PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Department of Trade and Industry REPORT For the Year Ended December 31st 1954 VICTORIA, B.C. Printed by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty 1955 To His Honour Clarence Wallace, C.B.E., Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia. May it please Your Honour: I beg to submit herewith the Report of the Department of Trade and Industry for the year ended December 31st, 1954. II RALPH CHETWYND, Minister of Trade and Industry. Office of the Minister, Department of Trade and Industry, Victoria, British Columbia. The Honourable Ralph Chetwynd, Minister of Trade and Industry, Victoria, B.C. Sir,—I have the honour to submit herewith the Report of the Department of Trade and Industry for the year ended December 31st, 1954. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, THOMAS L. STURGESS, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry. Report of the Department of Trade and Industry For the Year Ended December 31st, 1954 The past year in British Columbia has seen the initial production of many large and newly completed industrial projects. One of the most outstanding examples in this direction has been the first shipments of processed aluminium from the new industrial city of Kitimat. The development of this huge undertaking—from harnessing of the water, construction of the plant, and preliminary work on the townsite to the actual production of aluminium ingots—has fired the imagination of the people of this Province. The expansion in our forest industries in recent years is now showing up in increased lumber, plywood and veneer, and pulp and paper output. For instance, we now have twelve pulp and paper plants with an annual production in 1954 of 1,140,000 tons of pulp, compared to an output of 521,000 tons in 1945. Associated with the increased output in our pulp-mills was the opening of a quarter-million-dollar research laboratory at Harmac late this year. This laboratory, which contains a great deal of valuable technical equipment, will be staffed with research scientists who will endeavour to provide new and better wood products from the trees of this Province. In the light of the increased productive facilities in our wood industries, it is encouraging to note the continued strong world demand for these products. The heavy capital investments in oil-refineries at the Coast and also at Kamloops, which went on at a rapid pace during and subsequent to the completion of the trans- mountain pipe-line, has been another facet of industrial growth in British Columbia. Investment in new plant facilities has been approximately $40,000,000. The capacity of the new plants now in operation has much more than doubled that available for refining three years ago. One of the highlights of this year was the successful completion of negotiations to market Peace River natural gas in the Pacific Northwest area of the United States and in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Construction is expected to begin early in 1955 with a 700-mile, $100,000,000 pipe-line from Dawson Creek to the International Border near Vancouver. With our industrial capacities geared to a higher level than in former years and new prospects for further utilization of our power, mineral, and forest resources under way, this Province is in a very strong position to supply our markets throughout the world. Foreign trade has always been one of the key measures of the economic prosperity of this Pacific Coast Province. Somewhat in contrast to the rest of Canada, our exports this year have been strong, with shipments through our customs ports valued at $692,000,000, compared to $675,000,000 in 1953. The United Kingdom and the United States have both purchased larger quantities of lumber this year than in 1953. Various attempts to erect a tariff barrier in the United States, in so far as our lead and zinc exports are concerned, have been unsuccessful. Internally, the economy has experienced certain difficulties this year. The slight recession in the United States has had some effect on the Canadian economy, and this Province has not been entirely unaffected. Employment, especially in manufacturing, lagged behind 1953 for the early months of the year but showed signs of a quickening pace in the late summer months. Total retail sales have held up remarkably well throughout the year in most lines, with sales of $1,230,000,000 for the year. Other indicators of business activity, such as We insurance sales, gasoline and electrical-power consumption, payrolls, bank clearings, all compare very favourably with the preceding year, although not showing the sharp upward trend which we have experienced in recent years. BB 6 BRITISH COLUMBIA Construction activity in 1954 was marked by a heavier volume of home construction and possibly lesser activity in major industrial projects. The total value of building permits issued in incorporated centres of the Province was $165,000,000 in 1954. The continued growth of population coupled with easier financing conditions of the " National Housing Act | has caused a strong demand for homes. Connected with this trend has been the construction of many large retail and commercial developments, as well as schools and public buildings and other services related to urban growth. The tourist industry of this Province, which is discussed in detail in a following section of this Report, was bolstered by the influx of foreign and Canadian visitors to the British Empire Games held in Vancouver during August. Other factors, such as wet weather, exchange rates, and the temporary slow-down in economic activity in the United States and this country, reduced visitor-spending. A very active programme of tourist as well as industrial promotion has been carried on by this Department in the past year. Advertising in leading national publications, as well as advertising through the medium of film and, for the first time, television, has also been a successful means of publicizing this Province. A detailed account of the various divisions of the Department is outlined in the following pages of this Report. SPECIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT Regional Development During the year the field representatives located at Nelson, Prince George, and Victoria assisted the Bureau of Economics and Statistics in obtaining data for the 1954 edition of the Regional Industrial Index. This publication was released for distribution in December. It provides a factual background for sound industrial planning on a regional basis. Information contained in the Index is presented under ten main regional areas and also under eighty-one smaller subdivisions. In gathering this material, the field representatives worked closely with Boards of Trade and municipal officials throughout their respective areas. The regions covered by the fieldmen from their regional