Influences in Canadian Urban Development

Introduction

In the essay entitled “Frontierism, metropolitanism, and Canadian history” J.M.S. Careless explores the frontierist and the metropolitan influences that has led to the current urban development patterns in Canada. Careless explains metropolitan influences as “...a city of outstanding size, to dominate not only its surrounding countryside, but other cities and their countrysides, the whole area being controlled by the metropolis through control of communications, trade, and finance, into one economic and social unit that is focused on the metropolitan centre of dominance, and through it, trades with the world.”

Careless also describes the Canadian frontier as the “western edge of European civilization”, and concludes that the metropolitan influences in Canada’s history, whether these influences were from the metropolitan centres in Europe or North America, have resulted in the patterns in Canadian urban development seen today. The frontier, however, also played a pivotal role in urban development in Canada, because of Canada’s staple-based economy.

Frontierism

Careless explains the frontier as “...far from being essentially independent and self-reliant, is in the largest sense a dependent. It constantly requires metropolitan aid and control.” This is true, in the most basic sense, since early urban settlements such as Montreal & Quebec still depended on France for goods and trade.

Careless does not examine the economy of early Canada in a significant amount of detail. The exploration and development of the Canadian frontier resulted from Canada’s early economic reliance on a staple-based economy. By its very nature as an exhaustible resource, the production of staple products requires small and mobile settlements, to allow relocation as the resources become diminished. Additionally, harvesting of staple goods does not encourage the manufacturing of products, which made trade for manufactured products necessary. This form of economic system, therefore, could not effectively support permanent urban settlements.

Trading posts, on the other hand, were required to be relatively permanent settlements. The minor trading posts, such as the one located at Trois-Rivieres, enabled (for example) fur-trappers to trade their furs for manufactured goods such as clothing or traps. These trading posts, however, were at the mercy of the available resources, and if the resources were exhausted, these settlements had to relocate.

The St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes played important roles in deciding where these permanent settlements (export points) would occur, because these waterways were the most desirable method for shipping to Europe and other overseas destinations. Furs that were collected at the minor trading posts were then brought to major trading posts (export points) to allow mass trade and export to occur. These settlements, such as Montreal, Toronto, and later, Vancouver, have grown into the major metropolitan centres seen in Canada today.

Metropolitanism

The frontier cannot be considered self-reliant, since it depends on metropolitan centres to supply capital, communications, transportation, and to market its products. In staple-based economic systems, where permanent settlement may not be desirable (or even possible), the lack of self-reliance is even more apparent.

Careless states that metropolitanism is “the other side of the coin” to frontier expansion, and that the constant expansion of the metropolitan centre of influence continually pushes the frontier outwards. Careless also states that “since economic nationalism is pre-eminently the result of metropolitan forces, it might appear that the way to the 'national' heart of Canadian development... lies not through the frontiers of field and forest... but rather through a metropolitan approach.” Careless concludes that the frontier could not have existed without the existence of metropolitan centres in Canada; and in early Canadian history, the metropolitan centres in Europe.

In his work “Cities of Canada”, George Nader theorizes that “...the factor most significant for the development of settlements on the North American continent was the exploration of natural transportation routes, and suitable sites for fortified trading posts”. Following the construction of the national railway, Nader's criteria for locating permanent settlements near transportation routes became a much greater factor, and acted to connect the frontier of the prairies with the metropolitan centres in the east.

Nader also states that staple production is not a sound economic base for permanent urban development. Since staple production does not encourage production of manufactured goods, and high population densities are not required for production of staple products, low population densities are encouraged. The higher population densities, and therefore, the major metropolitan centres, are located at the major export points for staple goods and import points for manufactured goods. Nader also concludes that a national urban system did not emerge until the 1920's. At this time, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver had solidified their positions as major metropolitan centres of influence in Canada.

The metropolitan way of thinking is described by Careless as conservative, and this could be evident by the implementation of the National Policy, specifically the construction of the national railway to promote (rather than because of) western settlement. Careless continues “the greater conservatism of Canada as compared to the USA may be read as a mark of much stronger influence exercised in this country by conservative-minded eastern urban centres.” What Careless has not explored fully is the physical constraints to the settlement of Canada, especially the climate. In the USA, for example, a family could migrate to the west, and experience hospitable weather year-round. Due to the extremely harsh winter weather experienced in Canada, however, western settlement was difficult, and even dangerous, until the national railway was completed.

Conclusion

The necessity of trade in the early Canadian economic system has strongly influenced the patterns of Canadian urban development, which has resulted from the combination of frontier expansion and the frontier’s reliance on metropolitan centres. The frontier is not able to expand without a metropolitan base of support, and due to its reliance on a staple based economy; the metropolis must rely on the frontier for the acquisition of manufactured goods, via trade and export.

There is no question that the metropolitan centres of Canada have been established as a result of the nation's economic reliance on staple goods and inability to manufacture goods locally. Supporting industries, such as manufacturing plants, may have followed these settlements as time progressed, but these plants were established as a result of the proximity of the goods being harvested. Additionally, these metropolitan centres have become positioned at a certain level of the urban hierarchy (with certain levels of importance) because of the continued harvesting and processing of these staple goods.

Canada, essentially, still has a frontier today, and relies on the continued harvesting and exporting of staple goods. Presently, Canada still exports many of its natural resources such as wheat, mineral ore, lumber, and oil; and trades for manufactured goods. Canada's frontier could be defined as the sparsely settled areas over 200 miles from the Canada-USA border. Many of these settlements still exhibit the characteristics of a frontier, with low population densities, being economically unstable, and relying on the major metropolitan centres for political and economic guidance.

Introduction

Frontierism

Metropolitanism

Conclusion

Bibliography