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The Canadian Resource Economy; images and reality:

The Canadian Resource Economy; images and reality:. Presentation by Prof. Dr. Alfred Hecht* Viessmann European Research Centre at Laurier Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Hochschule Hof Hof, Germany November 27, 2008

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The Canadian Resource Economy; images and reality:

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  1. The Canadian Resource Economy; images and reality: Presentation by Prof. Dr. Alfred Hecht* Viessmann European Research Centre at Laurier Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Hochschule Hof Hof, Germany November 27, 2008 *A hearty ‘thank you’ goes to the Dr. Hans Vießmann-Stiftung and the Fachhochschule Hof "Fördergesellschaft“ for their financial help in bearing the cost for this Canada Day

  2. Abstarct • After Russia, Canada is, geographically speaking, the second largest country of the world. Hence, it is not extraordinary that Canada ‘harvests’ many natural resources. In fact the development of the Canadian economy is often associated with Harold Innis’ Staple Growth Development Theory. This theory suggests that Canada’s economic development rests on the export of resources. It started with the catch and export of fish from the east coast, followed by furs, lumber, grains, forest products, minerals and recently, energy. As long as the population was relatively small and resources prices were high, development continued. However, in the last 50 years or so, the value of raw materials have contribute less and less to the final sales value of products. The result has been that 33 million Canadians can no longer live of the harvest and export of resources. Today, most Canadians work in the service sector of the economy, followed by the processing industry and lastly by the resource sector. Despite this the economic image of Canada abroad is still of a country that lives from the extraction and harvesting of its resources.

  3. Outline of presentation • Introduction to the country • – the geography of Canada • – the economic picture of Canada abroad – Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the Financial Times (US) • Canadian historic economic development (Staple Growth Theory of H. Innis) • fish • fur • lumber • grain • forest products • minerals • energy • The modern economy of Canada • the composition of the Canadian GDP • composition of the Canadian labour force • the most important economic sectors • exports and imports • what about the future?

  4. Canada

  5. Basic facts of Canada • almost 10 million square kilometres (28x that of Germany) • twice as large as Europe and 14 time as large as Texas • east-west width is 5,514 km and north-south 4,624 km • considerably wider then the Atlantic Ocean!!! • average population density is 3 per square kilometres • 8% the area consists of lakes and rivers • only 7% the land can be used for agriculture • has 33.3 million inhabitants, of which 80% live in urbanised areas!! • GDP per person in July 1, 2008 was 48,500 $CDN • Overall GDP was 1,616.228 Billion CDN$, July 1, 2008 • In terms of US$ PPP Canada = $38,600, Germany = $34,100 (2007 est.) (source: CIA, The World Factbook)

  6. The Corporate Image off Canada Abroad: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Financial Times, US • The FZ (October 30, 2008) and the FT ( October 21, 2008) give daily information on a selection of firms trading on the Toronto stock exchange • On the TSX (Toronto Stock Exchange) about 1300 firms are listed!!! • The FZ (Germany) gives daily stock price information on only 49 of these firms. • Their sector breakdown is as follows: • 23 Resources (47%) • 8 ITS (technologies) • 7 Processing/Manufacturing industry • 4 Services / wholesale trade • 5 Financial/Banks • 2 Transport companies • The FT (US) gives daily stock price information on 38 firms. • Their sector breakdown is as follows: • 14 Resources (37%) • 6 ITS (technologies) • 1 Processing/Manufacturing industry • 4 Services / wholesale trade • 10 Financial/Banks • 2 Transport companies • The resources firms are over-represented!!!

  7. Traditional Canadian Northern Image; the polar bearSource: http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/northern/content?pg=ex12-3

  8. Traditional Northern Canadian Scene: Elsmere IslandSource: http://biology.queensu.ca/~pearl/PNAS2005.htm

  9. The old northern transport image; dog sleddinghttp://blog.ratestogo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/dog-sledding-sunset.jpg

  10. Hudson’s Bay Company Store - Rankin Inlet, and the new form of transport in the North in the Winter, the skidooSources: http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/northern/content?pg=ex13-3

  11. Newfoundland and Labrador Image;Iceberg floating past the shore Source: http://away.com/travel_photo_gallery/atlantic_canada/index.html

  12. Famous Atlantic Canada Images; Peggy’s Cove and the hated Seal Hunthttp://away.com/images/gallery/atlantic_canada/gallery01.jpgand http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/sealhunt/gfx/titlephoto.jpg

  13. Atlantic Canada: Peggy's Cove in the morning mistSource: http://www.atlanticcanada.worldweb.com/Photos/TownscapesVillages/10-3697.html

  14. The Birch Bark Canoe; the workhorse of the Canadian fur tradeSource: http://www.birchbarkcanoe.net/images/furtradecanoemain150sm.jpg

  15. Champlain, founder of Quebec ally of the nativesSources: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/explorers/samuel-de-champlain.jpg

  16. Native Canadians and the fur trade:Source; http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t058/T058882A.jpg

  17. The Canadian beaver; main staple of the fur trade Source: http://ci.marysville.wa.us/PublicWorks/swm/docs/beaver_files/Beaver%20Pic.jpg

  18. Canadian loon; summer inhabitant of Canada’s northern lakes, image on the Canadian dollarSource: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/common-loon.jpg

  19. Canadian northern lights; image of remotenessSource: www.greenstone.ca

  20. Niagara Falls; tourist destination, Summer and Winter (1911)Source: http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/IleneEulich/NiagaraFalls3.jpgand http://www.dvc.hu/best/niagara_falls.jpg

