Figure 1.--Canada today has one of the world's largest minning sectors. This was not the case at the turn-of-the 20th century, although it had begun to grow. One event which was important to the growth of the mining sector was the Yukon Gold Rush (1892-1912). This began the opening of remote areas. Here three unidentified children operate a rocker at a gold mine on Dominion Creek, Yukon Territory. The photograph was parobablyntaken in the 1900s decade.

Canada while having only a small population was a very large country. Not as large as suggdsted by the Mercntoir projedction of most mzaos, but still very large. And that huge area was richly endowed with the natural resources needed to wage war. The Canadisn economy was orimarily based on fur during the French era nd early British era. Serttlers in the more populted areas noted noted mnineral deposits such as coal and copper. Virtually nothing was know about resources of the vast unsettled areas. The first industrial mining operation was an iron mine at Forges du Saint-Maurice near Trois-Rivières in Quebec. Copper mining bergn at Bruce Mines, Ontario (1848). Canadian mining industry continued to expand during the 19th century and early-20th century. The Yukon Gold Rush (1892-1912) began the opening up of remote areas. World War II would begin a massive increase in mining operrations. Canada today has some of the world's lsrgest mining opertions. As Britain was thrust into another world war, it need expanded overseas supplies of lumber, minerals, and other resources. And it found them in Canada. There were large coal deposits which during the War was critical for industry. Mining operations help supply the war industries, including asbestos, cadmium, nickel, potash, sulfur, and titanium, and zinc. It was also a major producer of iron ore, gold, copper, silver, lead, and a number of ferroalloys. Canada's large oil resource was still not developed. There were a range of infrastructure projects to open up remote areas to mining. Particularky important was aluminum. The Northern Aluminum Company started construction of the Arvida aluminium smelter (1925). The company remamed itself, Northern Aluminum Company Limited was renamed the Aluminum Company of Canada--ALCAN. One year later the first cells at Arvida plant began to produce aluminium. Canada mostly notably provided the alunimum needed to build aircraft (40 percent of Allied production). There are no bauxite mines in Canada. The country's refinery and smelters use ore and refined alumina imported from other countries. What Canada had was hydro-electric power -- providing the vast anounts of electrity needed to refine aluminum. Other metals included: nickel (75 percent), asbestos (75 percent), zinc (20 percent), lead (15 percent), and copper (12 percent). And Canada was the only sources of uranium, except for uranium already minded in the Belgisn Congo and seized on a U-boat. This made Canada a vital partivipabt in the Manhattan Project. One resource Canada did not have was 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 natual rubber was produced. Here we see a Canadian rubber drive in the Rosemont district of Montreal. The boys were collecting all spare rubber products for the War effort (figure 1). 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.

Forestry

Lumber is not a resouirce commonly associated with World War II, but it was infact an important resource. One estimate suggests that Allied soldiersv required equivalent of five trees: one for living quarters and recreation; one for crates to ship food, ammunition, tanks, and other equipment; and three for explosives, gun stocks, ships and factories. And given thevnumber of aLLies soldiers, that is an incredable quantuty of lumber. Large areas of southeastern Canada had been essentially deforested by settlers who cleared sreas for farming. Nut still there werev large forested areas in eastern Canada and virtually untapped areas along the Pacific coast. The problem became the labort and tarnsport, especially the transport to Britain. The major contraint in the Allied war effort was shipping. After the Battle oif Britain, the war moved to distant locations, especially after Japan launched the Pacifuc War. And there was cruital shortahes of shipping. Germany had an important advantage. Their mikitary was supplied bt rail and a particularly efficent rail system -- at leasr until they invaded the Soiviet Union. Allied troops had to be supplied by maritiumne shipping. So as in World War I, Canada first exported lumberjacks to Briatin who worked in Scotland. The Canadian Forestry Corps, a military unit of the Canadian Army, was created during the First World War. This hellpedd but the great lumber resoiyrxe was in Ameruca and Canada. We do not at this time have details on oberseas shiopments of Canadian lumber. But much of the lumber such as shipping crates was supplies to the defense plants in Canada and America that was producing equipmenht, food, and minitions to be shipped overseas.

Energy

Canada had large coal deposits which during the War was critical for industry. Coal was the one resource that Britain had in huge quantity Canaadian industry which was expanding to meet the demsnds of the War needed that coal. Canada's large oil resource was still not developed. But what was developed was hydro-electric power which would be the foundation of a very important aluminum indusdtry.

Metals

The Canadisn economy was orimarily based on fur during the French era nd early British era. Serttlers in the more populted areas noted noted mnineral deposits such as coal and copper. Virtually nothing was know about resources of the vast unsettled areas. The first industrial mining operation was an iron mine at Forges du Saint-Maurice near Trois-Rivières in Quebec. Copper mining bergn at Bruce Mines, Ontario (1848). Canadian mining industry continued to expand during the 19th century and early-20th century. The Yukon Gold Rush (1892-1912)bergan the opening up of remote areas. World War II would begin a massive increase in mining operrations. Canada today has some of the world's lsrgest mining opertions. As Britain was thrust into another world war, it need expanded overseas supplies of lumber, minerals, and other resources. And it found them in Canada. Mining operations help supply the war industries, including asbestos, cadmium, nickel, potash, sulfur, and titanium, and zinc. It was also a major producer of iron ore, gold, copper, silver, lead, and a number of ferroalloys. There were a range of infrastructure projects to open up remote areas to mining. Particularly important was aluminum. It was the most important Canadian natural contrinution of the War--despite having no maluminum ore (Bauxite). hat Cnada had was hydro-power. The Northern Aluminum Company started construction of the Arvida aluminium smelter (1925). The company remamed itself, Northern Aluminum Company Limited was renamed the Aluminum Company of Canada--ALCAN. One year later the first cells at Arvida plant began to produce aluminium. Canada mostly notably provided the alunimum needed to build aircraft (40 percent of Allied production). There are no bauxite (aluminum ore) mines in Canada. The country's refinery and smelters use ore and refined alumina imported from other countries. What Canada had was hydro-electric power -- providing the vast anounts of electrity needed to refine aluminum. Other metals included: nickel (75 percent), asbestos (75 percent), zinc (20 percent), lead (15 percent), and copper (12 percent). And Canada was the only sources of uranium, except for uranium already minded in the Belgisn Congo and seized on a U-boat. This made Canada a vital partivipabt in the Manhattan Project. One resource Canada did not have was rubber.

Rubber

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 wiythout 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 natual 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 trooical 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 estern Allies did not excpect to be cut off from Southestern Asian rubber. There wa knowledge of the basics of synythetic priduction. But there was no production of any importance 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. It was located in 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 prifucing 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