Figure 1.--Shortly after launching the Pacific War (December 1942), the Japanese seized the rubber-producing areas of Southeast Asia. The only immediate resonse was to add rubber to the scrap drives. These two boys in Montreal are collecting rubber tires and Wellington boots to be recycled as part of Canada’s war effort (April 1942).

Rubber was a vital resource needed for modern warfare. The most obvuoius use was the tires needed for mobile warfare, but that was only one of countless uses. No country old wage war withhout rubber. Canada was rich in natural resources, but rubber with Canada's northerly location was not one of them. This created a crisis when the Japanese seized Malay and Borneo where most of the world's natural rubber was produced. At first all Canada could do like America was to include rubber in collection drives. Here kids played an important role. Canada’s Minister of Munitions and Supply, C. D. Howe, had faced many problems since since Hitler and Stalin Launched World War II (September 1939). The Pacific War launched by Japan (December 1941) would be handled by America, but the sudden loss of rubber supplies was a huge problen for Canadian industry. Howe immediately travelled to Washington to meet with his British and American counterparts to discuss a couse of action. Obviously you could not grow rubber trees in Canada. And even in the tropical areas controlled by the Allies, it would take several years for newly planted rubber trees to even begin to produce. The only alternative was to create a synthetic subber industry oin an emnergency basis. The rubber problem was solved by crash programs in both Anerica and Canada to produce snthetic rubber. Of all the natural resources Canada produced, rubber is the most surprising as it is a commodity more associated with tropical environs. The Soviets and Germans produced synthetic rubber, but the western Allies did not excpect to be cut off from Southestern Asian rubber. There was knowledge of the basics of synythetic production. But there was no production of any impportance and many unresolved details about the technology. America launched a synthetic rubber ptogram which is well known. And stockpiles provided something like 18 months supply. Less well known is that Canada also launched its own synthetic rubber program. Howe authorized the immediate creation of huge synthetic rubber complex and put J.R. Nicholson in charge (January 1942). The Polymer Corporation was ine of the msny Crown Corporationd to carry out war projects. There was close cooperatiin with the United States. The Polymer plant was built at Sarnia, Ontario close to the United States border because American crude oil ws needed. It was the largest expenditure of public money involved in any single Canadian war project. Sept. 29, 1943, the first producing unit went into operation (September 1943). The final phase of the construction effort was completed when the butyl rubber plant was brought on stream (January 1944). Canadian rubber manufacturers received more than 72,000 tonnes of buna-S rubber and close to 13,000 tonnes of butyl from the Polymer plant. It avoided a shortage, which would have crippled Canada's war production effort. Canada was soon producing enough rubber that all restrictions on the use of rubber were removed (June 18944). Exports to the Uniterd States began soon after.

Created: 1:57 PM 2/19/2021
Last updated: 1:57 PM 2/19/2021