PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Department of Industrial Development,
Trade, and Commerce
REPORT
for the Year Ended December 31st
1957
Printed by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty
in right of the Province of British Columbia.
1958 To His Honour Frank Mackenzie Ross, C.M.G., M.C., LL.D.,
Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia.
May it please Your Honour:
I beg to submit herewith the Report of the Department of Industrial Development,
Trade, and Commerce for the year ended December 31st, 1957.
ROBERT W. BONNER, Q.C.,
Minister of Industrial Development, Trade,
and Commerce.
L The Honourable Robert W. Bonner, Q.C.,
Minister of Industrial Development, Trade, and Commerce,
Victoria, B.C.
Sir,—I have the honour to submit herewith the Report of the Department of Industrial Development, Trade, and Commerce for the year ended December 31st, 1957.
THOMAS L. STURGESS,
Deputy Minister of Industrial Development,
Trade, and Commerce. r
Report of the Department of Industrial Development,
Trade, and Commerce
for the Year Ended December 31st, 1957
The activities of the Department of Industrial Development, Trade, and Commerce
detailed in the following pages of this Report encompass a year which has seen a mixture
of strengths and weaknesses in the economy of the Province. The underlying strengths
are best exemplified by the substantial gain in the size of the labour force, resulting in a
level of employment greater than the previous year's peak. The chief weaknesses have
been serious marketing problems for our lumber and plywood, and to a lesser extent
pulp and newsprint, and world price declines for our exports of copper, lead, and zinc.
Indicative of the strengths in our economy this year have been the sharp gains in
production by newer types of enterprise; in particular, our much greater output of aluminium, asbestos, and natural gas. As well, many of the traditional enterprises experienced active conditions in the past year. For example, our shipyards and other iron and
steel processors, food and beverage manufacturers, recorded new highs in the volume of
sales and in total employment, although at the year's end their volume of work was considerably reduced. A further indication of the strength of the economy this year has
been a substantial gain in electric-power consumption and in sales of gasoline and other
petroleum products. In summary, the total value of all types of manufacturing output
gained slightly over the record established in 1956. Part of this increase, however, was
a result of generally higher prices for the products of manufacturing establishments.
The exceptionally heavy capital investment programme of recent years continued
during 1957 with additional construction of power and transportation facilities, schools,
government building, and municipal services. Industrial and commercial construction
continued at a rate very similar to that of the previous year. These programmes resulted
in very high employment in the construction trades through most of the year. An exception was the reduction in employment for residential building. A drop in new heavy-
construction contracts was noticeable toward the latter part of the year. This, coupled
with the sharp decline in our two principal industries, forestry and mining, resulted in
above normal unemployment at the close of the year.
Exports and imports exceeded 1956 values for the first eight months of 1957. It is
expected that exports will reach $860,000,000 and imports $520,000,000 for the full
twelve-month period of 1957.
Exports of wood, wood products, and paper show a small increase compared to
1956. Exports of pulp and newsprint increased, offsetting smaller shipments of lumber
to the United States and the United Kingdom. Reduced housing construction in the
United States and continued dollar difficulties in the United Kingdom combined to make
1957 a difficult year for lumber exporters. Increases in exports of crude petroleum
(prairie origin), refined zinc, aluminium ingots, asbestos, cellulose products, and fertilizers were sufficient to increase the total value of all exports, despite reduced shipments
of fish products, apples, copper ore, lead in pigs, and zinc ore. The value of exports to
the United States and the United Kingdom increased, but purchases by Japan declined
slightly. Larger shipments of aluminium ingots to the United Kingdom more than balanced the smaller exports of lumber. Increased purchases of crude petroleum by the
United States compensated for the decline in our lumber shipments to that country.
Although imports exceeded 1956 levels in the first eight months of 1957, it is
expected that their final value will be slightly less. Completion of many large engineer-
5 V 6 BRITISH COLUMBIA
ing projects under way in 1957 has resulted in smaller monthly imports of iron and steel
products during the last six months of 1957. These reductions are expected to be sufficient to lower the 1957 import value below the 1956 level.
Imports from the United States, the United Kingdom, Jamaica, Australia, Mexico,
and Belgium increased in 1957, while there were reduced imports from Japan, Germany,
Colombia, and Holland.
While the level of activity has been high through most of the year, the shortages of
labour and material and the pressures on prices which were apparent in 1956 have to
some extent abated. Consumer prices continued to rise throughout 1957, although year-
end figures suggested that the upward trend was easing. Wholesale prices in some instances declined and in general were maintained close to the level of 1956. Personal
income, particularly income from wages and salaries, showed further gains in 1957.
Consumer expenditures were also heavy, although a tendency to a lower rate of spending on consumer durables was apparent.
The problems of readjustment mentioned above have particularly affected the earnings of many of our principal corporations. Higher costs of production, increased foreign competition, and stiffening sales resistance have lowered profit margins over previously high levels. Early solution for many of the problems facing our employers and
employees is not foreseen in the immediate future.
In the following pages of this Report the activities of the divisions of the Department are outlined. These divisions are the Agent-General's Office, London, and British
Columbia House, the Bureau of Economics and Statistics, the Mechanical Tabulation
Division, and the Industrial and Trade Office. In the reorganization of this Department,
which became effective April 1st, 1957, with a change in designation from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Department of Industrial Development, Trade, and
Commerce, the office of the Agent-General, British Columbia House, London, England,
formerly in the Department of Finance, became a part of the organization. The British
Columbia Government Travel Bureau, formerly a division of the Department of Trade
and Industry, was transferred to the Department of Recreation and Conservation.
BRITISH COLUMBIA RESEARCH COUNCIL
The Minister of Industrial Development, Trade, and Commerce is ex officio chairman of the board of management of the British Columbia Research Council, and as such
presided at regular meetings of the board throughout the year. The laboratories and
offices of the Council are located on the campus of the University of British Columbia
in Vancouver.
The broad objectives of the British Columbia Research Council are to provide scientific and technical services not otherwise available to the industry of the Province and
to conduct basic studies leading to the establishment of new industries and the development of the natural resources of British Columbia. In order to meet these objectives,
the Research Council, through its laboratories, provides a wide range of services and
facilities to industries of all types. The work carried out by the Council generally falls
into a number of categories:—
(1) Fundamental or Basic Research.
(2) Product and Process Research and Development.
(3) Industrial Trouble-shooting.
(4) Specialized Testing.
(5) Approvals Testing.
(6) Economic Research and Industrial Survey Studies Related to Scientific
and Technical Developments.
(7) Operations Research. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 7
Industry continued to increase its demands on the Council during 1957, with the
result that industrial project work was about 25 per cent greater than in 1956. The
heavy emphasis in this part of the programme is on service-type work, comprising testing, industrial trouble-shooting, and product development.
The Council's fundamental research programme is financed by grants from various
organizations in Eastern Canada and the United States, and support has increased during the year as a result of the outstanding reputation of Council scientists.
The Council continues to serve industry in many ways other than through sponsored
projects. Through its library, its technical information service, and its programme of
contacts with industry throughout the Province, it brings science a little closer to industry's door.
The board of management of the Research Council consists of the following:—
The Honourable R. W. Bonner, Minister of Industrial Development, Trade,
and Commerce of the Province of British Columbia, Victoria, B.C.
(chairman).
G. S. Allen, Dean, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver 8, B.C.
P. R. Bengough, 3292 West Tenth Avenue, Vancouver 8, B.C.
J. K. Clarke, Assistant to the Manager, Buckerfield's Limited, foot of Rogers
Street, Vancouver 6, B.C.
P. E. Cooper, Director and Executive Vice-President, Sandwell & Co. Ltd.,
1512 Alberni Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Ian McTaggart-Cowan, Head, Department of Zoology, University of British
Columbia, Vancouver 8, B.C.
K. G. Fensom, Superintendent, Forest Products Laboratory, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver 8, B.C.
Aird Flavelle, Director, Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Limited, c/o Flavelle
Cedar, Port Moody, B.C.
M. J. Foley, President, Powell River Company Limited, 510 West Hastings
Street, Vancouver 2, B.C.
S. J. Hammitt, President, Western Canada Steel Limited, 450 South-east
Marine Drive, Vancouver 15, B.C.
W. C. Koerner, President, Alaska Pine and Cellulose Limited, 1111 West
Georgia Street, Vancouver 5, B.C.
R. B. McDonell, President, McDonell Metal Manufacturing Company Limited,
1250 Boundary Road, Vancouver 6, B.C.
William MacGillivray, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Province of British
Columbia, Victoria, B.C.
A. W. H. Needier, Director, Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries Research
Board of Canada, Nanaimo, B.C.
R. D. Perry, Vice-President and General Manager, Consolidated Mining and
Smelting Company of Canada, Limited, Trail, B.C.
H. L. Purdy, Executive Vice-President, British Columbia Electric Company
Limited, 970 Burrard Street, Vancouver 1, B.C.
R. V. Robinson, Manager, British Columbia Division, Canadian Manufacturers' Association, 355 Burrard Street, Vancouver 1, B.C.
C. A. Rowles, Chairman, Department of Soil Science, University of British
Columbia, Vancouver 8, B.C. V 8 BRITISH COLUMBIA
G. M. Shrum, Director, British Columbia Research Council, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver 8, B.C.
T. L. Sturgess, Deputy Minister, Department of Industrial Development, Trade,
and Commerce, Province of British Columbia, Victoria, B.C.
J. F. Walker, Deputy Minister of Mines, Province of British Columbia, Victoria, B.C.
INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE MISSION TO UNITED
KINGDOM AND CONTINENT, 1957
The Minister of this Department headed a party of four which left Vancouver September 30th and returned November 10th. The objectives of the mission might briefly
be stated as follows:—
(1) To meet those firms and individuals with whom we had been in correspondence or had knowledge, with the object of pointing out to them the
advantages of British Columbia for many types of investment.
(2) To stimulate whenever possible reciprocal trade between the country
visited and British Columbia.
(3) To draw attention to and invite participation in the British Columbia
International Trade Fair which will be held at Exhibition Park, Vancouver, May 1st to 10th, 1958.
The party spent some time in the United Kingdom visiting Government departments,
industrialists, merchant bankers, and, as far as time allowed, visits to industrial plants,
industrial design and research operations.
The party then visited in succession the industrial areas of West Germany, Italy,
Austria, Belgium, France, and The Netherlands. At all times a most cordial welcome
was extended, with the thought often expressed that such a visit was appreciated. The
interest of European industrialists in British Columbia is apparent, and many have made
short- and long-range plans to participate in our growing economy. This will take the
form not only of industrial expansion, but of a wide range of other investments.
Already the results of the mission are apparent in that, by the end of the year, four
separate groups and individuals have accepted the invitation extended to visit British
Columbia and to survey the Province at first hand.
OFFICE OF THE AGENT-GENERAL FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA,
BRITISH COLUMBIA HOUSE, LONDON
Administration
Staff
The office staff consists of three executive officers, five clerks, and two stenographers; the House staff consists of one engineer and chief janitor, two engineers, one night-
watchman, one maintenance engineer, one week-end porter. There were no decreases
and one increase during the period under review. There was little sickness in the office,
and the staff were kept to full utilization.
Building
British Columbia House, now 42 years old, has been completely rewired, and the
work was completed in the period under review, having been started in January, 1957.
This meant a very considerable disruption to the building and to the tenants. In addition
to this electrical work, the general offices in the Office of the Agent-General have been
completely modernized, using British Columbia woods and plywood donated by the INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 9
British Columbia lumber and plywood industry. This was made necessary in the first
instance because of crowded conditions for the staff and congestion in the outer office
in view of the substantial increase in the number of British Columbia and United Kingdom visitors using the office. In all, a very attractive general office now receives very
favourable comment from everyone. The old centre elevator in the building was replaced
by a modern elevator and closed shaft. This, likewise, is finished in British Columbia
woods.
