Hudson Bay Lowlands
Wetland located between the Canadian Shield and Hudson Bay
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Through River, Glacial period and Inland sea
The entire area was covered by ice during the last glaciation, and the peatlands have accumulated over the last 10,000 years. Plants from the boreal forest mix with arctic species. A majority of the wetland is peat bog and fen, although salt marshes occur along the coast, and marshes and wet meadows occur along the major rivers. The wetlands provide important habitat for migratory birds including shorebirds (e.g., yellow rail) and waterfowl (e.g., snow geese). Large mammals include polar bears and wolverines.
Early discoveries and exploration
The local Ojibwa and Cree most likely came into contact with the region but did not populate the region due to the harsh, undesirable conditions and poor drainage patterns of the area. When Europeans arrived in the area, the Hudson's Bay Company set up trading posts such as Rankin Inlet, some of which remain populated today. However, these never grew into sizable towns, again because of the poor living conditions and climate. To this day, not all of the lowlands have been fully explored, Adam Shoalts for example in 2012 was the first person to traverse the length of the Again River where he discovered numerous waterfalls and other previously unknown geographic features. There are a few small First Nations settlements on the southern shore of Hudson Bay Lowlands at places like Moose Factory, Moosonee, Attawapiskat, and Fort Severn.
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Geography
The region is named after the nearby inland sea, Hudson Bay, the second largest in the world. The entire area drains into the bay through rivers such as the Churchill, Severn, and Attawapiskat. The region is located in the extreme north of Ontario, extending into both Manitoba to the west and Quebec in the east, and covers around 25 percent of Ontario's total land area (approximately 228,400 km2). The area was covered in ice during the last glacial maximum, and then flooded as the ice receded, leaving behind plains that are slowly rising out of the ocean due to post-glacial rebound. Muskeg, comprising peaty bogs and fens, now cover much of the landscape, with other kinds of wetlands along rivers and the coast. The climate of the region depends largely on the water surface of the bay, which heats rapidly in the summer, breaking the ice and bringing rains to the lowlands. In the winter, the bay freezes over again, bringing freezing temperatures and winds. The soil is almost entirely peatland, dominated by lichen, moss, and sedges, with a mix of boreal forest, arctic, and sub-arctic plant species.
Industries
The forestry industry is present in the coniferous forests of the region. There is a growing tourist industry which includes fly-fishing and beluga and seal-watching excursions.
The Hudson Bay Lowlands also contain vast mineral deposits, particularly chromite and nickel. The Ring of Fire development project plans to build roads to enable resource extraction. Plans for development in the area are under undergoing environmental assessment.