You are a wealthy person with an entrepreneurial spirit… What industry/company would you start up in Russell, Ontario? First, lets look at some geographic information about Russell, Ontario…

LOCATION: RUSSELL, ONTARIO, CANADA, NORTH AMERICA, WESTERN HEMISPHERE, EARTH. Located 25 minutes south-east of Ottawa.

COORDINATES: 45° N, 75° W

ELEVATION: 60 m (AVERAGE)

LANDFORM REGION: GREAT LAKES - ST LANDFORM REGION: GREAT LAKES - ST. LAWRENCE LOWLANDS – characterized by the giant glaciers that scraped the region flat as they melted their path to the Atlantic Ocean. As the glacial melting and retreating occurred at the end of the last ice age, it created a shallow sea/inlet called the ‘Champlain Sea’. In some parts of the region there is fossil evidence that a shallow sea was there.

ROCK FORMATION: Mostly Sedimentary Rock

SOIL: Thanks to the glaciers, this region is rich in mineral deposits and really deep soil- making it some of the healthiest soil for growing food in Canada! Specific soil types are luvisolic, brunisolic, and gleysolic.

VEGETATION REGION: The Mixed Forest region dominates southeastern Canada with a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees. This mix is influenced by the sedimentary rock bed, deep rich soil and warmer continental climate of the region.

CLIMATE: Russell in located in the Southeastern climate region, characterized by cool winters, hot summers, and moderate precipitation. The dominant air mass is continental polar for most of the year.

Human Activity: Population of Russell: 3,759 It was a key intersection village and was ‘put on the map’ when the New York Central Railway had stops and a station at Russell from the late 1890s to the late 1950s. Agriculture has been the main industry in and immediately around the village. However, today the vast majority of its residents work in the city of Ottawa, making Russell a true bedroom community for commuters to Ottawa.

Environmental Issues: Dues to agriculture in the area, water use and pollution are concerns. Greater urbanization of Russell is a concern, as we use more and more farmland for housing development. The Taggart-Miller dump at Boundary Road (for the City of Ottawa’s construction waste) concerns residents.

Now that you know a little more … What industry/company would you start up in Russell, Ontario? In groups, create a proposal using supporting examples from this presentation.