offices are as follows: Region 1 and 2 (East and West Kootenays), Region 3 (Okanagan), and Region 6 (Kamloops and South Central British Columbia) covered by the Nelson office; Region 8 (Central British Columbia), Region 9 (North-western British Columbia), and Region 10 (Peace River and North-eastern Interior) covered by the Prince George office; Region 4 (Lower Mainland), Region 5 (Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands), and Region 7 (Central Mainland Coast) covered by the Victoria office. Committees of several Boards of Trade were also assisted in preparing special industrial and tourist brochures for their respective communities during the year under review. Numerous business and industrial inquiries were handled by the three regional offices during the year, and close contact was maintained with the British Columbia Research Council by channelling many technical inquiries to that organization. In Region 4, work was commenced on the revision of our 1951 composite industrial map of the metropolitan area of the Lower Mainland. The new map will indicate areas zoned for heavy and light industry, areas of occupied heavy and light industry, together with potential industrial areas not at present zoned. The revised edition will be available for distribution early in 1955.f|f if British Columbia Research Council Under the chairmanship of the Minister of Trade and Industry, the Research Council held monthly meetings, at which were considered many scientific problems of vital interest to the Province. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 7 Industrial advancement is contingent upon scientific research, and it is very gratifying to the directors of the Council that industry is taking advantage of the services which the Council provides. The Council was organized to perform the following functions:— (1) To co-ordinate the work of existing and prospective research units within the Province of British Columbia: (2) To initiate and undertake research work in any field of particular interest to the Province; to apply the results of research toward the development of new products, the improvement of industrial processes, and the establishment of new industries based on the resources of the Province: (3) To assist in the development of the technical status of the industries in the I Province of British Columbia through a fuller utilization of scientific methods and industrial research: (4) To provide fellowships, scholarships, bursaries, and rewards, and pecuniary and other aids, to facilitate and encourage original scientific and industrial research. (5) To provide for the publication of the results of the research work and to enter into such arrangements as may be necessary with regard to patents arising out of the work done by or for the Council. During the year the Council expanded its programme of visits to firms all over the Province, both to obtain first-hand knowledge of the industries' individual problems and to make the Council's services better known. A notable trend is shown by the fact that individual industries are requesting larger, more comprehensive research studies than in previous years. While short-term trouble-shooting problems are still important, industry is devoting more attention to larger-scale improvements in processes and products. To meet the demand for increased research work, the total floor space in the Council's new fire-resistant laboratory building now exceeds 18,000 square feet. The value of the equipment is close to $175,000. With the new buildings and equipment and the ever- increasing background of experience, the Council is a growing asset to the Province and one in which industry can well place its confidence. The board of management consists of the following personnel:— Chairman—Honourable Ralph Chetwynd, Minister of Railways, Trade and Industry, and Fisheries of the Province of British Columbia. Provincial Government— T. L. Sturgess, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry. J. F. Walker, Deputy Minister of Mines. Wm. MacGillivray, Deputy Minister of Agriculture. Federal Government— R. E. Foerster, Principal Biologist, Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Nanaimo, B.C. Jp' K. G. Fensom, Superintendent, Forest Products Laboratory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver 8, B.C. University of British Columbia— Ian McTaggart-Cowan, Department of Zoology. A. H. Finlay, Department of Civil Engineering. D. G. Laird, Department of Agronomy. Industry— .% J. K. Clarke, assistant to the manager, Buckerfield's Limited, foot of Rogers Street, Vancouver 6, B.C. P. E. Cooper, a director, Crown Zellerbach Canada Limited, P.O. Box 879, Vancouver 4, B.C. James S. Eckman, chairman, Greater Vancouver Metropolitan Industrial Development Commission, 1123 Marine Building, Vancouver 1, B.C. BB 8 BRITISH COLUMBIA Aird Flavelle, president, Flavelle Cedar Limited, Port Moody, B.C. S. J. Hammitt, president, Morrison Steel and Wire Company (1950) Limited, Granville Island, Vancouver 1, B.C. M. M. O'Brien, vice-president and general manager, Bralorne Mines Limited, 555 Burrard Street, Vancouver 1, B.C. R. V. Robinson, manager, British Columbia Division, Canadian Manufacturers' Association, 355 Burrard Street, Vancouver 1, B.C. Paul Walrod, general manager, B.C. Fruit Processors Limited, 1165 Ethel Street, Kelowna, B.C. C. E. Webb, consulting engineer, 6162 Churchill Street, Vancouver 13 B.C. INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE REPRESENTATIVE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, BRITISH COLUMBIA HOUSE, LONDON The year 1954 has been one of unprecedented prosperity for the United Kingdom. Income has been at an all-time high level, exports are increasing, with gold reserves rising steadily. On August 31st, 1954, the Treasury relaxed some sections of the Exchange Control Regulations, especially in regard to the transfer of personal funds by emigrants. This now means that a family (head of family and four dependents) may make an immediate transfer to Canada of £2,000. Further, those funds an emigrant leaves in England as " blocked sterling " he may now sell to a Canadian buyer without the four-year residential qualification in Canada, which was formerly required. This relaxation of the regulations has meant that a good number of small business-men and sales agents can now finance themselves from their own funds. Since this change there has been a decided up-spring of business and professional emigrants, and it is expected this number may tend to increase. In many cases individual emigrants with sales or managerial experience have been put in touch with British firms who require representation in our Province. This has resulted in several new businesses, based on the distribution of British products, being established in the Province. Movement of Sterling to British Columbia During 1953 the Bank of England had