is credited to the Mackenzie Valley.

Although the summation of these twenty-five areas ex-
cludes many promising scattered parcels and many areas of
less than marginal promise that may prove capable of support-
ing settlement as a result of future mining or other industrial
developments, and although it excludes also the poor
lands which a certain type of individualist is bound to
take up, it is believed that no very extensive tracts of
land suitable for cultivation and capable of supporting

independent settlement are likely to be found outside the
areas specified.

Generally speaking, the areas open to settlement in
northwestern Canada lie almost entirely in the region of

wooded soils, although some parts, notably in the Peace
River district, are situated in the transition belt between
park and wooded lands.

The figures set forth below apply to “cultivable land”’,
or land “suited to settlement”, which is classified as follows:

Black park soils.

First class grey timber soils.

Second class grey timber soils.
Excluded are third class timber soils, the poorer rocky soils,
sandy soils, and areas where the physiography is unfavour-
able to agricultural operations.

The second class grey timber soils are often spoken of
as “Marginal”. This does not mean that their adaptability
to agriculture is questionable, but rather that settlement
in such lands may be expected normally to be deferred
until the first-class lands have been absorbed. In other
words, it is considered that the black park soils and both
the first and second class wooded soils may reasonably
be considered as available for agricultural settlement and

that they are comparable in agricultural quality to the

original lands in the western provinces that are now
occupied. These latter are classed as improved farm-
lands, which, according to the 1943 Canada Year Book,
total about 100,000,000 acres in the three Prairie Provinces:
The following table shows the estimated areas, in
acres, of the specified three classes of soils within the
North Pacific Region, exclusive of the developed agri-
cultural belt along the Canadian National Railways line.

North Pacific Region

IN ALBERTA

Grey Timber Soils
Black Total
Surveyed Districts Park Ist 2nd Cultivable
Soils Class Class Soils
Soils Soils
acres acres acres acres
Covered by soil surveys:
Fort Vermilion area. . . 36,960 440,970 | 2,105,550 | 2,583,480
Whitemouth and Battle
Riverareatenanscene 73,900 82,900 181,800 338,600
Keg River area....... 10,900 52,800 23,000 | 86,700
Peace River, west of
Dunvegan......... 579,570 548,295 762,655 1,890,520
Between Aggie and
Brezanson......... 18,880 139,520 | 1,284,320 1,442,720
Between Peace River
and Grouard....... 66,680 264,080 420,380 751,140
North and west of
INIT OAT EY cis he oillaeooeeens 50,920 88,320 139,240
Not covered by soil
surveys:
Grande Prairie area.. .| 650,000 1LG6OLO008 eae 810,000
Grimshaw to Dunvegan| 400,000 286,000 357,000 1,043,000
Total within North Pac-
ific section of Alberta .| 1,836,890 2,025,485 | 5,223,025 | 9,085,400

[43]