Finance
Again the facilities of the office have been used to pay monthly pensions to those
Civil Servants, school-teachers, and municipal employees who have retired from service
in the Province and who now live in the British Isles. These payments have been made
on behalf of the Superannuation Commissioner. Likewise, the financial machinery of
the office has been used in arranging for and effecting payments of pensions, etc., to the
large number of former servants of the Crown from most of the colonies and dependencies in the Empire who now live retired in British Columbia.
Settlement
General
The usual number of inquiries about settlement in British Columbia was very materially speeded up due to the Suez crisis in November of 1956. A considerable amount
of time is devoted to giving our inquirers, in person and by mail, a general resume of
conditions of life and opportunities within the Province.
School-teachers
Again this year the facilities of the Agent-General's office were put at the disposal
of the Department of Education in the recruitment of school-teachers. Out of some
1,400 inquiries resulting from the advertisements placed, final appointments numbered
105, in both secondary and elementary grades.
Engineers
In the spring, assistance was given to the Civil Service Commission in finding civil
and hydraulic engineers for road building and maintenance throughout the Province.
Over 580 applications were directed to the Civil Service Commission.
Industry
In addition to the above, assistance was given to various firms in British Columbia
in the matter of finding executive and scientific personnel, together with tradesmen.
Visitors
During the nine months under review approximately 1,820 visitors from British
Columbia availed themselves of the facilities offered at British Columbia House. These
facilities included handling of a heavy volume of visitors' mail, assisting with invitations
to Royal garden parties, the Royal mews, trooping the colour, and numerous other public functions, help in securing hotel and other accommodation, and bringing them up to
date with what is going on in London. V 10 BRITISH COLUMBIA
Films
The distribution and showing of B.C. films over here comprised a total audience of
approximately 60,000, representing 600 screenings of films. These were distributed to
schools, clubs, business associations and social organizations, etc., throughout the United
Kingdom.
Centennial Arrangements
We are now making our plans in connection with the Centennial celebrations in
1958. The arrangements include a display of public records in connection with British
Columbia 100 years ago, reception and placement of the British Columbia Royal totem-
pole in one of the London Royal parks, a service of thanksgiving, distribution to the
press of " Then and Now " photographs of British Columbia and editorial material in
connection with this, participation by the United Kingdom Board of Trade and British
firms in the British Columbia International Trade Fair. Some 100 Chambers of Commerce, 290 trade associations, and about 1,000 individual firms in the United Kingdom
have been circularized in addition to the general advertising which has been placed drawing attention to the International Trade Fair. In addition, all the Canadian embassies
in Europe were circularized, together with a number of Continental firms.
Visit of Trade Delegation
During the five weeks' visit in October and early November of the trade delegation
from British Columbia headed by the Honourable R. W. Bonner, Q.C., the office organized the itinerary for this delegation both in the United Kingdom and on the Continent
of Europe. The Continental itinerary was arranged in co-operation with the Canadian
commercial counsellors in Europe for contacts with foreign governments and financial
and business firms.
In addition, in association with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Agent-
General organized a luncheon meeting in honour of the Minister, who addressed an audience of over 250 English and Canadian industrial, business, and financial men. At the
same time, meetings were arranged with British Government Ministers and officials, together with consultations with the British Treasury.
Trade and Industry
United Kingdom-British Columbia Trade
The position of the three largest imports from British Columbia remained roughly
the same as for 1956. The dollar allocation for apples was the same; a slight increase
in canned salmon; and lumber sales were somewhat down from the 1956 figure. An
interesting feature of the United Kingdom-British Columbia trading this year was an
increase over 1956 of plywood imports from $2,250,000 to over $3,000,000 (estimated).
Prospects for the sale of B.C. lumber in the first part of 1958 appeared favourable.
Industrial and Trade Inquiries
Below is listed the number of inquiries either received at this office or initiated by
this office during 1957 by countries of origin:—
United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland) ___ 184
Germany 53
Netherlands 38
Italy 26
Sweden 10 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 11
Switzerland _ _ _
7
France _
6
Austria
6
Algeria
4
Beleium _ _ _ _ _____
3
Denmark _ _ _ __ __ 3
Jordan
_ _ _____ ____ 2
Morocco _ _ __
1
Iran
1
Finland ____
1
All the above are inquiries which have gone beyond the initial stage and considered worthy of following up with the object of increased business with these countries
or, what is more important, the establishment in British Columbia of new business or
investment of capital.
Trade Inquiries from British Columbia
During the year twenty-nine British Columbia firms availed themselves of the services of this office to make contacts with British firms, secure money for investment in
the Province, to sell British Columbia products, patents, services, etc. Trade and industrial inquiries are classified under the following heads: —
Commercial—that is, buying or selling of commodities or products.
Machinery and Products Requiring Special Selling or Servicing.
Retail Outlets.
Branch-plant Establishment.
Wholesale Distribution.
Patents and Processes.
Partial Manufacture or Assembly Plants.
Professional Services.
Investment.
Personal Immigration of Business-men.
Trade Inquiries from Other Parts of Canada
It is interesting to note that two Canadian firms with headquarters in Toronto have
during the year established in British Columbia. The principals of these companies
whilst visiting London approached this office to make their initial inquiries prior to the
move. One company is concerned with property investment and the other group with
management consultants.
Several inquiries have also been received from British firms, who since the war
have established branches in Eastern Canada and now wish to expand into the West.
As these firms are British, policy matters are handled by the United Kingdom directors,
and this office has been of assistance in planning such moves. Three such cases are now
under consideration.
An insurance company in Holland established a Toronto office four years ago and
has now sent out an agent to British Columbia preparatory to setting up a complete
insurance service in the Province.
Investment in British Columbia
The year 1957 was undoubtedly a most successful one for this Department. To
mention some of the projects which this office initiated or with which it was concerned
are the following: The Wenner-Gren (Rocky Mountain Trench) project; United Kingdom finance for the erection of an office building in Vancouver; the acquisition by a V 12 BRITISH COLUMBIA
United Kingdom company of a large Vancouver factory; the advent of a British building-
materials factory on Annacis Island; the establishment of six British sales offices in
British Columbia.
It is now possible through the Canadian banks for British residents to move
substantial sums into the dollar area. During the year there were over 100 emigrants
with substantial funds and good business backgrounds who were advised or assisted by
this office.
There was an increase in the number of British and Continental business-men
visiting British Columbia during 1957. This office arranged contacts for such visitors
with British Columbia Government departments, Boards of Trade, the British Trade
Centre, professional bodies, etc.
Prospects in Europe
Interest in British Columbia by European countries remained at a high level, and
there is evidence that over the next few years more European firms and finance houses
will look to the Province as a sphere for their expansion.
Particularly in The Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland there is money available
for investment, providing definite proposals are submitted. British Columbia firms
seeking United Kingdom and European capital are advised to send a senior official to
London with carefully prepared plans of the project for which finance is sought.
The British Government has laid down certain criteria for British private investment
in Canada. Such investment must show one or more of the following economic advantages:—
(1) Increase United Kingdom exports.
(2) Acquire, maintain, or develop overseas sources of raw materials.
(3) Exploit a United Kingdom know-how or technique.
(4) Develop or maintain an existing United Kingdom asset or trading interest.
On the Continent, state banks have somewhat similar regulations, which vary in
accordance with the economic situation of the country concerned, but generally speaking
parallel the British requirements.
Visit to British Columbia
During 1957 the Industrial and Trade Secretary, Mr. H. F. E. Smith, had the
opportunity of revisiting the Province after a lapse of six years. His itinerary included,
in addition to Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, the Okanagan and Cariboo
Districts, Prince George, the Rocky Mountain Trench, and the Peace River country.
Many business offices and firms were visited, old contacts renewed and new ones
made. Of special interest were the prospects for development in Central and Northern
British Columbia.
Liaison
During the year the office kept in constant touch with Canada House, especially the
Department of Trade and Commerce, with the other four Provincial houses in London,
Canadian banks, British Government departments, European embassies in London, trade
associations, Chambers of Commerce, etc.
The office also maintained close contact with the commercial counsellors at Canadian
embassies in the following countries: Holland, Germany, Belgium, France, Denmark,
Sweden, Switzerland, and Italy. The embassies were kept supplied with literature and
Government reports. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 13
BUREAU OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS
Before proceeding to review the work accomplished by the Bureau of Economics
and Statistics during 1957, it may be useful to explain that the Bureau is, as its name
implies, a fact-finding and advisory body. It has two primary functions: the first is to
provide economic counsel and, when necessary, to conduct investigations into economic
questions affecting the Province; the second function is to collect and compile economic
statistics of interest to the Province.
In order to carry out these objectives, the Bureau is divided into the following divisions : Economic Research, Trade and Transportation, Market Research, and Statistical.
To ensure technical proficiency, the Bureau has endeavoured to follow the policy of
building up a small corps of professionally trained persons who can be relied upon to
perform a variety of difficult economic analyses. It has also been the policy to make the
services of the technical personnel continuously available to all other departments of the
Government.
Since other Government agencies are also concerned with the collection of statistics,
a series of working agreements designed to prevent overlapping or duplication has been
arranged in recent years between this Bureau and the Dominion Bureau of Statistics,
Ottawa, as well as with the Provincial Departments of Mines, Labour, Provincial Secretary, and Health and Welfare. During 1957 the essential, statistical services performed
for the other Provincial departments, as well as for the Department of Industrial Development, Trade, and Commerce, were maintained. Before proceeding with a description of
the services performed by the various divisions during the year, a brief review of business
activity in British Columbia is presented.
REVIEW OF BUSINESS ACTIVITY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Business and economic activity in 1957 continued the upward trend noticed in the
past few years; however, there were signs late in the year of a levelling-off of business
activity. Activity in the primary industries declined from the all-time high established
during 1956. Activity in the secondary industries continued to increase and more than
made up for the losses noted in the primary industries.
Increases over 1956 were noticed in practically all of the common economic indicators; however, the rate of increases slowed down in the third quarter, with declines
noticed in the fourth quarter of the year. Incomplete returns indicate the net value of
production of primary and secondary industries amounted to some $1,828,500,000 in
1956, compared with $1,577,870,000 in 1955 and $1,364,081,000 in 1954. V 14
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Economic Indicators in British Columbia
140
120
CONSUMER PRICES
100
|
a
|..
49
= 1
•1
3
Z
X
W 60
Q
5
40
20
250
225
200
175
150
125
WHOLESALE PRICES
100
75
50
25
| 1935
1939 = 100 |
1941 1943 1945 1947 1949 1951 1953 1955 1957
YEARS
1945 1947 1949 1951 1953 1955 1957
YEARS
RETAIL TRADE
O
co
S 1000
/
J
1
1
r
1 .
1
t
W~*"~-
~[_
j**
f~
/
1
f
7
J "
SALES OF LIFE INSURANCE
*
1941 1943 1945 1947 1949 1951 1953 1955 1957
YEARS
1941 1943 1945 1947 1949 1951 1953 1?S5 1957
YEARS r
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957
V 15
Economic Indicators in British Columbia
260
-.-.0
220
200
180
to
a.
5 lfao
0
Q 140
Ui
0
<o 120
§
J 100
a
2 80
60
40
20
BUILDING PERMITS
/
1
'
j
BA.
JK DEBITS
16
15
J
/
/
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
/
0
1941 1943 1945
1941 1943 1945
1947 1949 1951
YEARS
1953 1955 1957
1947 1949 1951 1953
YEARS
1955 1957
AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGES
1941 1943 1945 1947 1949 1951 1953 1955 1957
YEARS
FREIGHT
LOADED
/
\
/
\
/
s
•V
/
/
s
/
/
160
140
120
CO
a 10°
s
EMPLOYMENT
[ 1949 = 100 |
1943 1945 1947 1949 1951 1953 1955
YEARS
300
CONSUMPTION OF GASOLINE
250
CO
§ 200
i
o
Urn
O 150
E
3
a ioo
2
50
1945 1947 1949 1951
YEARS
1953 1955 1957 V 16 BRITISH COLUMBIA
Table 1.-—Economic Activity in British Columbia, 1955, 1956, and 1957
Unit or
Base
Period
1957
Preliminary
Estimates
1956
1955
Mining—
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Mb.m.