amended, in part, regulations which hitherto had prevented many firms and individuals investing in Canada. This partial relaxation of currency controls has stimulated interest in Western Canada by finance houses, private investors, professional consultants, and other types of enterprise. As an example, in May, 1954, after representations to the Treasury by this office, permission was granted to a firm of Yorkshire engineers to convert their sterling funds into dollars, so that unimproved land could be purchased. This is the first time that permission has been given for such a purpose, and it is gratifying to note that, as a result, the new town of Delsom is now being built in the Municipality of Delta, immediately across the river from another British project, the Annacis Island Industrial Estate. To sum up, British Columbia can confidently expect an increased investment of British capital and the advent of British enterprise on a broader basis. Whereas before, British interest in the West Coast of Canada was largely confined to sales, it now included such varied fields as construction, professional engineering services, transportation, etc. United Kingdom-British Columbia Trade During 1954 the Ministry of Food was abolished. This means that there are now no food-controls in the British Isles (although some commodities are still subsidized and under licence). In March it was announced that the United Kingdom would buy from DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 9 Canada $5,200,000 worth of tinned salmon and, in October, $2,430,000 worth of apples. Open licences are now granted to distributers and dealers throughout the British Isles to purchase either of these commodities which have been in such short supply during and since the war. ~2| The sale of British Columbia lumber in the British Isles during the year has been most gratifying, approximating an amount of $50,000,000. There has been a decided up-swing in British purchases of railway-ties, $2,250,000 having been imported from the Province. In August the controls on the purchase of plywood were abolished, and dealers were able to buy under open licence. This has stepped up British buying of British Columbia plywood from $80,000 in 1953 to $900,000 in 1954. Mr. E. M. Gunderson's Visit Mr. E. M. Gunderson, Special Trade Representative for the Government of British Columbia, spent from August 31st to November 11th in the British Isles and visited Western European countries. His visit created much interest amongst British manufacturers and suppliers, and will, no doubt, result in increased buying of British goods balanced by a reciprocal flow of British Columbia commodities to the United Kingdom. The announcement made by Mr. Gunderson of the purchase of British steel rails for the Pacific Great Eastern Railway aroused great interest and was most favourably received by the officials of the Board of Trade. It is our considered opinion that this practical evidence on behalf of the Provincial Government to foster Anglo-British Columbia trade had a direct bearing on United Kingdom purchases of salmon and fruit and carried considerable weight particularly in relationship to the re-establishment of the United Kingdom market for British Columbia apples. On Mr. Gunderson's arrival a reception was held at British Columbia House at which senior officials of ministries and representatives of all branches of British industrial and commercial life were invited. Press conferences were held, and meetings with senior ministry officials organized. j| So that he could meet and address a complete cross-section of British industrial and commercial interests, it was arranged for him to be the guest of honour and address meetings of the following: Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, London; Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Birmingham; National Union of Manufacturers, London; the Pottery Federation, Stoke; and the Dollar Exports Council, London. Mr. Gunderson attended the Scottish Industries Exhibition in Glasgow, visited the Team Valley Industrial Estate in Newcastle and other commercial centres. He pointed out to British industry the necessity of entering the Western Canadian market in an aggressive manner and on a permanent basis. He advocated that where sales offices were now maintained or contemplated, warehouses, spare-parts depots, and servicing facilities should be also set up. H European Interest in British Columbia H Prior to Mr. Gunderson's arrival, arrangements were made with the Canadian Commercial Counsellors of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, West Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Holland for them to receive him and put him in contact with government departments, bankers, and industrialists in their respective countries. The Industrial and Trade Representative joined Mr. Gunderson in Germany and accompanied him to Switzerland. .1 fl German interest in the Province of British Columbia is keen, and large industrial groups are exploring the possibilities for investment. It is expected that there will be Canadian companies established similar to the Western Canadian Pipe Mills Limited, which is now being built by the Rheinsche Rohenwerke, of Mulheim. Representatives of several firms will shortly make survey trips to the West Coast. BB 10 BRITISH COLUMBIA Agencies for United Kingdom Goods This office, during 1954, contacted 161 British manufacturers who wish to sell their goods and services in Western Canada. Details were sent to Victoria and published in the Trade and Industry Bulletin. From these inquiries many successful agencies were secured for wholesalers, retailers, and agency houses in the Province. Many business-men from the Province called at British Columbia House and in some cases were introduced to government departments or to firms in the British Isles This is a service which has been the means of saving much valuable time for visitors. Attendance by British Columbia buyers at trade fairs in this country was down considerably from the previous year. A list of various trade fairs may be secured from this Department's office in Victoria or the office of the United Kingdom Trade Commissioner in Vancouver. It is recommended that visitors to England and the Continent time their visits to coincide with these fairs, which are most valuable in establishing direct business relations. RETIREMENT OF MR. E. G. ROWEBOTTOM On December 1st, 1954, Mr. E. G. Rowebottom retired as Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry after serving in that capacity for twenty-one years. He was succeeded by Mr. Thomas L. Sturgess, formerly Industrial and Trade Commissioner. Many tributes to Mr. Rowebottom's long and outstanding service were paid by associations and individuals prior to and after his retirement. