The Geography of the Canadian Iron and Steel Industry

Abstract

A GROWING interest in recent economic development in Canada prompts a study of the geography of the steel industry. The purpose of this paper is to relate the present distribution of the iron and steel industry to resources, markets, and other factors, and to comment on the possibilities of the establishment of new Canadian iron and steel centers in the future. Canada ranks tenth among steel producing countries of the world, with an output which just exceeded five million tons in 1957. Before World War II, basic steel shapes, such as rods, rails, bars, hot rolled plate, and wire products, dominated the industry. Now, special alloy steels, tin plate, pipe, and cold rolled strip (all sizes) are taking an increasing share of production. The history of the steel industry in Canada has been characterized mainly by a remarkably heavy dependence on American raw materials and by strong governmental support in the form of duties on various iron and steel products, thus affording the industry some protection against American and European producers.' Virtually all of the pig iron and at least 90 per cent of the steel ingots and