M b.m.
Tons
$
Cases
$
Boxes
Boxes
Boxes
Cwt.
Mft.
Sq.
$000
$000
$000
Gals.
Tons
000 kwh.
$000
Units
$000
$000
Number
1949=100
1949=100
1949=100
1949=100
1949=100
1949=100
1949=100
1949=100
1949=100
1949 = 100
1949=100
1949=100
$
167,000,000
7,275,000
7,000,000
7,600,000
39,200,000
48,200,000
7,750,000
621,000,000
5,676,000
4,300,000
672,000
62,000,000
1,443,267
150,000,000
3,476,232
2,343,089
1,115,143
261,000
1,329,000
1,773,000
1,625,000
225,000
325,000
300,000,000
12,290,000
10,800,000
365,000
14,200
245,000
16,700,000
284,790
128.9
126.0
150.0
116.0
134.0
92.0
82.0
152.0
167.0
126.0
128.0
118.0
1,520,000,000
190,084,643
6,713,078
7,511,443
17,251,872
44,702,619
58,934,801
9,346,518
628,586,963
6,307,480
4,793,122
708,016
67,522,000
1,118,279
142,000,000
5,715,062
3,676,591
2,038,471
323,038
1,526,562
1,959,352
1,594,331
209,788
344,690
277,572,000
14,462,551
9,773,756
307,223
14,940
247,096
15,231,473
282,926
120.9
125.9
147.9
125.6
143.5
97.2
100.5
138.6
151.4
116.3
123.3
113.8
1,400,000,000
174,710,606
8,587,920
6,942,113
16,932,549
45,161,245
52,048,909
8,986,501
Forestry—
Total value of production
631,699,562
6,109,202
4,914,285
688,873
60,668,000
Fisheries—
1,406,100
Agriculture—
137,000,000
Apples—
4,128,691
2,090,220
2,038,471
External trade—
455,920
Exports of planks and boards, Douglas fir
1,784,910
2,470,903
Internal trade—
1,411,640
189,220
301,186
246,763,000
Railway freight loaded in British Columbia
14,194,840
8,268,696
251,566
Construction—
15,612
230,275
12,812,854
283,469
Employment—
111.3
118.3
120.7
124.2
141.3
95.0
97.9
105.2
144.2
110.7
111.2
107.8
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INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957
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savnoa jo sNomiw V 22 BRITISH COLUMBIA
ECONOMIC RESEARCH DIVISION
One of the major functions of this Division is to provide economic counsel to the
Government. On a general basis this is done through the medium of a weekly report
sent to the Premier's Office and to the Minister of each department. The report contains
a review of economic events which are considered to be of particular significance to the
Province. The report also contains an article illustrating trends in our economy. A
section of statistical information is included, which provides a current summary of business indicators.
In addition to providing general economic data, as described above, the Economic
Research Division also prepares reports on special subjects for many branches of the
Government. Technical assistance of this nature has been given in the past year to the
following branches: Department of Labour, Department of Finance, Department of
Lands and Forests, Department of Education, and the Civil Service Commission.
This Division prepares various publications designed to keep government and industry informed on current business conditions within the Provincial economy. Three widely
distributed publications of this nature are the Monthly Bulletin of Business Activity, the
Quarterly Bulletin of Economic Conditions in British Columbia, and the Annual Summary
of Business Activity. The monthly publication contains a brief description of current
changes in monthly business indicators, such as production, trade, and employment.
Statistical tables and charts, including a table showing the imports and exports through
British Columbia customs ports, supplement the text of each issue. The quarterly publication is a commentary on changes in economic conditions for each quarter of the year.
The annual publication is a record of the past year's performance. In addition to providing a description of recent progress in business and industrial endeavour, it contains
numerous charts and historical series illustrating our economic position.
A number of requests for information dealing with the Provincial economy have
been received during the past year from private individuals, corporations, trade-unions,
newspapers, business publications, and Boards of Trade. In some cases such inquiries
call for the provision of statistical information readily available from our files and library.
In other cases they require lengthy tabulations and a considerable amount of research.
The helpful co-operation of the staff of the Provincial Library and other departments of
the Government is worthy of mention in this regard.
The annual study of wage rates for selected occupations in the metropolitan areas
of Vancouver and Victoria and centres in the northern and southern areas of the Province
was again prepared and published. A questionnaire was sent to all large firms in these
areas asking for the going wage rates in selected occupations, as at July, 1957.
As a result of the survey, the Civil Service Commission was provided with comparative wage rates paid by private firms and by the Provincial Government. Considerable demand for the information collected was also shown by other Government branches
and by the public.
Trade-union Statistics
Each year a survey of trade-union locals operating in British Columbia is conducted
for the Department of Labour. Data collected from each local include the following:
Names and addresses of officers, affiliation, membership, and jurisdiction of the local
organization. A directory of trade-union locals operating in British Columbia is compiled from the returns and is published in the Department of Labour's Annual Report.
Reported labour organization membership in British Columbia (including non-
trade-union membership of less than 1,000 members) totalled 216,700 members at
January 1st, 1957, compared to 191,952 at January 1st, 1956, an increase of 12.56 per
cent. Expressed as a percentage of paid workers, organized labour membership reached
55.18 per cent. A comparison of the 1957 industrial distribution of trade-union membership with the corresponding distribution for 1956 is as follows:— INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 23
Jan. 1, 1957 Jan. 1, 1956
(PerCent) (Per Cent)
Wood and wood products 17.2 20.8
Public service 22.8 21.0
Construction . 9.7 10.1
Other transportation 5.9 8.4
Foods 9.7 9.9
Railway transportation 4.6 5.2
Metals 10.4 6.5
Mining and quarrying 5.1 5.3
Personal service 3.8 4.8
Light, heat, and power 5.4 3.1
Communication 2.0 2.3
Printing and publishing 1.4 1.5
Clothing and footwear 0.5 0.6
All others 1.5 0.5
Totals' 100.0 100.0
The survey of organized labour in British Columbia is now carried out jointly with
the Federal Department of Labour. Duplication has thereby been eliminated and coverage has increased considerably.
TRANSPORTATION AND TRADE DIVISION
Transportation Section
During 1957 the Transportation Section continued to provide a wide variety .of
services to other Government departments, business, and industry. In particular, a
general freight-rate increase case in which the railways asked for a 10-per-cent increase
in rates formed an important part of the Section's work load. This included four traffic
surveys and assistance to legal counsel in the preparation of the Province's case opposing
the railways before the Board of Transport Commissioners. Other important studies
include the analysis of the feed-grain assistance situation in co-operation with the Department of Agriculture, plus Pacific Great Eastern Railway traffic estimates and other assistance to the railway of an economic nature. Material was also prepared for the Department of Finance in the preparation for Federal-Provincial conferences and for bond
issues. While some study of the Vancouver railway-terminal problem was commenced
during the year, pressure of other duties prevented a thorough analysis being made.
The Transportation Section is currently assisting the tree-fruit and vegetable industry
of the Southern Interior in the preparation of its case for lower freight rates to be submitted to the Board of Transport Commissioners early in 1958.
During the year the Transportation Section received splendid co-operation and
assistance from other departments of the Government and from the University of British
Columbia, Vancouver Board of Trade, British Columbia Plywood Manufacturers' Association, B.C. Tree Fruits Ltd., British Columbia Federation of Agriculture, and many other
trade associations, as well as individual firms plus consumer and producer organizations.
External Trade Section
The agreement between this Bureau and the External Trade Branch, Dominion
Bureau of Statistics, consummated in the fall of 1938, has continued in force. Under
this agreement the Bureau receives monthly a duplicate set of punch-cards showing in
detail the importation and exportation of every commodity normally listed in the Federal
trade reports which have been recorded at customs ports located in this Province. While V 24 BRITISH COLUMBIA
these records do not distinguish the exported merchandise originating in British Columbia
nor the imports destined for consumption in this Province from the other goods passing
through these customs ports, the records do provide the basis for a very comprehensive
report on the foreign trade of British Columbia.
Preliminary statements showing the external trade through British Columbia customs
ports covering commodities with an aggregate value of $50,000 and over are now published annually. Until June, 1950, detailed monthly statements were also published.
For reasons of economy, this publication has been combined in an abbreviated form with
the Bureau's monthly bulletin.
The discontinuance of detailed monthly published external-trade figures has resulted
in increased requests for import and export information, which has been supplied to all
inquirers.
Tables 2 and 3 show the trends of British Columbia's commodity exports and
imports from 1946 to 1956. The value of exports in 1956 was 1 per cent lower than in
1955. Imports increased 32 per cent over 1955 values, principally as a result of heavy
imports of iron and steel products (for use in the very large construction projects under
way in the Province). The slight decline in exports resulted principally from declines
in exports of lumber to the United Kingdom. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957
V 25
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L V- 26 . BRITISH COLUMBIA
Table 4.—Twelve Leading Exports of British Columbia, 1956
Rank Commodity Value
1. Planks and boards, Douglas fir : $112,520,474
2. Newsprint paper 62,529,587
3. Planks and boards, hemlock 41,580,083
4. Zinc spelter 35,259,911
5. Planks and boards, cedar 33,802,478
6. Planks and boards, spruce 28,652,246
7. Shingles, red cedar 24,272,119
8. Lead in pigs, refined lead 21,451,906
9. Copper, fine in ore 16,004,601
10. Aluminium ingots 14,224,513
11. Fertilizers, phosphate 13,550,525
12. Ammonium sulphate 11,688,526
British Columbia's forest industry was again in 1956 the most important exporter in
the Province. Six of the twelve leading commodities exported were forest products and
accounted for 44 per cent of all British Columbia exports. British Columbia's mining
and metallurgical industry exported the other six leading exports, which had a total value
of $112,000,000 (16.2 per cent of total British Columbia exports).
The United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan purchased 89 per cent of total
British Columbia exports in 1956, compared to 83 per cent in 1955. The United States
purchases were valued at $506,000,000 in 1956, compared to $444,000,000 in 1955.
The value of exports to the United Kingdom dropped from $112,000,000 in 1955 to
$83,000,000 in 1956. The Japanese imported British Columbia products valued at
$24,000,000, compared to their 1955 purchases of $18,000,000. Exports were more
concentrated in 1956 than in 1955. The ten leading countries bought by value almost
95 per cent of total British Columbia exports, while in 1955 they accounted for slightly
less than 90 per cent of total British Columbia exports.
Table 5.—The Ten Leading Countries to Which British Columbia
Products Were Exported in 1956
Rank Country
1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. Japan
4. Australia
5. Union of South Africa_
6. New Zealand
7. Hawaii
8. Germany
9. Philippines
10. Belgium
11. All other countries
Totals.
Value
Percentage
of Total
$505,918,688
73.1
83,365,814
12.0
29,498,061
4.3
11,862,332
1.7
9,621,075
1.4
4,524.050
0.7
3,671,942
0.5
3,102,904
0.4
2,819,112
0.4
2,650,101
0.4
35,108,717
• 5.1
$692,142,796
100.0
British Columbia products were shipped to almost every area in the world in 1956.
Almost 17 per cent of our exports went to the British Empire and Commonwealth nations.
