Lynne from London, Ontario sent us her answers:
1. What city and province (or territory) do you live in? Is it a big city, small town, or out in the country?
I live in London, Ontario, Canada. It is a fairly big city just south of Lake Huron and north of Lake Erie. I think our population is now over 350,000 people.
2. What is the weather like where you are? Is it very cold?
In the winter it is very cold because the moisture in the air from the Great Lakes and the wind chill makes it seem colder. We measure our temperature in Celcius. Freezing is 32* Farinheit but 0* Celcius. It is usually about -10*C in the winter. But in the summer the opposite is true. It seems even hotter than it is because of the humidity. It is usually over 80* F. or over 25*C. in the summer. But we usually have breezes from the lakes.
3. What kind of animals do you see?
Well we see lots of cats and dogs!!! But I think you mean wild animals. I see lots of rabbits, squirrels, gophers, raccoons, and Canada geese and mallard ducks out my back window. There are lots of deer here but not as many as in Ithaca!! We have black bears in the woods but they live about 100 kilometers up north of here where there are not so many people. And moose and wolves and beavers live up north as well.
4. What are some of the most beautiful things about where you live?
I love the four seasons. I love the Great Lakes. We can walk on beaches with just a half hour drive! We are so fortunate to have them because it means we do not usually have water shortages unless it is dry in the summer. So this means our grass and fields stay pretty green. Also I like the people because most of them are polite and friendly.
5. What do you or people you know do for fun?
Most of the young people go to the malls and the shows. We have soooo many malls. I do not like malls or shows so I visit with my friends and family. I also walk a lot and visit parks. And I really love to garden. In the summer we drive to the beach.
6. What sports are popular in your area?
Well hockey is for sure the most popular sport. But we have lots of football, baseball, soccer leagues as well. We even have lacrosse teams. Many people bowl in the winter and curl. I love to play golf. Many people love to swim and we have lots of indoor pools for the winter.
7. What kind of music is popular or important to your area?
We have many people from different countries come to live in London so we have lots of Scottish music with bagpipes, and Italian and Portuguese and Arab music as well at their special clubs. But mostly we have the same music as you. We have a lot of famous Canadian singers like Brian Adams and Celene Dion and Shania Twain and Avril Lavine. We have a symphony orchestra in London that plays every month but I have never gone!
8. How do people use the environment for enjoyment?
We have many Provincial Parks for people to go camping or just enjoy the trails, and woods and beaches for the day. Many parks have special board walks through the marshes and woods so we can go birdwatching. We also have Niagara Falls which is a spectacular place to visit. The falls are awesome to see. We have many boats on the water for fishing and sightseeing. We also have lots of hills and small mountains for skiing and snowboarding. In the winter when it gets very cold, we can skate on our ponds and small lakes. We have the Thames River here in London with bike paths all along the shore. Many people use these paths for roller blades too.
9. How do people use the environment for resources?
Well Niagara Falls is probably our most famous resource. There are power plants there to use the mighty force of the water going over the falls for electricity. The generators there also supply much of New York State with power. We have recently built many wind generators in many Ontario locations to supplement the need for power. We also have several nuclear power plants far away from big cities. Niagara Falls also has a very rich tourist industry. We have a lot of mines in northern Ontario for nickle, and many metals. We also have a large fishing industry in the Great Lakes. We do not use our forests as much for wood as they do out in British Columbia. We have a lot of farms that produce food for the local people. We do not export too much food because we have such a short growing season compared to Florida and California. We have lots of ski resorts in the winter and lodges up north in Muskoka for families to enjoy the lakes and forests in the summer.
10. What is an environmental concern where you live, and what’s being done to fix it?
I think global warming is a big concern for everyone in North America. We are just as bad as everyone else with using our cars needlessly, leaving them running to clear the windows in winter and driving students to school instead of letting them walk and get the exercise. In our schools and in the newspapers we have lots of reminders to use public transportation and carpool. I don’t think it is working as well as it should though. We had a problem with Great Lakes pollution especially from industries on the shores, but that has really been cleaned up with government agencies patroling and fining the culprits. The air pollution however is still a concern from these factories, many of them from the United States in Detroit and Cleveland. We also have a problem with over-fishing in the lakes. They are trying to restock where it is a danger. We have specific seasons to fish and hunt to protect the wildlife.
11. How has the huge population of Ontario affected nature? As the population continues to increase and spread out, what is being done to minimize human impact in your region?
Well just in my community, a conservation group has put a stop to building more houses until proper tunnels under bridges are made for the animals!!! But generally I think there is too much building, too quickly, and the wildlife is forced out of their homes. They had a segment on the news last night with ducks and geese nesting in parking lots since their homes had been paved over. People were bringing them food and water but the wildlife officer was angry because this only makes it more dangerous for their babies. They do not think people should tame these wild creatures. And the food was not natural to the birds. In Toronto there are so many cars going to work each day that there are traffic jams on many roads and hiways. This increases the pollution because the cars are just sitting there putting so much poison into the air. They need to build roads to suit the population. The government says it will do something about it but it is too slow. The people that get elected need to really stick to their schedule.
