An Emerging Landscape -
the Champlain Sea |
|
Fifteen
thousand years ago, the continental glacier, which extended over all of
eastern Canada, began to melt, leaving behind vast bodies of water.
Some 12,000 to 13,000 years ago, the Ottawa Valley was covered by an
inland sea called the Champlain Sea. It was about 150 metres higher than
the current river levels in Ottawa-Hull. The region’s environment was barren,
cold and inhospitable. It is not known if people lived here at the time.
|
Glimpses of the Sea
The Champlain Sea, which covered the Ottawa Valley until about 10,000
years ago, supported a rich variety of marine life, including whales, seals
and several species of saltwater fish. Small herds of caribou and other
Arctic animals probably lived in the area around the sea, but no evidence
has been found of a human presence in the region.
|