Trade by continental area showed that Europe purchased 14.2 per cent of British Columbia exports, North America 74.4 per cent, South America less than 1 per cent, Asia 5.7
per cent, Oceania (or South Pacific area) 3.1 per cent, and Africa 1.9 per cent. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 27
Table 6.—The Twelve Leading Imports from Foreign Countries
for Consumption in British Columbia, 1956
Rank Commodity Value
1. Pipe, wrought, over \QVi inches $23,027,819
2. Tractors, internal-combustion 17,233,785
3. Coffee, green 16,534,313
4. Casings, gas, water, or oil-well 15,065,182
5. Tourist purchases, duty-free 14,562,763
6. Bauxite alumina for refining 13,048,585
7. Logging machinery and parts 11,592,926
8. All other machinery, n.o.p. and parts 10,795,190
9. Sugar, raw, imported by refineries 8,493,608
10. Tractor parts 8,486,039
11. Heavy fuel-oils, Nos. 4, 5, and 6 8,149,206
12. Manufacturers of iron and steel, n.o.p 7,462,241
The value of imports in 1956 exceeded their 1955 value by $138,000,000.
The major increase occurred in the imports of iron and steel products, which increased
$86,000,000 over 1955 values. The demands of new petroleum and gas pipe-line construction, coupled with other large projects, brought about these gains. The above table
shows that seven of the twelve leading imports were iron and steel products. Other
important items not shown were tea, citrus fruits, refined petroleum products, canned
salmon, fresh vegetables, and many types of structural steel.
Purchases of goods from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan
amounted in value to over 81 per cent of total 1956 imports.
Imports from the United States increased by $81,000,000 over 1955 values. The
United Kingdom and Japan both increased their exports to British Columbia in 1956.
Imports from the United Kingdom increased $21,000,000, while imports from Japan
increased by $12,000,000 in 1956 compared to 1955.
Imports from Germany, Australia, Jamaica, Belgium, and Brazil all showed important increases. Imports from Germany more than doubled, increasing from $5,000,000
in 1955 to almost $13,000,000 in 1956.
Table 7.—Ten Leading Countries from Which British Columbia Imported
Products for Domestic Consumption, 1956
Rank Country
1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. Japan
4. Germany (West)
5. Jamaica
6. Brazil
7. Fiji
8. Belgium
9. Colombia
10. Australia
11. All other countries.
Totals
Value
Percentage
of Total
$329,331,784
64.4
61,121,364
12.0
28,294,680
5.5
12,732,478
2.5
11,935,232
2.3
8,446,801
1.7
6,265,716
1.2
5,326,563
1.0
5,101,107
1.0
4,150,331
0.8
38,644,603
7.6
$511,350,659
100.0
An analysis of imports by origin shows that in 1956 British Empire and Commonwealth countries supplied 18.5 per cent of our total imports. A similar breakdown on a
continental basis indicates that Europe supplied 18.1 per cent of total imports, North
I V 28 BRITISH COLUMBIA
America 68.3 per cent, South America 3.4 per cent, Asia 7.6 per cent, Oceania (South
Pacific countries—for example, Australia, Hawaii, Fiji, etc.) 2.3 per cent, and Africa
less than 1 per cent.
STATISTICAL DIVISION
This Division is responsible for the collection, compilation, analyses, interpretation,
and publication of statistical information. Also, it is the duty of this Division to assist
other departments in the compilation of statistical information and to assist in establishing
uniform statistical methods throughout the service. In addition, it co-operates with other
statistical bureaux in the elimination of duplication and answers inquiries relating to
statistical data. Following is a brief outline of the statistics compiled in this Division.
Co-operative Statistical Agreements
The co-operative statistical agreements with the Dominion Bureau of Statistics and
other Federal offices continued during 1957. The fields of co-operation and dates of the
original agreements are as follows: (1) Mining Statistics, 1926; (2) External Trade
Statistics, 1938; (3) Cost of Food Statistics, 1939; (4) Provincial Government Payroll
Statistics, 1949; (5) Forecast of Capital and Repair and Maintenance Expenditures for
Provincial, Municipal, and Other Local Authorities, 1950; (6) Census of Construction
Statistics—Building Permits, 1951; (7) Census of Industry Statistics, 1954; (8) Nature
of Business Statistics, 1955; (9) Trade-union Statistics, 1955. In addition, copies of
Dominion Bureau of Statistics monthly reports on production, shipments, and stocks on
hand in British Columbia sawmills have been received since 1948. Commencing in 1953
the Dominion Bureau of Statistics agreed to supply this office with duplicates of their
Operations in the Woods forms. In return, the Bureau assists the Dominion Bureau of
Statistics by checking mailing-lists, estimating production of delinquent forms, and other
services.
Conferences between the Provincial and Federal statistical bureaux are now held
annually. As a consequence, it is anticipated that continued progress toward the elimination of duplication in this field will be made.
Conferences are now held periodically with the Federal Department of Labour, and
the elimination of duplication is under way, especially in the fields of trade-union statistics
and working-conditions statistics. The co-operative agreements have resulted in savings
to both Governments, to union secretaries, and to private industry.
Prices Section
Prices during 1957 have shown a moderate rise. Retail prices in 1957, as reflected
in the Consumer Price Index, were higher than 1956 prices, with some variations during
the year due to seasonal effects on food, clothing, and fuel prices.
Wholesale prices averaged slightly higher in 1957 than in 1956.
Consumer Price Index—Description
In October, 1952, the Dominion Bureau of Statistics began publication of the Consumer Price Index, which is the successor to the old Cost-of-living Index.
The new index remains, in character and general purposes, the same as the old Cost-
of-living Index. However, the goods and services selected for purposes of computing the
new index conform with post-war expenditure patterns and should reflect more realistically current changes in living costs due to prices.
In order to determine the items and proportions to be used in the new base budget,
the Dominion Bureau of Statistics conducted a survey of family expenditure covering some
3,600 urban Canadian families. The survey covered the year ended August 31st, 1948.
It was decided that the central core of family types whose expenditure patterns were INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 29
enough for their changes in living costs resulting from price changes to be adequately
represented by one index could be defined as those families (a) living in twenty-seven
Canadian cities with over 30,000 population, (b) ranging in size from two adults to two
adults and four children, and (c) with annual incomes during the survey-year ranging
from $1,650 to $4,050.
Detailed information on expenditures was submitted by 1,517 families with these
attributes.
The year 1949 is the base period of the new Consumer Price Index. This index
measures the percentage change in prices between 1949 and, for example, January, 1952,
rather than between January, 1952, and 1935-39, as in the case of the old Cost-of-living
Index. Calculations of the percentage change between any two points in time will yield
exactly the same result regardless of the base period used.
Publication of the old Cost-of-living Index ceased after September 1st, 1953. Each
month the Bureau of Economics and Statistics releases the latest Consumer Price Index
figures to a mailing-list of some 180 individuals and organizations.
British Columbia Cost of Food
The regular compilation of the quarterly Cost-of-food Index for selected British
Columbia centres was carried on during 1956. Information is available regarding comparative food costs in various centres in 1956 upon request.
The coverage of this index has been reduced in 1957 to cover only Vancouver,
Victoria, and New Westminster. This change was implemented because of the relatively
few requests for information regarding food costs in centres other than Victoria, Vancouver, and New Westminster.
Table 8-
Year
1913
—Canadian Consumer Price Index, 1913-57
(Base: 1949=100.1)
Index Year Index
49.2 1936 61.1
1914
49.6
1937
63.0
1915
50.3
1938__
63.7
1916
1917
54.2
63.7
72.0
78.8
1939
1940
63.2
65.7
1918
1941
69.6
1919
1942 .
72.9
1920
90.5
1943
1944
1945
74.2
1921
1922
80.9
74.9
75.2
74.6
75.0
1923
1946____
1947
77.5
1924
74.0
84.8
1925
1926
1927
74.6
75.9
74.6
1948.
1949
1950
97.0
100.0
102.9
1928
75.0
1951
113.7
1929
75.8
75.3
67.9
1952
116.5
1930
1931
1953
1954
115.5
116.2
1932
61.7
_ 58.8
59.6
1955
1956
116.4
1933
118.1
1934
1957
121.9
1935
59.9
1 The Consumer Price Index prior to January, 1949, is the Cost-of-living Index, inclusive of all tobacco taxes,
linked to the Consumer Price Index, 1949 = 100. V 30
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Table 9.—Total and Main Components of the Canadian Consumer Price Index,
by Years, 1939-55, and by Months, 1956-57
(1949=100.)
Date
Total
Food
Shelter
Clothing
Household
Operation
Other
Commodities and
Services
1939 _._.
63.2
65.7
69.6
72.9
74.2
74.6
75.0
77.5
84.8
97.0
100.0
102.9
113.7
116.5
115.5
116.2
116.4
118.1
116.8
116.4
116.4
116.6
116.6
117.8
118.5
119.1
119.0
119.8
120.3
120.4
121.9
120.3
120.5
120.5
120.9
121.1
121.6
121.9
122.6
123.3
123.4
123.3
123.1
50.2
52.6
57.9
63.4
65.2
65.6
66.3
70.0
79.5
97.5
100.0
102.9
117.0
116.8
112.6
111.4
112.1
113.4
111.5
109.9
109.1
109.7
109.3
112.5
114.4
115.9
115.5
117.4
117.9
117.5
118.6
117.1
117.2
116.4
116.7
116.7
117.7
118.2
120.2
121.9
121.7
120.2
118.8
84.6
86.6
89.2
90.7
90.9
91.2
91.4
91.8
95.1
98.3
100.0
106.2
114.4
120.2
123.6
126.5
129.5
132.5
131.3
131.5
131.6
131.9
132.1
132.6
132.7
133.0
133.1
133.3
133.4
133.5
135.0
133.6
133.8
134.0
134.0
134.2
134.8
135.1
135.3
135.6
135.9
136.3
136.7
54.9
59.9
63.6
65.8
66.1
66.6
66.9
69.2
78.9
95.6
100.0
99.7
109.8
111.8
110.1
109.4
108.0
108.6
108.6
108.6
108.7
108.7
108.8
108.6
108.6
108.4
108.4
108.5
108.4
108.6
108.5
107.6
107.4
108.2
108.5
108.5
108.4
108.4
108.2
108.3
108.7
109.8
109.9
66.5
70.3
73.8
76.0
76.1
75.7
74.9
77.2
86.2
96.8
100.0
102.4
113.1
116.2
117.0
117.4
116.4
117.1
116.5
116.7
116.8
116.6
116.5
116.7
116.7
116.8
117.1
117.7
118.1
118.6
119.6
119.0
119.1
119.5
119.4
119.2
119.1
119.6
119.7
119.8
120.1
120.5
120.6
77.2
1940
77.9
1941
80.0
1942
1943
82.0
84.8
1944
86.1
1945
86.4
1946
88.7
1947 - _
91.6
1948
96.5
1949 _ _ _
100.0
1950
103.1
1951 _
,111.5
1952
116.0
1953
115.8
1954 ...
117.4
1955 -
118.1
119.4
January _
February
119.0
119.3
119.9
April
May
120.1
120.5
120.6
July
121.1
121.3
121.4
121.6
November.
122.8
122.8
126.1
123.1
123.8
March .
124.2
125.1
126.3
126.5
July
126.5
126.9
127.1
127.4
November.
December ~
127.7
128.4 r
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957
V 31
Table 10.—Consumer Price Indexes, Vancouver, B.C.
(1949=100.)
Date
Total
Food
Shelter
Clothing
Household
Operation
Other
Commodities and
Services
1949 . _
100.0
103.6
114.3
117.4
116.1
117.4
117.9
119.6
122.6
122.1
122.5
122.4
122.2
122.0
121.5
121.7
122.5
123.5
173.8
123.6
123.9
100.0
104.5
117.8
117.3
112.1
111.7
111.6
114.4
118.7
119.7
119.2
117.6
118.0
117.5
116.5
116.8
118.7
121.3
121.3
119.5
118.5
100.0
107.7
113.2
118.2
122.1
124.9
127.0
128.4
131.7
129.5
129.9
130.1
130.3
130.7
131.1
131.5
132.1
132.5
133.0
133.8
134.3
100.0
99.1
110.6
115.1
112.5
112.9
112.4
112.9
113.0
111.7
111.9
113.7
113.9
114.3
113.5
113.4
111.7
111.8
112.9
113.1
113.1
100.0
101.4
115.3
122.2
122.7
125.2
125.1
127.8
129.2
128.9
130.2
131.0
128.7
127.5
126.7
127.2
128.9
129.2
129.1
130.2
131.4
100.0
j 0.0
103.3
1951
109.4
1952
115.1
1953
117.0
19S4
119.2
1955 _
120.5
1956
120.9
124.8
January
February .
