A Geography of the Canadian Economy

Book excerpt: The geography of the Canadian economy is undergoing significant change. North-south links encouraged by the North American Free Trade Agreement are loosening east-west ties forged since Confederation. Metropolitian economies have replaced resource-based hinterlands as the centres of dynamic growth, and as the regional economies of traditional geographical units, such as the Praries, have become less homogeneous, policy choices have become more complex. In A Geography of the Canadian Economy, Wallace offers a detailed account of how geography has simultaneously shaped the evolution of Canada's economy and has been shaped by economic forces. It explores these themes along three dimensions. Part I, Context, reviews Canada's external economic relations, globally and particularly within North America. Probing the implications of culture, politics, and regionalism for Canada's economic geography, it assesses the roles played by the natural environment, structural change in industrial systems, and the character of cities in shaping domestic economic opportunities and challenges. Part II, Sectors, presents an overview of Canada's major economic sectors, from the traditional, resource-based ones such as agriculture, forest products, and energy to those built on contemporary expertise in high-technology manufacturing and services. Part III, Regions, explores the distinctive core/periphery economic structure of four major regions: Atlantic Canada, Central Canada, WesternCanada, and Northern and Aboriginal Canada. A final chapter takes stock of the forces of continuity and change that make the geography of the Canadian economy a fascinating 'work in progress'.