You have decided to collect information to help plan your family’s summer vacation. You will use the online Atlas of Canada to help plan your route and the sites you will visit along the way. Here are some important details to consider:

• you will be travelling by car
• the parent driving wants to avoid areas with heavy traffic (for example, big cities, so research the population of the cities you will drive through so they can be more prepared)
• one parent wants to go hiking
• your sister wants to go to Banff National Park
• you want to see the dinosaur fossils in Drumheller, Alberta!
• starting point: Victoria, British Columbia
• finishing point: Drumheller, Alberta

Follow the steps below to collect this information. Write down your findings in the space provided.

1. Since Victoria is in British Columbia and Drumheller is in Alberta what direction will you mainly be travelling?

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2. To figure out how you will leave Vancouver Island, follow these steps.

a. Go to the Atlas of Canada Web site located at atlas.gc.ca and click on the English button.
b. In the Explore Our Maps menu on the left hand side, move your cursor over Reference Maps.
c. Click on Canada.
d. On the page that appears, click the link to the Political Divisions (interactive) Map.
e. In the pull-down menu above the map, where it says Zoom to Region, click select and click on British Columbia.
f. Click on the Zoom In button above the map and then on Victoria until you can see the broken red line. Find this symbol in the legend.

i) What does it represent?

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ii) How does this affect your route?

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3. Compare the population of Victoria (your departure point) with the population of Vancouver (your arrival point on the mainland). To do this click on the Get Info from Map button and then on Victoria. When you have found the population click on the X in the top right corner to close this box. Repeat the previous step to find the population for Vancouver.

a. What is the population of Victoria?

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b. What is the population of Vancouver?

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c. What advice will you give the parent who is driving?

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Once you get to the mainland you will start travelling towards the border of Alberta. However, don’t forget that one of your parents wants to do some hiking along the way and your sister wants to visit Banff National Park.

1. Follow the thick red line to the town of Hope by clicking on the appropriate arrow on the side of the map.

2. What does the thick red line represent? (Hint: look in the legend)

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3. From here, follow the thin red line to Revelstoke via Kamloops.

4. What does the thin red line represent?

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5. Use the arrows on the side of the map to get to Revelstoke. Click on the appropriate direction and stop once you see Revelstoke on the map.

6. Find out what the large green area represents by looking in the legend.

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7. There are several green areas in the Revelstoke region. Name the areas you will pass through. You may have to use the arrows to find all of them. To find the name of the green areas, click on the Get Info from Map button and then on the green region. Repeat this step for each of the regions you will pass through on your way to Banff. Record the names below:

a. ______________________________________________________

b. ______________________________________________________

c. ______________________________________________________

d. ______________________________________________________

8. Now you know of some areas that might be of interest to your family. Remember that one parent wanted to go hiking and your sister wants to visit Banff National Park. Collect some information for each of them and record it below. To find the right information click on the Get Info from Map button and then on a green area. Click on the name of the park within that box and it will take you to the parks page where there is more information.

Record your findings here (for example, good places to hike, and so on)

a. ______________________________________________________

b. ______________________________________________________

c. ______________________________________________________

Information about Banff National Park (for example what to do, wildlife, and so on)

a. ______________________________________________________

b. ______________________________________________________

c. ______________________________________________________

9. Proceed to the town of Banff. You will see a broken black line on the map.

a. What does the broken black line represent?

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b. What province are you in?

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You don’t have too far to go now!

1. Use the arrows on the side of the map to travel from Banff to Drumheller via Calgary. Describe the type of roads you will take using the symbols in the legend to help.

a. Road type from Banff to Calgary:

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b. Road type from Calgary to Drumheller:

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c. What does the road type tell you about the area you are travelling through?

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d. What should you tell the parent who is driving?

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2. Now that you are in Drumheller you want to see the Dinosaur Fossils! To find out more information about where you can see them follow these steps.

a. On the left side of the page look for the Learning Resources section and click on Facts About Canada.
b. Click on the link to Parks and Environment.
c. On the map, click on Dinosaur Provincial Park.
d. What does it say about the park?

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e. Click on the link to view the photo. What kind of landscape is shown in the photo?

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3. Now you want to find out exactly where to locate Dinosaur Provincial Park. To find this information do the following:

a. Click on the link to the Advanced Search at the top of the menu on the left side of the page.

b. Select the first option, Search for the location of place on a map.

c. Type Dinosaur Provincial Park in the search box and then click the arrow symbol.

d. On the page that appears, look for the name Dinosaur Provincial Park. What is the latitude and longitude of Dinosaur Provincial Park?

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e. Now, click the link with the name Dinosaur Provincial Park.

f. In the map that appears on the refreshed window, you can see exactly where the park is located.

g. What is the name of the closest town to the park?

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You should now have lots of information to relay to your family. Discuss with your class some other information that would also be important to collect for this type of trip.

Happy travels!