March
123.0
124.1
124.2
124.4
May
124.7
124.8
July.
124.4
124.6
124.9
125.3
125.6
December
126.7
Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, "Prices and Price Indexes."
Table 11.—Principal Wholesale Price Indexes, Canada
(Base: 1935-39=100.)
Date
General
Wholesale
Price
Index
Raw and
Partly
Manufactured
Fullv and
Chiefly
Manufactured
Industrial
Materials
Canadian Farm Products
Field
Animal
Total
1913
1920____
1926...
1929—
1933...
1938-..
1939.-
1940.-
1941....
1942-
1943-
1944 —
1945-
1946
1947—
1948......
1949.
1950 ....
1951
1952 ...
1953 .....
1954 —
1955
1956
1957 (average)..
January
February
March
April-
May
June
July
August
September-
October
November-
December...
83.4
203.2
130.3
124.6
87.4
102.0
99.2
108.0
116.4
123.0
127.9
130.6
132.1
138.9
163.3
193.4
198.3
211.2
240.2
226.0
220.7
217.0
218.9
225.6
227.3
229.4
228.4
228.4
228.4
228.0
228.0
228.2
227.6
226.7
224.8
224.0
225.9
I
85.1
194.7
129.1
126.1
79.3
99.4
94.9
103.1
114.4
123.0
131.1
134.4
136.2
140.1
164.3
196.3
197.1
212.8
237.9
218.7
207.0
204.8
209.7
215.9
209.4
217.8
214.9
212.5
211.7
209.6
209.8
209.1
207.9
206.4
203.5
203.1
206.0
86.2
208.2
133.0
123.7
93.3
103.5
101.9
109.9
118.8
123.7
126.9
129.1
129.8
138.0
162.4
192.4
199.2
211.0
242.4
230.7
228.8
224.2
224.5
231.3
237.9
236.5
236.8
237.8
238.3
238.8
238.8
239.5
239.2
238.6
237.2
236.1
237.2
144.3
132.8
78.3
95.8
99.0
113.3
125.2
135.1
140.0
143.1
143.2
148.6
187.0
222.7
218.0
244.6
296.1
252.6
232.3
223.5
226.0
248.2
240.3
251.1
248.4
247.0
246.2
242.3
240.6
239.8
238.6
236.4
232.5
228.9
231.8
158.5
137.2
69.3
100.9
83.7
85.4
88.9
109.7
129.0
144.5
162.5
177.9
184.1
200.6
191.9
191.9
200.4
223.0
175.1
162.1
165.6
168.9
156.9
166.0
161.3
160.2
159.9
157.5
154.6
155.1
153.8
153.2
152.8
153.7
155.4
130.2
144.4
69.2
104.8
101.5
106.7
124.4
144.6
161.8
166.1
170.2
181.2
200.2
263.7
265.4
281.4
336.9
277.5
263.8
256.2
245.1
246.8
258.0
257.2
259.0
253.4
255.1
255.3
262.2
270.2
271.3
263.8
248.6
245.7
253.7
144.4
140.8
69.3
102.9
92.6
96.1
106.6
127.1
145.4
155.3
166.4
179.5
192.2
232.1
228.7
236.7
268.6
250.2
219.5
209.2
205.3
207.8
207.5
211.6
210.1
206.8
207.5
206.4
208.4
212.7
212.6
208.5
200.7
199.7
204.6
Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, "Prices and Price Indexes.' V 32
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Tourist Trade Section
The volume of tourist travel between British Columbia and the United States
increased slightly in 1956 over 1955, both in the number of tourists entering the Province
and the number of British Columbia residents entering the United States. The total
United States travel expenditures reached a new high in 1956 at $309,300,000, and
British Columbia's share was up slightly over 1955, at 14.9 per cent. British Columbia's
share of total travel expenditures by United States tourists was 14.1 per cent in 1955,
16.2 per cent in 1954, 14.6 per cent in 1953, 15.5 per cent in 1952, and 15.3 per cent
in 1951. A table showing United States travel expenditure for the years 1946 to 1957
is given below:—
United States
Travel Expenditures
in Canada
$216,100,000
Year
1946
1947 241,100,000
1948 267,400,000
1949 267,100,000
1950 259,700,000
1951 258,000,000
Year
United States
Travel Expenditures
in Canada
1952 $257,000,000
1953 282,200,000
1954 283,200,000
1955 302,900,000
1956 309,300,000
19571 315,300,000
1 Estimated.
Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, Ottawa.
The balance of payments on travel account between Canada and other countries has,
since 1951, shown a debit balance. This debit balance has increased from $6,000,000
in 1951 to $161,000,000 in 1956. The following table shows the balance of payments
for the years 1947 to 1956:—
(In millions of dollars.)
Year
Account with
United States
Account with
Overseas Countries
Account with
All Countries
Credit Debit
Net*
Credit
Debit
Net
Credit
Debit
Net1
1947.
1948
1949 ,;,
1950 .
$241
267
267
260
258
257
282
283
303
309
$152
113
165
193
246
294
307
320
363
391
+$89
+ 154
+ 102
+67
+ 12
-37
—25
-37
—60
-82
$10
13
18
15
16
18
20
22
25
28
$15
22
28
33
34
47
58
69
86
107
-$5
-9
— 10
— 18
— 18
—29
— 38
—47
-61
-79
$251
280
285
275
274
275
302
305
• 328
337
$167
135
193
226
280
341
365
389
449
498
+$84
+ 145
+92
+49
1951
—6
1952
1953 -
1954
1955 .
—66
—63
—84
— 121
19562 -
— 161
1 Net credits ( + ), net debits (—).
2 Subject to revision.
Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, Ottawa.
Tables 12 and 13 give a breakdown of tourist travel between British Columbia and
the United States for the years 1946 to 1957.
Chart 1 gives a breakdown of automobiles visiting Canada from the United States
by State of origin, with the number visiting British Columbia, including the Yukon, shown
in red. In 1956, automobiles originating in California, Oregon, and Washington comprised 86.5 per cent of the total number of cars visiting British Columbia from the United
States. The average length of stay of cars from the above States was 5.28 days, and
expenditures averaged $13.47 per car per day.
Interprovincial tourist-travel figures are not compiled by the Dominion Bureau of
Statistics, but this travel is undoubtedly important and adds considerably to the total of
tourist expenditures in British Columbia. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957
V 33
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Z INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 35
Forest Section
The primary and secondary forest industries of British Columbia comprise the most
important industrial group in the Province. In recent years this industrial group has
accounted for approximately 40 per cent of the net value of production, and in 1956
provided employment for some 68,000 people, who received some $265,000,000 in
salaries and wages.
After the peak production and expansion years of 1955 and 1956, certain adjustment tendencies were inevitable. As a result, the 1957 forest-industry activities show
a general decrease.
During 1957 the primary industry of logging cut 958,946 M cubic feet of timber.
Operations in the Coast region accounted for 591,358 M cubic feet, with Douglas fir
the leading species, followed by hemlock and cedar. At the same time, Interior regions
cut 367,588 M cubic feet, with Douglas fir again the leading species, followed by spruce
and lodgepole pine. The total cut in 1957 was approximately 10 per cent down compared with the cut of 1956.
The traditional conversion enterprise for British Columbia timber has beeen sawmill-
ing. This industry has grown tremendously since its inception a hundred years ago, so
that to-day it is the most important single industry in the Province and produces 60 per
cent of the total Canadian output of sawn lumber. During 1957 close to 2,300 sawmills
in British Columbia produced 4,362,434 M board-feet of lumber, about 10 per cent
down from last year's production. Mills in the Coast region produced 2,319,313 M
board-feet of sawn lumber and ties, while those in the Interior produced 2,045,121 M
board-feet.
The pulp and paper mills of the Province during 1956 used 1,925,000 cords of
pulpwood, valued at $30,800,000, as well as 1,242,800 cords of waste wood (for example,
sawmill and veneer-mill chips, slabs, edgings, etc.), valued at $17,400,000. From this
material these mills produced 1,409,321 tons of pulp, valued at $163,000,000. Over
half of the pulp produced was used in the Province to make 747,189 tons of paper,
valued at $81,000,000.
During 1957 the Forest Section continued to supply economic data and statistics
to the Royal Commission on Forestry. Many of these are contained in the two-volume
report by the Royal Commission, which was published in September, 1957.
The Forest Section also prepared, with the co-operation of the British Columbia
Forest Service, special regional estimates of the annual allowable cut (for all species)
7 inches in diameter and over. These included rough estimates of potential forest
industries within their respective areas and were done for the Pacific Great Eastern Railways, for the British Columbia Power Commission, and for the Fraser River Board.
Thus the way has been paved for more intensive studies regarding the integration of the
forest industry.
In addition, a four-coloured map showing forestry, mining, and agricultural resources in the vicinity of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway was prepared and printed.
Several modern sawmills, plywood plants, pulp-mills, and logging shows were visited.
Following a field-trip to the Peace River area (with a muskeg expert from the Research
Council), a paper was published entitled "Initial Approach to Muskeg Problems and
Potentials in British Columbia."
In attempting to encourage the utilization of wood-waste in the Province, considerable time and effort have been spent studying and supplying the information on the future
flakeboard and particle-board plants for British Columbia. V 36
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Table 14.—Principal Statistics of the Forest Industries of British Columbia, 1956
(Preliminary)
Industry
Paper box and bag .
Roofing-paper..
Miscellaneous paper goods._
Pulp and paper
Furniture
Sash, door, and planing mills .
Boxes and baskets (wood)
Sawmills
Veneer and plywood _
Other wood-using1—
Number of
Employees
1,009
202
732
7,669
2,239
4,071
169
31,236
5,919
1,029
Salaries and
Wages
$3,540,000
825,000
2,533,000
37,406,000
6,267,000
13,501,000
501,000
107,423,000
21,964,000
3,512,000
Cost of Fuel
and
Electricity
$141,000
55,000
46,000
9,816,000
213,000
1,004,000
16,000
6,185,000
984,000
217,000
Cost at Plant
of Materials
Used
$12,382,000
1,520,000
12,033,000
74,504,000
10,230,000
52,542,000
1,101,000
218,923,000
40,365,000
9,871,000
Selling Value
of Factory
Shipments
$19,650,000
3,310,000
16,570,000
182,570,000
19,545,000
76,010,000
2,383,000
409,342,000
81,924,000
15,996,000
1 Hardwood flooring, beekeepers' supplies, cooperage, excelsior, morticians' goods, woodenware, wood-turning, and
miscellaneous wood products, N.E.S.
Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, Ottawa.
Mining Section
The mineral production of British Columbia in 1956, with a value of $190,084,643,
is greater than for any preceding year in British Columbia records of 120 years of mineral production. The previous high production was in 1951, when a total value of
$175,613,693 was recorded.
New records were made in the year ended December 31st, 1956, in total value of
all products, in the value of two of the five groups of products, in quantity of zinc produced, and in several other items. The commercial production of petroleum early in the
year may well have been a significant portent for the future. Construction of the main
pipe-line to carry natural gas from North-eastern British Columbia and adjacent parts of
Alberta to markets in Southern British Columbia and south of the International Boundary
was completed during the year (1957).
The record production value shows high output in all the main subdivisions of the
industry. The principal lode-metals group had a value of $135,004,363; however, placer
gold had a value of $109,450, which reflects the downward trend which is a continuing
feature of placer-gold mining in British Columbia. Miscellaneous metals, including
tungsten, iron, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, indium, and tin, contributed a total of
$14,327,010.
