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This is the third post, and possibly the last, in a series about mapping Canadian farms. In the first post, I showed the location of farms across provinces. In the second post, I showed the location of farms for selected sectors. In this post, I show how farms and infrastructure share land.

Most people live on or in proximity of the agricultural ecumene, which represents land where farming takes place. Historically, towns were developed near trade routes and where food could easily be produced or harvested. Moreover, land suitable for agriculture near cities often has great value for residential development.

Infrastructure is essential to the agricultural sector. As we will see below, infrastructure generally serves well farms as it covers the agricultural ecumene. However, given the proximity between agricultural and urban areas, and the need to develop infrastructure that more specifically serves the population and commercial interests other than agriculture, the construction and the exploitation of infrastructures may imply the loss of farmland, disagreements over how to best use land are unavoidable.

This post shows how infrastructure in Canada covers the agricultural ecumene. One caveat is that in order to show infrastructure, their size is disproportionate in the figures below, and therefore they do not occupy as much land as the figures suggest. The maps do also not allow to comment on issues regarding land use that are often at the local level. The data are from the Government of Canada and in some instances their coverage appears incomplete. I show maps for the entire Canada but data are available to produce maps the provincial level.

Where are Canadian farms?

Before showing maps of infrastructure in Canada, I think it is appropriate to recall where farms are located. In Figure 1, each red dot represents one farm randomly located within the census consolidated subdivision it belongs to because I do not have the exact location of farms. I explain how I produce this type of map in the first post of this series.

The map shows greater concentrations of farms in Southern Ontario and in Quebec along the Saint Lawrence River. There are farms all across the agricultural ecumene. Observe the white spots bounded by the agricultural ecumene. These are large cities. The locations of Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Regina, Edmonton and Calgary are easy identified.

Figure 1: Map of farms in Canada

Rail roads

The map below shows railroads in Canada based on data from Open Government for the National Railroad Network. The history of the development of the Canadian railroad system is fascinating and shows how crucial railroads were to economic development and settlement in the Western parts of the country.

The Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) are the two main rail companies in Canada. The Grain Growers of Canada observes that 94 percent of Canadian grain is shipped by rail. It is not surprising to find that the railroad system covers well the agricultural ecumene in the Prairies and allows for the export of grain through Eastern or Western ports. In the East, railroads are less crucial to agriculture because of the commodities produced, the proximity of the Saint-Lawrence Seaway and the existing road network.

Figure 2: Map of railroads in Canada

Grain elevators

Grain elevators are often located along railroads and therefore it seems natural to map them while also showing the railroad network. I obtained data on the location of grain elevators from Agriculture Canada through Open Government. The data for 2021 include the location of 441 elevators, two more than the 439 listed by the Canadian Grain Commission. I am aware that not all elevators are shown as the data seem only to include elevators situated by railroads.

The three types of elevators shown in the map below differ in the class of their grain company licences. Primary elevators receive grain directly from producers for storage and forwarding. Process elevators receive and store grain for manufacturing and processing. Terminal elevators receive grain from other elevators for cleaning, storing and treating before it is shipped elsewhere. The map shows that most primary and process elevators are in the Prairies. Elsewhere, the elevators mapped are terminal.

I must note that Statistics Canada offers the Grain Supply Chain Dashboard: Real-time Grain Movement by Rail. In addition to show the railroad network and the location of elevators, the dashboard shows number of cars by corridor and dwelling time.

Figure 3: Map of grain elevators in Canada

Roads

The data for the roads mapped below are for the National Road Network made available through Open Government. The data appear to contain all numbered roads in Canada and winter roads.

The road system is extensive and for the most part is built on the agricultural ecumene. Outside of the agricultural ecumene, there are roads mainly for logging and mining, and to reach remote communities. The road system is denser on the agricultural ecumene than outside of it, especially in Quebec and Ontario. The agricultural ecumene in the Prairies is gridded with roads.

Figure 4: Map of roads in Canada

Pipelines

No farmer wishes to see a pipeline crossing over his/her farm. Pipelines provide an essential service to the economy but no direct service to agriculture. The building of the Keystone pipeline exemplifies how the development of such infrastructure is controversial for several reasons, including the seizure of farmland by eminent domain.

The figure below maps pipelines in Canada using data from Natural Resources Canada made available through Open Government. There are some gaps in the data as there are discontinuities in the pipe system.

Most pipelines are in oil-producing provinces, in the Prairies, and on the agricultural ecumene. Elsewhere in Canada, there are fewer pipelines, with some pipelines on the agricultural ecumene in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

Figure 5: Map of pipelines in Canada

Power lines

The construction and exploitation of power lines is perhaps less controversial than that of pipelines as power lines are associated with a lower environmental risk. Nonetheless, power lines may not be welcomed on farmland as they can disturb farming activities and degrade the landscape.

The data for the power-line network mapped below are from Natural Resources Canada and made available through Open Government. The data seem to include only large transmission lines and not include lower voltage distribution lines. There are some gaps in the data as there are discontinuities in some lines.

One particularity of Canada is that there are several hydropower stations located north, far away from population centres. This is particularly obvious in Manitoba, in Ontario and Quebec. The greatest concentrations of power lines are in southern Quebec and southern Ontario, over the agricultural ecumene. Elsewhere, the concentration of power lines is much lower.

Figure 6: Map of power lines in Canada

Farmland, population and infrastructure

Given the size of Canada, it is hard to appreciate distances in the maps above, and, in order to show well infrastructure, its size is disproportionate in the maps. Nonetheless, the maps show that the agricultural ecumene represents a small share of land in Canada. Farms share land with the population, industries and the infrastructure that support the economy. Inevitably, this leads to disagreements, compromises over the best use of land, and sometimes to legal outcomes.

It is important to protect farmland but not at all cost. It might be better not to exploit less productive marginal farmland or to use it for other purposes. Sometimes, the economic importance of certain projects may justify the loss of farmland. In any case, it is worth approaching the conversion of farmland holistically with a long-term perspective, in particular for projects that lead to the irreversible loss of farmland.