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 11 INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE OFFICE The prime objectives of this office are the promotion of new industrial and commercial enterprises throughout the Province, assistance to established businesses whenever required, and the promotion of domestic and export trade. § 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, and foreign trade representatives in Canada and overseas. NEW INDUSTRIES AND PRODUCTS The economy of British Columbia was stimulated during the year by the establishment of many new manufacturing industries. In many instances entirely new products were manufactured in the Province for the first time. For example, the first shipment of aluminium was made from the world-famous Kitimat plant, and a firm in Vancouver commenced manufacturing aluminium shingles and at the present time is the only firm in Canada making this product. A large and well-known canning company constructed a new and almost completely automatic $1,500,000 food-canning plant in the Lower Mainland area. In the pulp and paper industry it is interesting to note that a new $15,000,000 kraft- pulp mill on Vancouver Island is under construction. This plant will operate adjacent to the $40,000,000 paper-mill that commenced operation last year at Duncan Bay near Campbell River. Completion of the new mill is expected in 1956, and the production of unbleached kraft pulp will amount to 400 tons daily. Construction of a $25,000,000 pulp-mill within two years has also been proposed for the southern end of Vancouver Island. Other planning indicates additional newsprint and pulp production. During the year under review many other large and small industries were established or planned, and the following is a partial listing of some of these enterprises that have been responsible for broadening the industrial base of our Province:— (a) A new plant almost completed in Port Moody will manufacture television receivers and radio sets, (b) Construction of a $1,000,000 wire-rope plant was started during the year at Vancouver, with completion expected early in 1955. This is an addition to an existing industry and the new plant will replace the present operation. (c) Construction is under way in New Westminster of a $1,000,000 plant to manufacture corrugated-paper boxes. Production is scheduled for early 1955, and the plant will have a capacity of 150,000,000 square feet per year. (d) Production of coal briquettes commenced during the year in a new $650,000 plant at Michel. (e) Nickel-cadmium batteries were manufactured for the first time in Canada flat a new plant in Vancouver. (/) A new $6,000,000 oil-refinery plant was completed at Kamloops during the year. (g) A new $375,000 plant is under construction at Kitimat to manufacture ^ oxygen and acetylene. The foregoing lists only a fraction of the new industries established during the year, but the encouraging feature of this expansion is the fact that the development has not been confined only to our large metropolitan areas, but has spread to communities throughout the whole of British Columbia. Reported last year as in the planning stage, construction is now well under way for the large steel pipe and tube mill at Port Moody. This mill will produce black and BB 12 BRITISH COLUMBIA galvanized pipe in sizes up to 4 inches in diameter and electrical conduit up to 2V2 inches in diameter. CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION f The Deputy Minister is chairman of the committee composed of members of associations interested in British Columbia participation in the Canadian International Trade Fair, held annually at Toronto under the direction of the Federal Government Department of Trade and Commerce. This committee co-operates with the Trade Fair representative for this Province in encouraging buyer and visitor attendance, and exhibits of British Columbia products. For the sixth consecutive year the Province of British Columbia will be represented with an exhibit at the 1955 Trade Fair. A report on the 1954 exhibit follows. Department Exhibit m i The Province of British Columbia exhibit, organized by the Department of Trade and Industry, at the Canadian International Trade Fair, Toronto, May 31st to June 11th, 1954, occupied a space of 240 square feet (10 by 24 feet) and was basically similar to last year's exhibit with some improvements. The exhibit is a pictorial and statistical presentation of this Province's industries and progress. Twenty-seven countries exhibited, and there were business visitors from sixty countries. The total attendance was down from last year, as was the total space occupied, but there was a general feeling that the quality of exhibits was higher and that there was a greater number of genuine business visitors. Several firms indicated an interest in establishing plants in British Columbia, and there was an exceptionally large number of inquiries on source of supply of British Columbia products and for information and assistance in locating agents or distributers. There was also interest in setting up warehouse assembly and distribution facilities, which is the first step to eventual full manufacture in the Province. All these leads have been followed up with all information at our disposal. Approximately 6,000 pieces of industrial and commercial literature were distributed, in addition to approximately 1,500 pieces of Boards of Trade own pamphlets. Our industrial folder, I Man of Industry," was well received. During the Fair, a short broadcast was made by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, later translated to German, inviting European industrialists to investigate British Columbia. Our industrial film I Johnny's Heritage " and " Burnaby—the New Heart I were shown at the Fair by the National Film Board. The exhibit was manned by two members of the Department staff, f INDUSTRIAL DESIGN The British Columbia Industrial Design Committee includes representation from the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Education, University of British Columbia, Canadian Manufacturers' Association, Vancouver Board of Trade, Vancouver School of Art, British Columbia Research Council, and the Federal Department of Trade and Commerce. The Committee has co-operated with the National Industrial Design Committee in local planning. It has assisted in publicity and public relations, to encourage appreciation of industrial design and its importance as a factor in production and marketing of British Columbia products. The Committee has assisted in building up reference libraries on industrial design. It has assisted in local planning for National design competitions sponsored by industry. Direct financial assistance was secured from the National Gallery, Ottawa, with smaller contributions from British Columbia sources. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 13 HANDICRAFT PRODUCTION A revised edition of the Directory of Handicraft Products and Producers was published in 1954. As in 1953, this Directory listed producers in British Columbia known to be interested in finding a market and in a position to supply reasonable demands. Distribution of the Directory was made to retail and wholesale firms, resorts, and other outlets as a guide for any handicraft items they might wish to purchase. Additional distribution was made in Eastern Canada and the United States. Letters received from producers and from purchasers indicate that the Directory has served a useful purpose. Contact was maintained with Eastern Canadian Provinces, some of which have extensive educational programmes for handicraft development. UNITED KINGDOM SURVEYS The work of the Industrial and Trade Representative at British Columbia House is covered in the general section of this Annual Report. The Department at Victoria has cleared the Representative's work under headings of Branch-plant Establishment, Investment Surveys, Special Industrial Surveys, Agency Inquiries, Itineraries, and Introductions. TRADE AND INDUSTRY BULLETIN This Bulletin, listing trade inquiries, licence manufacture opportunities, and news of general commercial interest, has been published for the past five years. It has been the means of establishing contact between foreign firms and British Columbia importers and manufacturers. Many of the trade inquiries reach us through our Industrial and Trade Representative at British Columbia House, London, while the majority of licence manufacture opportunities are supplied by the Industrial Development Division, Department of Trade and Commerce, Ottawa. Foreign trade representatives in Canada also use the Bulletin to clear their trade inquiries. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT The policy of contacting firms known to be interested in, or considered to be suitable for, branch-plant establishment has been continued, and a great deal of information has been supplied. In addition, many European and United States firms have sought advice on procedure and possibilities of establishing in British Columbia. PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMITTEE WORK CO-OPERATION The Department has continued the effective basis of co-operation with foreign consulates and with the Trade Commissioners of Commonwealth countries. The office has been responsible for itinerary and other arrangements for business visitors from Eastern Canada and overseas, and visiting trade missions and special industrial-survey parties. It has worked in direct co-operation with the Foreign Trade Service Office in Vancouver for the arrangements in British Columbia for visiting Trade Commissioners and officials from Ottawa. The office is represented on the Greater Vancouver Metropolitan Industrial Development Commission and on several standing committees of the Vancouver Board of Trade and the Victoria Chamber of Commerce. The Department has continued financial assistance to the Transportation Bureau of the Board of Trade to help it serve the smaller Boards of Trade in other parts of the Province in a constructive programme of tariff and freight rates and services information. BB 14 BRITISH COLUMBIA INDUSTRIAL ADVERTISING Although it was not possible this year to arrange for the usual organized industrial advertising campaign in selected media throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, every opportunity was taken to place appropriate advertisements in special editions of newspapers and trade journals. This advertising stressed the natural resources of the Province and their relation to secondary production. PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS' TRADE AND INDUSTRY COUNCIL This organization is composed of representatives from the ten Provincial industrial and trade promotion departments. Associated with the Provincial representatives in this co-ordinated effort to develop industry and encourage trade are other agencies, including the Federal Department of Trade and Commerce, the banks, transportation companies and other interested industrial and trade promotion groups. This Council meets once each year, and in 1954 Saskatchewan was the host Province. All Provinces and associated agencies were represented. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 15 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS Before proceeding to review the work accomplished by the Bureau of Economics and Statistics during 1954, 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. Wm' In order to carry out these objectives, the Bureau is divided into the following divisions: Economic Research, Trade and Transportation, Market Research, Statistical, and Mechanical Tabulation. To ensure technical proficiency, the Bureau has endeavoured to follow the policy of building up a small corps of professionally trained persons who could 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 Governmental 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 1954 the essential statistical services performed for the other Provincial departments, as well as for the Department of Trade and Industry, 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 Preliminary statistical returns for 1954 indicate that business activity continued its upward trend and reached an all-time high. The primary industries recovered after showing a decrease in 1953 and showed a moderate increase. The manufacturing and construction industries continued at the high levels established during 1953. Retail prices showed an increase in 1954, after 1953 recorded a decrease from the previous year. Retail sales showed a slight increase over 1953; however, when allowances are made for price increases and an increase in population, the per capita sales showed a decline. Incomplete returns indicate the net value of production of primary and secondary industries amounted to some $1,345,000,000 in 1953, compared with $1,239,598,000 in 1952 and $1,240,225,000 in 1951. BB 16 BRITISH COLUMBIA BANK DEBITS 160 140 120 co K a ioo 80 D Z X W 60 Q Z 1 40 20 0 EMPLOYMENT 13 12 11 1949 100 cn 10 i 5 9 1 8 Q h 7 O , w 6 cn J 4 A 3 2 1 19 40 19 42 19 44 1946 YEARS 1948 1950 1952 19 54 0 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 YEARS 1950 1952 1954 RETAIL TRADE 1300 12.0 1200 10.5 cn ^ 1000 •3 cn 9.0 Z O H 7.5 •3 O Q 800 Eg O cn 6.0 Z O g 600 O O 3 4.5 t-H 3 ►J 400 ^3.0 1 1.5 200 0 0 19 40 19 42 19 44 19 YE 46 ARS 19 48 19 50 19 52 19 54 X i b O cn Z O I-H -1 FREIGHT LOADED CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRICAL POWER o. u 4.5 3.0 1.5 0 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 YEARS 1950 1952 1954 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 YEARS 200 i 180 160 cn SALES OF LIFE INSURANCE § i Q 120 Q 1 O cn § 80 »-H •J ►3 40 H YEARS 1954 Figures Subject to Revision DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 17 CONSUMER PRICES PRICES (INDEX NOS.) WHOLESALE PRICES 140 120 