The industrial-minerals group of asbestos, barite, gypsum and products, sulphur,
fluxes, diatomite, granules, and mica had a total value of $10,390,338. Structural
materials contributed $20,587,159 to the Provincial total, and fuels, which now include
coal, natural gas, and crude petroleum, had an aggregate total of $9,666,323, of which
coal had a value of $9,346,518.
Prospecting and exploration were carried on in many parts of the Province, to a
great extent in the north-western part, where interest was shown in lode metals and
asbestos, and in the north-eastern part, where activity was mainly in petroleum and
natural gas. Interest was also shown in South Central British Columbia, principally in
copper, and on Vancouver and adjacent islands, in copper and iron prospects.
Dividends from all classes of mining operations in British Columbia for 1956
amounted to $36,262,682. The average number employed in 1956 was 14,539 in all
branches of the industry. Major expenditures in placer-mining, lode-mining, coal-mining,
industrial minerals, and structural-materials mining included: Salaries and wages,
$57,266,026; fuel and electricity, $9,762,777; process supplies, $22,036,839; Federal
taxes, $14,833,556; Provincial taxes, $4,118,363; municipal and other taxes, $151,235;
levies for workmen's compensation (including silicosis), unemployment insurance, and
other items, $2,636,014. The lode-mining industry spent $31,933,681 in freight and
treatment of ores and concentrates. Expenditure in exploration for petroleum and
natural gas in 1956 was $15,042,918.
J INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957
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Table 16.—British Columbia Mines Production, 1955 and 1956
Description
1955
Quantity
Value
1956
Quantity
Value
Principal Metals
Gold-
Placer, crude-
Lode, fine
Silver...
Copper. _
Lead
Zinc
Totals .
Miscellaneous Metals
Antimony-
Bismuth.
Cadmium-
Indium.
Iron ore
Mercury....
Platinum-
Tin
_tons
__lb.
oz.
lb.
Tungsten (WO3)-
Totals
Industrial Minerals
Asbestos—
Barite.-
Diatomite -
Flux (quartz, limestone)—
Granules (quartz, limestone, granite)..
Gypsum and products
Mica
Perlite —
Sulphur —
Totals-
Structural Materials
Brick—
Common
Face, paving, sewer-
Firebrick, blocks
Clays -
Structural tile, hollow blocks..
__No.
Drain-tile, sewer-pipe, flue-linings-
Pottery—glazed or unglazed
Other clay products
Cement .
- - tons
„ tons
Fuels
Coal1 -
M c.f.
Petroleum crude
bbl.
Totals
Provincial totals.-
7,666
242,477
7,902,145
44,328,031
302,567,640
429,198,565
$217,614
8,370,306
6,942,113
16,932,549
45,161,245
52,048,909
~$T29;672,736~
3,865
191,743
8,404,600
43,360,575
283,718,073
443,853,004
$109,450
6,603,628
7,511,443
17,251,872
44,702,619
58,934,801
$135,113,813
2,021,721
160,767
1,593,591
104,774
610,930
75
391,228 I
1,914,000 j
$667,776
356,903
2,677,233
232,389
3,228,756
250
311,613
5,460,967
2,140,432
156,753
1,937,927
363,192
369,955
756,934
2,264,775
$768,843
346,424
3,236,338
795,390
2,190,847
637,792
6,351,376
$12,935,887
I $14,327,010
9,465
14
111,759
6,355
149,719
505,300
216,520
$4,265,971
238,825
280
208,198
73,858
383,934
2,861
2,624,171
$7,798,098
4,853,940
3,901,866
318,152
890,613
26,079
$232,139
248,913
578,578
46,757
114,460
801,019
38,035
55,514
5,474,875
1,711,348
962,272
4,886,890
148,454
I $15,299,501
1,332,874
168,651
$8,986,501
18,130
$9,004,631
$174,710,606
11,436
40
176,311
13,220
72,973
200,000
212,885
$6,620,060
287,626
800
392,429
173,214
391,919
1,100
2,523,190
I $10,390,338
2,248,447
6,913,682
7,985
396,012
2,028,143
35,266
$75,767
485,176
600,753
47,101
129,257
696,385
38,385
69,659
6,339,071
1,220,792
2,210,315
8,535,348
139,150
I $20,587,159
1,417,209
216,521
147,146
$9,346,518
20,193
299,612
I $9,666,323
$190,084,643
1 The quantity of coal is that sold and used. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957
V 39
Labour Section
The annual surveys of labour in industry and business continued to account for the
greater part of the work of this Section during 1957, the increase in the labour force
which has accompanied the steady growth and development in our Provincial economy
creating new problems of greater coverage and additional work in this respect. A statistical review of industrial labour information for 1956 is published under the heading of
" Statistics of Trades and Industries " in the Department of Labour Annual Report for
that year.
Collection and compilation of the yearly labour statistics for presentation in the
Department of Labour Annual Report was completed on the basis of the existing cooperative arrangement between the Department of Labour and the Department of Industrial Development, Trade, and Commerce, the data supplied for the Labour Report
becoming immediately available for use within the Bureau of Economics and Statistics.
The 1957 work-year included the preparation of regional segregations of industrial
payroll and employment information, an alphabetical index of firms reporting in the
surveys on the basis of industrial classification and geographical location, the new edition
of a list of British Columbia industrial firms arranged in size groups by employment, and
various supplementary projects as required in complying with requests for statistical
information from industry, business, and other Governmental departments.
Continued expansion of urban areas to include a coverage of surrounding sections
of new development again points up the desirability of utilizing where possible a system
of regional group statistics, as applying to metropolitan areas. While individual regional
figures are necessarily maintained for purposes of record, the presentation of comparative
payroll and employment data for the growing metropolitan areas becomes an important
indicator, and properly representative of the progress of the general economy.
Industrial payroll totals by statistical areas are shown for the last four years in the
table which follows (Table 17), the census map (Chart 2) being also included for
reference and comparison.
In addition to the above, a separate table (Table 18) is presented, which outlines
the coverage of the metropolitan areas of Vancouver and Victoria, together with the
comparative industrial payroll reported for these areas during the past two years, 1955
and 1956.
Table 17.—British Columbia Industrial Payrolls by Statistical Areas
for the Comparative Years 1953 to 1956
Regional Area
Total Payrolls (Salaries and Wages)
1953
1954
1955
1956
No. 1 _
$19,495,380
42,633,966
20,361,133
370,901,521
111,953,368
15,781,535
21,111,044
18,367,655
44,702,234
3,304,619
4,501,909
$17,125,372
32,519,954
20,790,437
389,154,398
117,023,841
12,487,726
22,351,967
18,012,903
23,458,261
3,387,399
5,224,932
$18,197,303
35,044,981
25,599,069
417,102,635
127,543,124
15,313,185
26,336,337
23,336,723
36,329,470
4,591,602
2,421,348
$20,519,964
No. 2
No. 3 .
No. 4
39,484,744
25,595,831
489,455,851
No. 5
No. 6 _. _ -- __-. _
No. 7 _...
142,538,408
19,244,778
31,397,256
No. 8 _
27,477,359
No. 9
No. 10
47,205,898
5,286,187
2,128,123
Totals _
$673,114,364
$661,537,190
$731,815,777
$850,334,399 -
V 40
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Table 18.-
—Industrial Payroll Totals Reported for the Census Metropolitan
Areas of Vancouver and Victoria, 1955 and 1956
Area
Payroll (Salaries and Wages)
1955
1956
Census metropolitan area of Vancouver, including Vancouver City, North Vancouver
City and District, West Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Fraser Mills,
$371,640,166
50,163,395
$438,319,529
Census metropolitan area of Victoria, including Victoria City, Esquimalt, Oak Bay,
55,182,266
Chart 2.—Census Divisions
MARKET RESEARCH DIVISION
Activity was quite varied during the year. The increasing emphasis on industrialization has resulted in a substantial number of miscellaneous requests for specific market
data and assessment of commercial and industrial opportunities. A study of the aluminium-processing industry is currently under way, and special phases of other industries
have been analysed.
The 1957 edition of the Regional Industrial Index of British Columbia has been
issued. Other area studies have also been made. Studies of trading areas have also been
J INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 41
undertaken, including a detailed report on " Nanaimo Retail and Wholesale Trades,
1956."
Special studies also included assignments for the Department of Finance and an
analysis of business conditions based on a survey of executive opinion.
Publications
Monthly Bulletin of Business Activity.—This publication has been continued and
expanded. Special articles of current interest have been included at various times
throughout the year. Included are statistical summaries of business indicators relating
to British Columbia's economy.
Quarterly Bulletin of Economic Conditions in British Columbia.—This publication
in textual form outlines the current economic picture in British Columbia.
Summary of Business Activity in British Columbia.—This publication is a companion of the two above-mentioned publications and, in fact, takes the place of the fourth-
quarter Quarterly Bulletin. It summarizes the current year's economic picture and
presents historical series relating to business activity in the Province.
External Trade.—Summary of monthly statistics covering external trade are contained in the aforementioned monthly bulletin. A statement of external trade through
British Columbia customs ports and covering commodities with an aggregate value of
$50,000 and over is published annually.
British Columbia Trade Index.—This publication lists the products manufactured by
British Columbia industries. A new issue was released early in 1956.
British Columbia Directory.—The first issue of this publication was released in 1957
and lists wholesalers and distributers alphabetically and by products, importers and
exporters alphabetically and by products, and an alphabetical list of manufacturers'
agents.
British Columbia Regional Industrial Index.—This index contains available statistics
on a wide range of subjects covering all areas of the Province. This publication was
released in 1957.
British Columbia Facts and Statistics.—The eleventh edition of this publication will
be released in 1958. This publication provides graphic, general, and historical facts and
statistics relating to British Columbia under the following headings: Population, Education, Government and Finance, Judiciary, Banking, Transportation, Communication,
Retail Trade, Agriculture, Fisheries, Mining, Forestry, Manufacturing, Water Power,
Tourist, and Economic Activity.
Establishing a Business in British Columbia.—A revised edition of this brochure was
released in 1957. This publication gives to prospective investors information relating to
the establishment of a business in British Columbia.
Salary and Wage Rate Survey, 1957.—This publication provides the salary and
wage rates in selected clerical, professional, and trade occupations in business and industrial establishments for metropolitan Vancouver and Victoria, Southern Interior and
northern centres.
MECHANICAL TABULATION DIVISION
The Mechanical Tabulation Division operates as a data-processing centre for those
departments of the Government requiring the services of mechanical or electronic equipment to handle large-scale statistical or accounting procedures.
To meet the diversified needs of the various departments, a fairly complete installation of punched-card equipment is rented on a monthly basis. Although no charge is
made to the various offices for this work, accurate job costs are maintained through a
time-card system, enabling the Division to assess the value of work done and study V 42 BRITISH COLUMBIA
machine utilization. Details as to the value of work done for each department are listed
in the accompanying table, which shows comparative figures for the past four years.
The work level for the Division has reached a peak for the equipment and staff
employed, so that without a major increase in expenditure we are unable to undertake
any new large-scale operations. A constant effort is directed toward work simplification
and cost reduction so that the best possible use is made of the equipment.
The Division is equipped with eight alphabetic printers, eight sorters, two reproducing gang summary punches, two end-printing document punches, one alphabetic
interpreter, two collators, two multiplying punches, one accumulating reproducer, one
facsimile poster, twelve punches, and seven verifiers.
To operate the equipment, a well-trained staff has to be maintained and at present
consists of a senior supervisor, assistant supervisor, five senior machine operators, eight
machine operators, two senior key-punch operators, eighteen key-punch operators, a
senior clerk-stenographer, and a clerk. In addition, three members of the Liquor Control
Board staff are attached to the Division to maintain liaison and perform necessary
clerical functions.
For operating purposes, the Division is divided into seven sections headed by five
senior machine operators and two senior key-punch operators, each responsible for a unit
of work, the unit of work being determined by the volume and nature of work to be done.
