Measurement, Myth, and Reality: Reflections on the Economic History of Nineteenth-Century Ontario

Abstract

In 1780 Ontario was little more than a military base and fur trade way-station; by 1900 it was an altogether modern industrial economy. In just over a century a new economy was founded, grew substantially in population and output, and developed markedly, as evidenced by structural changes in the economy and rising levels of per capita income. Rather little is known about many dimensions of this economic transition. In this paper the authors discuss some of the major elements in the debate about the nature of Ontario’s development, and indicate their priorities in the specification of a research agenda on Ontario’s economic history