194 9 = 100 100 80 60 40 20 0 250 225 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 1935- 1939 * 100 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGES BUILDING PERMITS 2 «$' Q Q uu 80 6n 40 1 ?,0 0 200 180 160 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 YEARS 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 YEARS 1954 Figures Subject to Revision BB 18 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table 1. Economic Activity in British Columbia, 1952 and 1953, with Preliminary Estimates for 1954 Mining— Total value of production Gold production Silver production Copper production Lead production jj Zinc production Coal production Forestry— Total value of production Timber scaled Lumber production Paper production Fisheries— Total value of production Pack of canned salmon Agriculture— Total value of production Apples— Total shipments Domestic shipments Export shipments External trade— Export of canned salmon Export of planks and boards, Douglas fir Export of red-cedar shingles Internal trade— Total retail sales Department stores Motor-vehicle dealers Gasoline consumed . Railway freight loaded in British Columbia Consumption of electric power Sales of life insurance Construction— New residential units completed Building permits issued Finance—B ank debits Tourist trade—Automobile entries on sixty-day permit Employment— All employment Manufacturing . Iron and steel products Lumber products Pulp and paper Mining Logging Construction Communication Transportation _ Services Trade Salaries and wages Unit or Base Period $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ MB.M. MB.M. Tons $ i|| Cases $ Boxes Boxes Boxes Cwt. Mft. Sq. 000$ 000$ 000$ Gallons 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 $ 1954 Preliminary Estimates 149,500,000 9,000,000 8,800,000 14,900,000 45,550,000 31,200,000 9,200,000 528,022,783 5,567,423 4,233,106 647,117 69,400,000 1,745,000 135,000,000 1,923,539 702,261 1,537,160 2,285,907 1,230,337 181,015 220,393,855 12,359,945 5,209,683 198,311 8,547 164,840 11,956,325 278,376 106.5 109.2 107.2 112.5 129.5 92.5 91.3 106.9 145.7 110.6 102.4 103.0 1,200,000,000 1953 152,731,181 9,130,524 7,017,709 14,869,544 39,338,655 40,388,346 9,630,777 512,288,656 5,291,587 4,045,724 597,936 66,259,600 1,821,269 137,388,000 4,395,772 2,630,492 1,765,280 499,473 1,272,106 2,052,877 1,228,231 156,391 252,245 210,072,483 11,845,595 4, 897,335 176,899 7,503 149,231 11,786,823 283,837 108.4 107.9 113.1 108.3 123.1 104.3 92.5 127.4 139.2 112.3 98.6 102.7 1,066,979,019 1952 171,298,142 9,109,994 7,315,088 13,054,893 45,936,692 59,189,656 9,718,452 496,506,550 4,937,965 3,696,629 521,609 58,089,200 1,293,435 141,402,677 4,740,716 2,758,950 1,981,766 292,185 1,151,485 2,093,767 1,194,900 156,300 240,300 191,531,678 11,888,688 4,457,298 159,826 7,028 94,264 11,111,011 262,550 106.7 105.4 114.1 98.8 116.4 121.9 95.8 114.2 114.8 104.6 95.7 102.9 979,364,603 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 charts chosen to illustrate trends in our economy. A section of statistical information is also included, which provides an up-to-date summary of business indicators. In addition to providing general economic data as described above, the Economic Research Division has also been requested to prepare reports on special subjects by many branches of the Government. Technical assistance of this nature has been given in the DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 19 past year to the following branches: Department of Municipal Affairs, Department of Labour, Department of Finance, the Hospital Insurance Commission, and the Civil Service Commission. This Division attempts to assist government and industry by keeping them well informed on current business activities within the Province. This is accomplished in part through the preparation of a widely distributed publication entitled "Monthly Bulletin." It contains a short outline of changes in the economy as shown by the various statistical series which are collected or received by the Bureau. Also included from time to time are articles of general interest. Statistical tables supplement the text of each issue. As well as the monthly publication described above, an annual review of the Provincial economy showing the changes in the basic industries over the year, as well as the prospects for the coming year, is prepared for general circulation. A great 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. Special Surveys Wage-rate Surveys At the request of the Civil Service Commission, a study of wage rates in the metropolitan areas of Vancouver and Victoria was prepared. A questionnaire was sent to all large firms in these areas asking for the wage rates in selected occupations. 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. A mimeographed summary of the survey was prepared for distribution to the co-operating establishments and to other interested organizations. Many reports showing occupational wages were prepared for the Department of Labour during the past year. The information was compiled from sources such as the wage-rate study referred to above, collective-bargaining agreements, and statistical returns from industrial firms which are filed with this Bureau. The clerical-salary survey of the Vancouver Board of Trade was again tabulated and analysed by this Division. The results of the survey were published in a comprehensive report showing salary ranges and average salaries for thirty-three office occupations within the Vancouver area. The publication also includes a section outlining the policies of the participating firms with respect to working conditions. Assistance was also given to the Vancouver Board of Trade in preparing a study of the wage rates and working conditions of warehouse and shipping-room employees in the Vancouver area. Trade-union Statistics Each year a survey of trade-union locals operating in British Columbia is conducted for the Labour Relations Board. 