At present the following sections are in operation: Health and Welfare Section, Liquor
Control Section, Forestry Section, General Statistical Section, Annual Report Section,
Forestry Key-punch Section, and General Key-punch Section.
In addition, the British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service maintains a Key-punch
Section whose work is tabulated in our Health and Welfare Section.
Similarly, a large volume of punched cards is received from the Dominion Bureau
of Statistics, Ottawa, and the Scaling and Royalty Division of the British Columbia Forest
Service in Vancouver for the preparation of material for special studies on trade and
timber cut.
A distribution of the percentage of work done for the various departments is shown
in chart form in Fig. I.
Fig. II shows a similar distribution of work done by our key-punch sections; the
natural division between Forestry and all other jobs determines the area of responsibility
of the two senior key-punch operators.
To establish the percentage of work done by the five sections of the Division, keypunching has been excluded and the results shown in Fig. III. While this distribution
does not appear entirely equable, the Division has been established mainly on nature of
work and is balanced by employing more experienced personnel in the larger sections.
While the volume of work for most departments remained the same as the previous
year, substantial increases are shown for the Department of Agriculture and the Forest
Service. An increase in the number of milk production records for the Herd Improvement
Branch is responsible for an increase of some $4,000 in the value of work done for the
Department of Agriculture.
The Forest Surveys Division continues to be the largest user of our equipment,
recording a $10,000 increase over the previous year. This is particularly interesting as
the Forest Service resorted to punched cards on an experimental basis a few years ago,
and we feel the continuous growth indicates its complete satisfaction with the results of the
programme.
The year saw the completion of the tabulating of the five-year plan for Unit Surveys,
which provides a basis for complete area and volume classifications for the presentation
of Forest Inventory statements to the Federal Government. It is estimated that some
325,000 cards were punched, verified, sorted, and tabulated in eighty statements to form
the statistics for the report. Ill
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The tabulation for the Standing Tally was also completed during the year. This
covered certain sample areas, tabulations being made from 320,000 summary cards which
were cut from the original file of some 4,000,000 cards.
Work is to be expanded for the Water Rights Branch to include mechanical billing
for their Power Ledger. Up to the present, punched cards have only been used for those
purposes where the account has a fixed rental, such as domestic, irrigation, and industrial.
The rental amount of the Power Ledger accounts vary according to the classification
and output of the plant. The amount in these cases will be calculated mechanically and
the billing processed in much the same way as the accounts in the General Ledger. It is
estimated that this step will add some 1,500 accounts to the billing procedure.
In preparation for mechanization of the Power Ledger, production records of each
power plant in the Province have been punched back to the year 1920. It is planned to
bring these figures up to date by punching and tabulating the current power questionnaires which have been sent to all plants. These figures will be used as basic factors for
calculating the rental amount.
Possibly the most fruitful step in work simplification during the year has been the
instigation of a procedure to handle corrections for the British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service. Prior to this plan, some 300,00 cards were sorted on twenty-four columns
to eliminate obvious coding errors, in many cases reference had to be made to the
original documents, which was time consuming and delayed the preparation of the annual
statistical report by several months. Under the new plan a sorter is being installed in the
Hospital Insurance Key-punch Section and errors will be checked on a daily basis while
the original documents are still in the Key-punch Section. This will facilitate the tabulation of the annual report immediately after closing of the records for the year.
During the year we were approached by several departments who required the use
of an electronic computer for scientific computations. Discussions have been held with
officials of the Highways Department, Water Rights Engineering Division, Forest Engineering, and Forest Surveys, all of whom feel a computer could be used to great advantage
in their work. This demand, combined with the possibility of using a computer for data-
processing many of the applications we are currently doing on conventional punched-
card equipment, has further emphasized the need for a feasibility study. Material has
been gathered on the various computers on the market. Senior members of the staff have
been given a course on the principles of computers and programming, so that we will be
prepared to step into the field should the need materialize. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957
Table 19.—Comparative Cost Statement
V 45
Department and Branch
1953/54
1954/55
1955/56
1956/57
Agriculture—Herd Improvement Branch—
$685.20
$1,010.26
$1,681.48
$5,709.61
Attorney-General—
$187.16
$5,423.86
33,784.56
$5,165.46
38,295.26
$7,355.49
27,721.24
8,628.48
Liquor Control Board _
28,857.43
Totals
$39,208.42
$43,460.72
$35,076.73
$37,673.07
Education—
$1,626.06
1,358.68
$1,388.84
714.80
$1,386.24
$1,549.56
Division of Tests, Standards, and Research
Totals
$2,984.74
$2,103.64
$1,386.24
$1,549.56
Health and Welfare—
$16,384.44
$14,525.24
$11,967.42
$10,760.17
Vital Statistics
30.15
6,986.86
17,867.14
7,732.71
6,692.22
$23,371.30
$32,392.38
$19,700.13
$17,482.54
$2,627.24
$3,621.80
$3,954.83
$3,251.04
Lands and Forests—
$288.88
5,064.96
12,880.46
$718.83
8,722.76
39,754.31
202.91
1,881.64
$462.07
Water Rights Billing
$7,235.38
31,130.98
9,767.21
49,763.56
442.46
971.02
1,220.12
15.05
Totals
$19,205.32
$39,586.48
$51,280.45
$60,450.35
Municipal Affairs—
$132.24
222.36
$105.86
236.49
Totals _
|
$354.60
$342.35
Provincial Secretary—
$4,929.00
11,741.00
$6,918.86
11,701.68
$7,191.02
10,068.90
$6,567.77
Queen's Printer
12,895.97
Totals . _
$16,670.00
$18,620.54
$17,259.92
$19,463.74
Highways—Traffic Division„
$647.77
$946.73
Industrial Development, Trade, and Commerce—
$12,421.30
$14,849.50
549.00
$15,706.12
$11,121.94
Totals
$12,421.30
$15,398.50
$15,706.12
$11,121.94
Grand totals
$117,821.29
$156,194.32
$147,347.23
$157,044.20 V 46 BRITISH COLUMBIA
INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE OFFICE
The main function of this office is to promote new industrial and commercial enterprises throughout the Province, provide assistance when necessary to established businesses, and develop the domestic and export trade. The office also provides industry with
data on location sites, land-use maps, availability of raw materials, and information on
the services offered by the British Columbia Research Council on matters concerning
industrial and scientific research.
This work is carried out in co-operation with other Provincial Government departments, Federal Government departments, Boards of Trade, Chambers of Commerce, the
British Columbia Division of the Canadian Manufacturers' Association, industrial commissions, railway industrial agents, and foreign trade representatives in Canada and
overseas.
NEW INDUSTRIES AND PRODUCTS
During the past year British Columbia's industrial activity was stimulated by the
addition of numerous new industries manufacturing a variety of new products and by
large capital investments for expansion of industries already established in the Province.
Again, a great deal of this expansion took place in various sections of our Province,
contributing still further to decentralization of industry and giving further support to
the economy of outlying communities.
Some of the larger capital investments included a $20,000,000 plant at Taylor in
the Peace River to manufacture sulphur. This plant manufactures sulphur from the
hydrogen sulphide received from the natural-gas scrubbing plant and has a capacity of
100,000 tons per annum. Two other chemical plants, valued at $12,000,000 and
$4,000,000 respectively, also commenced operation in the Vancouver area. They
manufacture chlorine, caustic soda, and sodium chlorate, to be used in the pulp and
paper industry. A $1,000,000 plant manufacturing wire mesh for the pulp and paper
industry commenced operation in New Westminster, while a $300,000 plant, manufacturing steel mesh for concrete reinforcement was established in the Vancouver area.
The only television-tube manufacturing plant west of Toronto now produces 10,000
tubes annually in Burnaby, and a $1,250,000 factory in the Vancouver area began
manufacturing telecommunication cable and industrial and residential electrical cable.
A $2,000,000 plywood-sheathing mill was also constructed in the Vancouver area during
the year, and a $38,000,000 plant to manufacture high-quality bleached sulphate pulp
was completed at Crofton on Vancouver Island. A $7,000,000 roofing and paper
company factory also commenced production in Burnaby during the year. A partial
list of some of the other important projects that were completed in 1957 follows:-—■
(a) $7,000,000 ultra-modern office building of twenty-one stories in Vancouver.
(b) $500,000 addition to circular band-saws plant in Burnaby.
(c) $100,000 addition to insulation plant in Vancouver.
(d) $100,000 addition to aluminium plant in Richmond.
(e) $600,000 paper-bag plant in Vancouver.
(/) $750,000 paper-box plant addition in New Westminster.
(g) $2,500,000 addition to a cement plant on Vancouver Island, increasing
production by 1,000,000 barrels.
(/.) $500,000 paper-box plant in Richmond.
(/) $120,000 plant in Surrey to manufacture clutches and transmissions.
(k) $1,500,000 printing and publishing plant in Vancouver.
While numerous new plants commenced operation during 1957, there was still a
great number of new projects under way involving a very substantial capital investment.
For example, several large projects were under way on Annacis Island, one of which INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 47
is the $8,000,000 copper-tubing mill. At the present time, thirty new industries are
located on the Island. On Lulu Island a $14,000,000 cement plant will be producing
cement next year.
Rounding out our economy for 1957 was the official opening of the new $170,000,-
000 natural-gas pipe-line from the Peace River, tremendous capital investments in hydroelectric, thermal gas and diesel electric projects, together with huge investments in the
pulp and paper industries throughout the Province.
BRANCH-PLANT INQUIRIES
The number of branch-plant inquiries received during the year under review has
been most gratifying, with many more inquiries than usual being received from the United
Kingdom and the Continent. Numerous inquiries were also received from Eastern
Canada and the United States. Among inquiries received from the United Kingdom
and Europe on the possibility of establishing a branch plant, warehouse, or agency
included a request by an English manufacturer of plastic pipe on the possibility of establishing a manufacturing plant in British Columbia. This firm wished to test the market
potential, and the Department furnished the company with important statistics and then
assisted in obtaining a reliable agent to warehouse and distribute its product. Another
English firm, manufacturing industrial and residential wire fencing, was given details on
plant location, sites, and markets, as the company is seriously considering establishing a
branch plant in British Columbia. Italian representatives interested in establishing a
textile plant visited officials of the Department and obtained a great deal of information.
Other inquiries received from France, Holland, West Germany, Italy, Finland, and
the United Kingdom included requests for data on establishing' the following branch
plants: Dry-cleaning and dyeing plant, furniture-factory, paint-factory, foam-rubber
mattress factory, concrete products plant, and a fluorescent-light manufacturing plant.
There was also an increase in the number of inquiries from foreign firms on making
capital investments in manufacturing firms already established in British Columbia.
Numerous local firms were also furnished with data upon request and assisted in their
expansion plans.
One of these firms has now established a branch plant near Duncan, Vancouver
Island, to manufacture animal meal. The Department also continued to receive inquiries
from other parts of Canada and the United States. The usual personal contact with
manufacturers was carried out when possible, and during the Chicago Industrial Fair the
Industrial Commissioner made numerous business contacts. Many of these contacts
showed considerable interest in the potential of British Columbia and in the possibility
of establishing branch plants in the Province.
CHICAGO COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY EXPOSITION
The Chicago Commerce and Industry Exposition was held at the Navy Pier on Lake
Michigan from June 28th to July 14th with approximately three-quarters of a million
people in attendance. British Columbia was represented by an exhibit located in the
Canadian section along with exhibits of the Federal Government, Alberta, Manitoba, and
several private firms. The story of British Columbia's new industrial empire was effectively told by a large legend map, around which were grouped four main panels portraying
British Columbia's forests, mining, agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, and hydro-electric
potential. Invitations to visit British Columbia during 1958, the Centennial Year, were
prominently displayed during the duration of the fair. Coloured industrial and tourist
slides were shown on a projectograph each day from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. A good supply
of literature was available to those interested in British Columbia. The interest shown V 48
BRITISH COLUMBIA
in our exhibit was most gratifying, with hundreds of inquiries received for information on
travel, settlement, investment, and industrial opportunities existing in British Columbia.
