anada's last period of glaciation originated in the north-central part of the country about 25,000 years ago. At the height of glaciation 18,000 years ago, a thick sheet of ice covered virtually all of Atlantic Canada. Around 13,000 years ago, the ice began to recede, allowing wildlife and vegetation to become re-established over the ensuing several thousand years. Aboriginal peoples living south of the glaciers soon began moving into newly ice-free areas to exploit abundant natural resources.