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 178,533 members at December 31st, 1953, compared to 174,894 members at December 31st, 1952, an increase of 2.08 per cent. BB 20 BRITISH COLUMBIA Expressed as a percentage of paid workers, organized-labour membership this year reached 50.24 per cent. This is the first time in the history of the Province that over half of the paid workers have been members of labour organizations. A comparison of the 1953 industrial distribution of trade-union membership with the corresponding distribution for 1952 is as follows:— 1952 1953 (Per Cent) (Per Cent) Wood and wood products 20.90 20.44 Public service 17.97 17.65 Construction 11.38 12.58 Foods 8.08 7.14 Mining and quarrying 7.11 5.64 Other transportation 7.04 9.20 Railway transportation 6.45 6.80 Metals - j 6.15 7.16 Personal service 5.48 4.15 Light, heat, and power 2.97 2.94 Communication 2.41 2.36 Printing and publishing 1.42 1.56 Clothing and footwear §0.55 0.58 All others 2.11 1.80 100.00 100.00 As indicated last year, the survey of organized labour in British Columbia is now carried out jointly with the Federal Department of Labour. Advantages of combining surveys of this type are elimination of duplication and increased coverage, owing to the combining of mailing-lists. TRANSPORTATION AND TRADE DIVISION Transportation Section The principles of equalization of freight rates as recommended by the Royal Commission on Transportation are gradually becoming a reality. By March of 1955 there will be a single class-rate mileage scale for all of Canada. Certain exceptions will still exist, however. These include the preservation of certain privileges for the Maritime Provinces, a provision whereby 2 water miles equal 1 land mile for Vancouver Island traffic, and the retention of the Montreal-To'ronto-Windsor group for east-west shipments. Although the savings will run into millions of dollars for British Columbia shippers or receivers whose goods move on class rates (or on rates reflecting class rates), there are still several discriminatory elements in our rate structure. Perhaps the most glaring example of such is the $7,000,000 I bridge subsidy," by which the Federal Government, on shipments to the Prairies, for example, pays between 23 and 31 cents per hundredweight at first class to eastern shippers to help them over the | barren " territory north of Lake Superior. Thus, for equal distances into the Prairie market, British Columbia firms have an average disadvantage over their eastern competitors of over 25 cents per 100 pounds. This inequality becomes even greater due to a grouping arrangement in the East whereby Montreal gets the benefit of Toronto's shorter mileage. Moreover, most of British Columbia's shipments which pass over the § barren " territory are precluded from the subsidy because they move on rates which are classified as competitive. Another contentious element in the rate structure is the 1 one and one-third rule," which partially destroys British Columbia's geographic advantage of being located on the sea- coast. The Bureau, in conjunction with legal counsel retained by the Attorney-General's Department, has presented this latter grievance before the Royal Commission on Agreed Charges. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 21 Special research has been done to assist the Victoria Chamber of Commerce in its fight for parity, or near parity, in rates with Vancouver. Considerable assistance has also been given to the various lumbermen's associations in their efforts to obtain a more equitable lumber-rate scale. || Considerable interdepartmental co-operation in the fields of transportation economics and financing has been necessary in the past year between the Department of Railways, Agriculture, and Finance and the Bureau's Transportation Division. 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 has been recorded at customs ports located in this Province. While 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 annual 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 fairly 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 give a brief insight into British Columbia's foreign trade for the eleven-year period 1943 to 1953. The value of exports was higher in 1953 than in any previous year. Imports increased in value in 1953 by over 5 per cent from 1952 values. Preliminary figures for the first six months of 1954 show a small decrease in the value of imports and exports compared to the same period in 1953. 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H- CJ s c V- c 1 1 s and product srals and prod ed oroducts 1 o 3 a. +J u B TJ c Vh p 4 O s a > •c anim s, an prod rodu netal mine dalL spro lis, a 0 »-H 3 c i fe Vh [t 00^ < c c *T- V- 1 c « a T— 1 < 1 H- a > I ! ^ 1 i c 1 1 « 1 ■ V- 1 c 1 1 c ) c I5z o c i3 K C4 r- i g c : g i 3 0 3 a >—1 rH 8 1 CO Is c DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 23 Table 4.—Twelve Leading Exports of British Columbia, 1953 Rank Commodity ($000,000) 1. Planks and boards, Douglas fir. 96.9 2. Planks and boards, spruce 54#1 3. Newsprint 52.8 4. Planks and boards, hemlock 43.9 5. Planks and boards, cedar 27.4 6. Zinc spelter 25.7 7. Lead in pigs, refined lead 23.0 8. Shingles, red cedar 21.0 9. Copper, fine in ore 14.4 10. Pulp sulphite, dissolving 11.7 11. Zinc in ore 11.5 12. Nitrogen fertilizer 11.2 The above table indicates the importance of lumber, pulp and paper, and mine and smelter products exported from British Columbia in 1953. Lumber and paper products accounted for seven of the ten leading exports. Over 100 countries purchased British Columbia products in 1953, with the United States and the United Kingdom buying over 85 per cent of these products. Exports to the United States rose from 58.7 per cent in 1952 to 71.8 per cent in 1953. Exports to the United Kingdom dropped from 27 per cent in 1952 to 13.5 per cent in 1953. This latter decrease was due largely to smaller purchases by the United Kingdom of wood, wood products and paper, and non-ferrous metals and products. Ten countries took over 96 per cent of all our exports. These leading customers are set out as follows:— Table 5.—The Ten Leading Countries to Which British Columbia Products Were Exported in 1953 Percentage Rank Country Value of Total 1. United States $398,708,201 71.8 2. United Kingdom 74,772,108 13.5 3. Japan 28,577,579 5.1 4. Australia 9,266,393 1.7 5. Union of South Africa 8,401,629 1.5 6. Hawaii 4,919,127 0.9 7. Belgium 4,521,934 0.8 8. Netherlands 1,718,187 0.3 9. France 1,563,980 0.3 10. Pakistan 1,345,329 0.2 All other countries . 21,496,578 3.9 Total, all countries $555,291,045 100.0 A continental breakdown of British Columbia's 1953 exports shows North and Central America and the West Indies bought 72.6 per cent, Europe 15.4 per cent, Oceania 2.9 per cent, Asia 6.4 per cent, Africa 2.2 per cent, and South America less than 1 per cent. fiB 24 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table 6. The Eleven Leading Imports from Foreign Countries for Consumption in British Columbia, 1953 Value Rank Commodity ($000,000) 1. Crude petroleum for refining j 17,3 2. Tourist purchases, duty free 15.9 3. Coffee, green 15.4 4. Gasoline, under .8236 specific gravity 12.4 5. Pipe, wrought, over lO1/^ inches 10.1 6. Sugar, raw, imported direct I 1 7.3 7. All machinery, n.o.p., and parts 7.2 8. Automobiles, passenger (under $1,200)__ 7.1 9. Tractors, internal combustion 6.0 10. Heavy fuel-oils, Nos. 4, 5, and 6 5.7 11. Manufactures of iron, steel, n.o.p 4.2 Petroleum products again ranked among the top eleven imports of British Columbia in 1953. The oil pipe-line from Alberta was not completed until October, 1953, and the value of petroleum products imported in 1953 did not drop appreciably from the 1952 value. Although British Columbia imported from ninety-six countries in 1953, over 80 per cent of all imports originated in the United Kingdom and the United States. Imports from the United Kingdom rose from $32,000,000 in 1952 to $41,000,000 in 1953, while imports from the United States rose from $220,000,000 in 1952 to $246,000,000 in 1953. The top ten countries listed below provided over 90 per cent of all imports. Table 7.