The exhibit was manned by a member of this office, ably assisted by our field
representative from the Nelson office.
British Columbia exhibit at Chicago Commerce and Industry Exposition.
COMPOSITE INDUSTRIAL MAP OF THE LOWER MAINLAND
Our supply of this map is almost exhausted due to the numerous requests for copies
by manufacturers, real-estate firms, and investors interested in the Vancouver metropolitan
area.
Plans are under way to reprint the map in the early part of 1958, and it will again
sell at $1 per copy, which includes the 5-per-cent social services tax. A small-scale copy
of the map was also used on the inside cover of the Greater Vancouver Metropolitan
Industrial Commission brochure to indicate the occupied and zoned industrial areas of
the Vancouver metropolitan area. The map was used extensively in answering inquiries
on land use and plant location sites in the Vancouver area.
HANDICRAFT DIRECTORY
A revised edition of the Directory of Handicraft Products and Producers was published in 1957. The directory listed producers in British Columbia who are interested
in finding a market and who are in a position to supply reasonable demands. Distribution
was made to retail and wholesale firms as a guide for handicraft items they may wish to
purchase. Additional distribution was made in Eastern Canada and also in the Chicago
area through our exhibit at the Chicago Commerce and Industry Exposition. The
Department again received reports of sales being made through listings appearing in this
directory.
BRITISH COLUMBIA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN COMMITTEE
Membership of this Committee includes representation from the Federal Department
of Trade and Commerce, Provincial Department of Industrial Development, Trade, and
Commerce, Department of Education, University of British Columbia, Canadian Manu- INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 49
facturers' Association, Vancouver Board of Trade, Vancouver School of Art, the British
Columbia Research Council, Association of Professional Engineers of British Columbia,
Canadian Association of Consumers, and Architectural Institute of British Columbia.
The purpose of the Committee is to encourage appreciation of industrial design and
its importance as a factor in production and marketing of British Columbia products.
During the year a member of the Committee appeared on the television show "Almanac "
on two occasions in connection with industrial design. The Committee arranged and
sponsored the exhibition " Designs in Britain " and assisted in the publicity for the show
" Designs in Scandinavia." Consideration was also given to placing an exhibition of
industrial design in the International Trade Fair to be held at the Pacific National Exhibition grounds during 1958.
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
During the year the field representative located in Nelson continued to work closely
with industrial establishments, Boards of Trade, Chambers of Commerce, research groups,
and other agencies interested in, or actively engaged in, the industrial development of the
Southern Interior of the Province of British Columbia.
The regions covered from the Nelson field office include Regions One and Two (East
and West Kootenay), Region Three (Boundary-Okanagan), and Region Six (Kamloops
and South Central British Columbia).
Several Boards of Trade and Chambers of Commerce throughout Regions One, Two,
Three, and Six were assisted in their preparation of tourist and industrial brochures
covering their local area. Two Boards of Trade are carrying out economic surveys of
their immediate localities and are being assisted in this work by the field representative.
Periodic field-trips were made by the field representative, in the course of which he
made regular calls on existing industry, Boards of Trade and Chambers of Commerce,
transportation and utility companies, and municipal officials. The close contact of past
years with the British Columbia Research Council was maintained, and several inquiries
were forwarded to that organization. Numerous inquiries were received from companies
and individuals outside of British Columbia who expressed interest in locating within the
Province, and pertinent information was supplied to these parties.
The major industrial developments in the territory covered from the Nelson field
office during the year included the opening of a plywood plant in the Okanagan, the
beginning of construction of a pulp-mill in the West Kootenay, and the announcement of
a proposed iron and steel smelter in the East Kootenay.
The continued co-operation received from Boards of Trade, Chambers of Commerce,
research groups, and others interested in the industrial development of the Southern
Interior of the Province was of great value to the field representative.
PUBLIC RELATIONS, ITINERARIES, AND INTRODUCTIONS
This field, like all other sections of the office, has grown considerably in the past
year and has proven to be of major importance to the business-men from foreign lands
who visited our Province. Assistant has been given under six main headings in which
the Industrial Commissioner or the Administrative Assistant has been actively concerned:—
(1) Itineraries and other arrangements for business visitors from Eastern
Canada and overseas.
(2) Arrangements for visits of commodity officers and other officials from the
Department of Trade and Commerce, Ottawa, and for tours of Federal
Trade Commissioners from different parts of the world.
(3) Arrangements for visits from teams of Immigration Officers, Department
of Immigration and Citizenship, Ottawa, on tour of industries prior to
overseas postings. V 50 BRITISH COLUMBIA
(4) Co-operation with United Kingdom and other trade missions. Practical
assistance has been given in their surveys and itineraries.
(5) Arrangements for visits of diplomatic representatives, Department of
External Affairs officials, and High Commissioners of Commonwealth
countries, or their staffs.
(6) Co-operation with local consular corps and with offices in Commonwealth
and foreign governments. Special reference is made to the happy and
effective basis of co-operation maintained with the Vancouver consular
corps.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY BULLETIN
During the year under review the Bulletin completed eight years of continuous
publication and has established itself as a worth-while contribution to the commercial
and industrial development in the Province, reporting, as it does, trade inquiries, licence
manufacture opportunities, new products, publications, manufacturing news, and other
items of interest to exporters, distributers, manufacturers' agents, importers, Boards of
Trade, and similar organizations. The number of inquiries has increased 30 per cent
with a circulation increase of 15 per cent.
Many of the trade inquiries originate with the Industrial and Trade Secretary at
British Columbia House, London. The majority of the firms interested in this market are
seeking suitable agents to represent their products in British Columbia and in some
instances Western Canada. Numerous agents have been appointed, representing a wide
range of products.
Opportunities for licence manufacture are received through the co-operation of
the Department of Trade and Commerce in Ottawa, as well as the foreign Ottawa and
Vancouver diplomatic and commercial corps.
The Department appreciates the co-operation of the Journal of Commerce in
reprinting the Trade and Industry Bulletin as a public service feature.
BRITISH COLUMBIA EXPORT SURVEYS
During the last twelve months this office has continued its close association with the
western representative of the Department of Trade and Commerce and the B.C. Products
Bureau of the Vancouver Board of Trade. A survey of secondary industries of the
Province to ascertain what products could be exported to foreign markets has continued,
and very satisfactory results have occurred. The survey to date has resulted in an
additional 130 British Columbia firms being listed in the Canadian Exporters Directory,
a publication which is used by the Canadian Trade Commissioner service all over the
world.
Overseas markets are being sought for numerous products, including coking-coal,
sawmill equipment, boom augers, and plastic trolling pigs.
BRITISH COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR
In August of this year it was announced that this Department, in conjunction with
the management of the Pacific National Exhibition and the British Columbia Centennial
Committee, would stage a British Columbia International Trade Fair in Vancouver at
Exhibition Park, May 1st to 10th, 1958. The chairman of the British Columbia International Trade Fair Committee is Mr. R. D. Noble and the manager is Mr. B. W.
Barnett.
The object of the fair, which will be one of British Columbia's major Centennial
attractions, is to emphasize the importance of external trade in the development of British
Columbia's first 100 years of growth. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, TRADE, AND COMMERCE, 1957 V 51
The governments of all countries doing business with Canada have been invited to
participate with a prestige or other exhibit, and their support has been requested to
help in obtaining exhibits of firms selling their products, or wishing to sell their products,
in Western Canada's most densely populated and fastest-growing area. It will also afford
an opportunity for Canadian manufacturers and exporters to display their merchandise
to the large group of visitors and buyers attending the fair.
This promotion has necessitated considerable correspondence and visits with the
British Commonwealth High Commissioners to Canada, foreign embassies, legations, and
consuls in Ottawa, Montreal, and Vancouver.
The initial response from governments and industry has been very gratifying, and
it is expected that the products from thirty countries will be displayed, together with
a large number of commercial and industrial exhibits from foreign and Canadian manufacturers, exporters, and importers.
SIXTH WASHINGTON STATE INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR
This year, for the first time, the Province of British Columbia was represented at
this important fair, participated in by countries of the Pacific Rim, held in Seattle, May
17th to May 26th, and featuring a display of handicrafts, home furnishings, and toys.
The attendance for the twelve days totalled approximately 38,000 with additional
buyers from Western Canada and the Western States of the Union.
Exhibits from foreign countries included Canada (British Columbia), Republic of
China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, and Peru.
Our Provincial display featured large mounted photographs displaying the Province's
major industries. Centring the exhibit was a large plywood map, 8 by 6 feet, including
a wide range of information from natural resources, transportation facilities, oil and gas
pipe-lines, and geographic features.
Artistically arranged on shelves on either side of the map were handicrafts produced
by craftsmen of our Province.
Included in this display were hand-woven textiles, Indian baskets and leathercraft,
copper and silver ware, wood carving, ceramics, and stoneware. The whole effect
blended with the theme of the fair and was very well received.
During the fair a panel of artists marked thirty-five products of outstanding aesthetic
appeal from the various exhibits. One of these Allied Arts awards was presented to
a British Columbia craftsman for his hand-made Haida Indian solid-silver oxidized
brooch and matching ear-rings.
A substantial supply of literature was distributed, including our Invitation to
Industry, Facts and Statistics, Trade Index, and tourist pamphlets. Great interest was
shown in our exhibit, with hundreds of requests for information on travel, settlement,
and business opportunities, and, of prime importance, the quality and variety of the
handicrafts production of our Province was brought to the attention of buyers in the
great Pacific Northwestern States.
The exhibit was manned by a member of this office, and arrangements were made
for members of the Canadian Consulate-General's office in Seattle to help set up and
man the exhibit. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Canadian Consulate-
General in Seattle and his staff for their very kind co-operation.
INDUSTRIAL ADVERTISING
An industrial promotion advertising schedule was arranged again this year, starting
in October and timed to carry on through March, 1958. In view of the inquiries received
and interest displayed in the trial advertising undertaken last year in Continental countries,
this programme was continued and expanded. Greater coverage was obtained in the V 52 BRITISH COLUMBIA
United Kingdom by use of publications in industrial centres in England, Scotland, and
Northern Ireland. On the Continent, leading publications were used in West Germany,
The Netherlands, France, Italy, and Belgium, and in each case the language of the
country was used in the advertising copy. As with the United Kingdom advertisements,
the Continental placements included an invitation to write to British Columbia House,
London, for further information.
In addition to this overseas advertising, leading business publications in the United
States and Canada were used to draw attention to the resources of this Province and to
point out the possibilities of British Columbia for investment in industrial plant, distribution facilities, and other types of investment.
Further to the industrial campaign, a moderate amount of advertising was placed in
special editions of Canadian, United States, and United Kingdom publications.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS' TRADE AND
INDUSTRY COUNCIL
This Council's membership is made up primarily of representatives from each
Canadian Provincial industrial and trade promotion department and includes on an
associate basis representatives of the industrial departments of transportation companies,
banks, and other associations having as their objective industrial and trade promotion in
Canada. As a current project the Council is presently working to the end that many
items now imported might eventually be made in Canada. Another project involves
co-operation with the Federal Department of Citizenship and Immigration in processing
the numerous industrial, commercial, and trades and services inquiries which arise
through new immigration.
The Council meets once a year, with executive meetings throughout the year as
convenient. This year the Province of British Columbia was host to the Council at the
meeting in Victoria in late September. The Minister of this Department is the Honorary
Chairman of the Council.
Printed by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty
in right of the Province of British Columbia.
1958
810-158-3577
BC Sessional Papers
Department of Industrial Development, Trade, and Commerce REPORT for the Year Ended December 31st 1957 British Columbia. Legislative Assembly [1958]
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