  21. Indian Summer in Ontario, Maple Lake, 2008Source: A. Hecht

  22. Maple Lake in the fall in Northern OntarioSource: A. Hecht

  23. Our Cabin on Maple lakeSource: A. Hecht

  24. Relaxing on Maple Lake in the Canadian ShieldSource;A. Hecht

  25. Indian Summer: relaxing with a beer and having an interesting conversation with the granddaughterSource: A. Hecht

  26. Marshmallow feast in the evening by the open fireSource: A. Hecht

  27. The present workhorse of Canada’s peripheries; the float planeSource: A. Hecht

  28. Fishing in Canada’s North; Gogama, OntarioSource: A. Hecht

  29. Wheat Fields in Manitoba and Saskatchewan;Source; http://www.ec.gc.ca/EnviroZine/images/Issue49/wheatfield_l.jpg and http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1647/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1647R-70644.jpg

  30. Western Canada changing farm stead imageSource: http://www.iwantcanadaforgood.com/pic/homeimage-saskatchewan.jpg

  31. First oil well In Western Canada: Today’s office towers in Calgary Source: http://picasaweb.google.com/joella.bryant/WatertonLakesNationalParkAlbertaCanada08#5220271439020817938

  32. Western Canada grizzly: Source; http://www.muchmormagazine.com/wordpress/wp-content/gallery/readers-pictures/grizzly-bear.jpg

  33. Grizzly bears of Knight Inlet British Columbia:Source: http://www.freshtracks.ca/images/lrg/grizzly-man-wallpaper-3-1600.jpg

  34. Western Canada wholesome image: The RockiesSource: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Moraine_lake.jpg

  35. Historic Canadian city: Quebec CitySource: http://www.bonjourquebec.com/fileadmin/Image/decouvrez/experiences/villes/quebec/tvhd_130_g.jpg

  36. The Canadian economic heart; TorontoSource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto

  37. The economic growth centre in the west; CalgarySource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:CalNight.jpg

  38. Harold Innis’ Development TheorySource: constructed by A. Hecht

  39. Relative ressource prices through timeSource: constructed by A. Hecht

  40. The fishing staple • fish was the first export from Canada to Europe • Cod was first salted and then transported in casks. • Came mainly from the 'Grand Banks' of Newfoundland. • Later it first was dried on the mainland and exported to Europe • Salmon was and is the most important fish from the west coast • In 2004, the fish catch was valued at $ 2,212,274,000. Aquaculture added another 30% to this value. • Canada’s fish catch presently ranks 17th in the world • Canada exported 2 times as much fish as it imports. • The fish catch is now highly restricted by the Federal government. • Almost all fishing villages have high unemployment rates both on the east and west coast!!

  41. Traditional image of the Canadian resource sector: Cod fishing on the Grand Banks off NewfoundlandSource: US, New England Textbook, 1867

  42. The newest staple: Oil extraction on the Grand BanksSource:http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1SEC821443

  43. The Fur Staple • Main products are different furs - especially beaver • From 1700 to 1850, furs were the most important export of Canada • The Native Indians were part of this economy • The demand for fur in Europe opened/explored the country • The main carrier of furs was the canoe • The current value of wild furs in Canada is less than 100 million $/year. • World "Environmental" pressure holds the demand for furs low.

  44. The trading post; meeting place of the fur seller and the merchant

  45. Glorious image of the fur transporting voyageursSource:Shooting the Rapids, in a master canoe. Painting by Francis Ann Source: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0008396

  46. The lumber staple economy Source: USA, New England Textbook, 1867

  47. The lumber and wood product staples • Canada has 10% of the world forest area • 45% the country is wooded • only 56% has some commercial value • 12% is found in nature reserves • only 0.5% the useful acreage is clear-cut per year • natural forest fires consume yearly 1.2% of the total forested area • Canada is the largest exporter of forest products (20%) • main products are paper (26%), soft wood (20%), Pulp (15%)... • Total direct addition to the Canadian economy is 3% of GDP per year.

  48. The wheat staple – Craik, Saskatchewan

  49. The Canadian agricultural staples:Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, seehttp://www.agr.gc.ca/index_e.php • After the opening of the Prairies in 1885, Canada became a large grain exporter • Canadian agricultural acreage is twice as large as all of Germany • 98% of the economy units are family business • The average size is somewhat over 244 ha • Main products are: Grains, cattle, milk, pigs, vegetable and fruit products • The economy is geographically concentrated in the west, in southern Ontario and Quebec, and in southern British Columbia • Less than 3% of the Canadian workers make a direct living in this industry • The contribution to the Canadian GDP in 2007 was only 2.3%

  50. Canada’s mineral staples:Source: Natural resources Canada,” Minerals” see, http://www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/com/subsuj/minmin-eng.php • Over 60 different minerals are mined in Canada • 80% of the production is exported • of large importance are the following; • uranium (1 place in the world - 31.1%) • zinc (1 place in the world - 16.1%) • potash (1 place in the world - 37.4%) • nickel (2 places in the world - 17.9%) • asbestos (2 would place in the world - 22.6%) • sulphur (2 places in the world - 21.0%) • Cadmium (2 places in the world - 12.2%) • copper (3 places in the world - 7.2%) • gold (4 places in the world - 7.1%) • In 5 place are aluminums, cobalt, plaster, lead, molybdenum, Palatinum, salt, silver are and titanium-concentrate • recycling may dampen demand of these minerals in the future

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