Forestry development in Canada

The forestry development is one of the great economic activities of the Canada since the beginning of the 19th century.

History

Before the XIXe century, two Canadas abounded in important forest resources since there had not been yet true exploitation of the forest potential. The reason was quite simple: there was no really outlet for Canadian wood in England.

But, with the turning of the XIXe century, a strong demand appears in the United Kingdom which knows its industrial revolution. Technological advances made that manufactures multiplied in the cities which developed quickly. For all these constructions, wood was then the material par excellence. Moreover, England had the most important fleet in the world and all these boats was built out of wood. Their longevity was thus rather restricted. For a long time, England supplied itself in the countries of the Baltic but, in war against the French emperor Napoleon i, it undergoes the continental Blocus then and cannot thus go any more to seek its wood in the countries of the Baltic also freely but before.

In the urgency of the war, the alternative will be thus Canadas, and particulièrment the Low-Canada. Thus as from 1805-1806, the production of wood made an extraordinary jump there. It is the valley of the Outaouais which profited the most rise of this trade. In 1800, an American of the name of Philémon Wright had founded the town of Hull to the mouth of the river Gatineau. One crossed there whereas two species of trees, the pine and the Chêne. It was the beginning of the time of the square Bois. It thus created for itself many new employment thanks to this activity, of employment such as loggers, Draveur S, Cageux, and dockers.

Starting from 1815, the Napoleonean empire having fallen, England could have turned over to buy its wood in the countries the Baltic all close relations and to save the transport costs. It of it was nothing, because England was revising its marketing policy to favor the British products and to protect them from competition. Because of this Protectionist policy , foreign wood was strongly taxed. Thus Canadas could continue, thanks to these preferential rates, to profit from the great request of England for wood. That made it possible to the Canadian business men to accumulate profits like never before. They could be allowed to invest in the construction of the Canaux and in the first Railroads. These business men nouveau riches in the forestry development founded the Bank of Montreal in 1817.

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