Browse "Nature & Geography"

“Whale” is the common name for large marine mammals of the order Cetartiodactyla (formerly Cetacea). They are subdivided into the Mysticeti, or baleen whales, and Odontoceti, or toothed whales. Smaller kinds of toothed whales are called dolphins or porpoises. Thirty-five whale species are found at least occasionally in Canadian waters — 9 species of baleen whales, and 26 species of toothed whales (including dolphins and porpoises). The commercial pursuit of these animals was significant in early European exploration of Canada (see Whaling). Since the 1972 moratorium on commercial whaling in Canada, whale watching has become popular. Whales range in size from about 30 kg for some smaller dolphins to over 150 tonnes for the blue whale, making it the largest animal ever known.

Wheat is the common name for members of genus Triticum of the grass family (Gramineae) and for the cereal grains produced by these grasses.

Whelkis the common name for a carnivorous marine snail which may be included with the Buccinid, Muricid or Purpurid families.

White Fox, Sask, incorporated as a village in 1941, population 364 (2011c), 348 (2006c). The Village of White Fox is located about 130 km east of Prince Albert, just north of Nipawin and the Saskatchewan River. The village is named for the White Fox River which flows through the district.

The White Pass & Yukon Route railway was built to meet the demand for transportation to the gold fields of the Yukon River basin during the Klondike Gold Rush. Completed in 1900, it was a feat of engineering and one of the steepest railways in North America. It ran 177 km from Skagway, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Yukon. Today, tourist rail excursions run on a portion of the original line.

Whitefish, common name for several freshwater fishes of class Actinopterygii, family Salmonidae (salmon), subfamily Coregoninae (sometimes elevated to family rank).

The whooping crane (Grus americana), standing almost 1.5 m high, is the tallest North American bird.

Over 200 species of small, fleshy, wild fruits occur in Canada. Most people consider them all “berries” but, technically, they are classed in different categories. These categories include drupes (e.g. cherries, elderberries), pomes (e.g. saskatoon berries), true berries (e.g. gooseberries, blueberries) and aggregate fruits (e.g. raspberries, strawberries). In this article “berry” is used in its less technical sense. The following are favourite Canadian wild berries.

Wild Geese, novel credited to Martha Ostenso (London, New York and Toronto, 1925). Published first in England as The Passionate Flight, Wild Geese was one of the Best-Selling Canadian novels of the 20th century.

Wild horses in western Canada are found primarily in forested areas, typically lodgepole pine woodlands interspersed with pockets of dry grassland, shrubland and sedge meadows.

There are approximately 4000 species of flowering plants in Canada, of which about 3000 may be considered wildflowers. About one-quarter of these have been introduced from other regions of the world.

 The first European explorers and settlers in North America found wildlife in abundance. This wealth was recognized as having immediate commercial value, with FISHERIES and the FUR TRADE being the first widespread exploitive activities.

A wildlife preserve is an area of land or water set aside from at least some forms of development or recreational use, particularly from industrial use, hunting and motorized recreation, to protect wildlife and their habitats.

Willow (Salix) is a genus of trees and shrubs of the willow family (Salicaceae). About 300 species occur worldwide, chiefly in the Northern Hemisphere.

In the atmosphere, between about 1.2 and 1.6 km above the Earth's surface, winds tend to blow parallel to rather than across the lines of equal pressure (isobars).

Wind-scorpions are spiderlike and hairy. Their most striking feature is the enormous chelicerae, which are often about 25% of their body length.

Winter occurs as the Earth's axis tilts away from the sun during the planet's annual rotation. The portion of the Earth that is furthest from the sun experiences winter, with weather that is colder than the other seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter officially begins with the winter solstice, around 21 December, and ends at the spring equinox, around 21 March. Winter figures largely in Canada's climate, cultural experience and mythology. Every aspect of life in Canada is affected by winter, whether by heavy rains on the West Coast, isolation during the long Arctic winters, raging blizzards across the prairies or huge snowfalls in eastern Canada. Winter is reflected in Canadian art, literature, music, fashion, pastimes and attitudes.

About 30 minutes in length, the work has three movements: I The Darkest Hour, II Simulacrum, III The Prophet of Light. Hatzis explains that the title refers to the spiritual meaning of the "longest night" and that the work "...is a meditation on our own times ...

Wintergreen is the common name for smooth, low-growing, woodland, herbaceous plants in genus Pyrola of the wintergreen family (Pyrolaceae). These plants were known to the Cree as "beaver's ears" because of their small, round, evergreen leaves. Nine of the 12 known species are native to Canada.

Witch Hazel is the common name for a family (Hamamelidaceae) of trees or shrubs and refers especially to members of the genus Hamamelis.