—Ten Leading Countries from Which British Columbia Imported Products in 1953, for British Columbia Consumption Percentage Rank Country Value of Total 1. United States j $246,127,360 71.2 2. United Kingdom 41,232,427 11.9 3. Brazil 6,703,544 1.9 4. Fiji 5,554,072 1.6 5. Colombia 5,348,370 1.5 6. Japan 4,769,554 1.4 7. India 3,176,772 0.9 8. Belgium 2,459,289 0.7 9. Philippines 2,325,111 0.7 10. Costa Rica 2,297,559 0.7 All other countries 25,879,164 7.5 Total, all countries $345,873,222 100.0 A breakdown of our imports by continents reveals that in 1953 North America supplied us with 73.4 per cent, Europe 14.6 per cent, South America 5.1 per cent, Asia 4.2 per cent, Oceania 2.5 per cent, and Africa less than 1 per cent. The gap between our total imports and exports increased slightly in 1953 compared with 1952, in that imports were 62.3 per cent of exports but in 1952 were 61.9 per cent. The balance is still closer than in 1939, when the ratio was around 50 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 establish uniform DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 25 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 increased during 1953. The fields of co-operation and the 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. In addition, copies of Dominion Bureau of Statistics annual Census of Industry forms and 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 firms, and other services. Conferences between the Provincial and Federal statistical bureaux are now held annually. As a consequence, it is expected that within the next few years there will be considerable progress toward the elimination of duplication in this field. Similar progress can be reported in the field of labour-organization statistics, whereby the Federal Department of Labour will co-operate with the Bureau in issuing joint forms. This should result in savings to both the governments involved and to the union secretaries. Prices Section Prices during 1954 were relatively stable. The consumer price index generally averaged higher in 1954 than in 1953. Price indices declined somewhat in the first half of the year, then increased in the latter half. The August consumer price index reached 117.0, the highest since February of 1952. Wholesale prices showed little change in 1954. A slight decrease in wholesale price indices was noticeable throughout 1954. 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 similar enough for their changes in living costs resulting from price change 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 with 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. BB 26 BRITISH COLUMBIA The year 1949 is the base period of the new Consumer Price Index. This index will measure 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 During the year this Bureau continued to calculate its quarterly Cost-of-food Index covering British Columbia centres. Information regarding comparative food costs in the various centres is available upon request. || Table 8.—Canadian Consumer Price Index, 1913-54 (Base: 1949=100.1)^ Year 1913. 1914. 1915. 1916_ 1917- 1918. 1919. 1920. 1921. 1922. 1923. 1924. 1925. 1926- 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. 1931. 1932. 1933. Index Year 49.2 1934 49.6 1935 50.3 1936 54.2 1937 63.7 1938 72.0 1939 78.8 1940 90.5 1941 80.9 1942 74.9 1943. 75.2 1944 74.0 1945 74.6 1946 75.9 1947 74.6 1948 75.0 1949 75.8 1950 75.3 1951 67.9 1952 61.7 1953 58.8 1954 Index 59.6 59.9 61.1 63.0 63.7 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 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. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 27 Table 9.—Total and Main Components of the Canadian Consumer Price Index, by Years, 1939-54, and by Months, 1953-54 (1949=100.) Other Date Total Food Shelter Clothing Household Operation Commodities and Services 1Q1Q 63.2 50.2 84 6 54.9 59.9 66.5 70.3 77.2 77.9 17J7 65.7 52.6 86.6 1941 69.6 57.9 89.2 63.6 73.8 80.0 1942 72.9 63.4 90 7 65 8 76.0 76.1 82.0 84.8 1943. - 74.2 65.2 90.9 66.1 1944 74.6 65.6 91.2 66 6 75 7 86.1 86.4 1945 - _ —- 75.0 66.3 91.4 66.9 74.9 1946 — 77.5 70.0 91.8 69.2 77.2 88.7 1947 \ ._ ..,.„. 84.8 97.0 79.5 97.5 95.1 98.3 78.9 95.6 86.2 96.8 91 6 1948 _ — - 96.5 1949 . 100.0 102.9 100.0 102.6 100.0 106.2 100.0 99.7 100.0 102.4 100 0 1950. | 103.1 1°51 113.7 117.0 114.4 109.8 113.1 111 5 1952 116.5 116.8 120.2 111.8 116.2 116.0 1953 (average) 115.5 112.6 123.6 110.1 117.0 115 8 January— 115.7 113.5 122.3 109.7 116.5 116.7 February - - - 115.5 112.7 122.5 109.6 116.6 116.7 March.., 114.8 111.6 122.5 109.7 116.7 115.2 April 114.6 110.9 122.7 109.7 116.9 115.0 May - 114.4 110.1 122.9 110.1 116.6 115.1 June - - -■■ - -- 114.9 115.4 111.4 112.7 123.6 123.9 110.1 110.3 116.6 117.0 115.1 July 115.2 August 115.7 112.8 124.1 110.4 117.2 115.8 September 116.2 114.0 124.2 110.4 117.4 115.9 October . \ 116.7 116.2 115.5 113.4 124.5 125.0 110.3 110.3 117.5 117.4 116.0 November 116.3 December \ j| .... " ...- ....... jp 115.8 116.2 112.1 111.4 125.2 126.5 110.2 109.4 117.4 117.4 116.3 1954 (average) ... 117.4 January - 115.7 115.7 115.5 111.6 111.7 110.7 125.4 125.4 125.6 110.1 110.0 109.8 117.5 117.5 117.6 116.4 February. 116.5 March 116.6 April- „ 115.6 110.4 125.6 109.9 118.1 117.2 May 115.5 110.2 125.8 109.9 117.3 117.5 June 116.1 116.2 112.0 112.1 126.4 126.6 109.7 109.6 117.1 117.2 117.5 July ... , 117.6 AugUSt. - __ _ : 117.0 116.8 114.4 113.8 127.0 127.2 109.6 109.5 117.2 117.2 117.7 September 117.6 October.. 116.8 113.8 127.4 108.4 117.3 117.9 November 116.8 113.4 127.9 108.2 117.2 118.2 December. 116.6 112.6 128.2 108.1 117.1 118.2 BB 28 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table 10.—Consumer Price Indexes, Vancouver, B.C. (1949=100.) Date 1949 i 1950 1951 1952 — 1953 1954 (average). January February March April May June , July g August September— October November—. December Total 100.0 103.6 114.3 117.4 116.1 117.4 116.2 116.4 116.3 116.9 116.9 117.1 117.0 118.1 118.1 118.6 118.6 118.3 Food Shelter 100.0 104.5 117.8 117.3 112.1 111.7 110.8 111.6 110.7 110.4 109.8 111.6 111.2 113.6 113.7 113.5 112.3 111.6 100.0 107.7 113.2 118.2 122.1 124.9 123.7 123.7 124.1 124.1 124.6 124.7 125.0 125.5 125.5 125.8 126.0 126.1 Clothing 100.0 99.1 110.6 115.1 122.5 112.9 112.6 112.3 111.8 113.4 113.4 113.4 113.3 113.3 113.1 112.7 112.7 112.6 Household Operation Other Commodities and Services 100.0 100.0 101.4 103.3 115.3 109.4 122.2 115.1 122.7 117.0 125.2 119.2 123.7 117.5 124.3 117.4 124.7 117.4 126.7 118.0 126.4 118.9 124.3 118.9 124.5 118.8 125.4 118.8 125.5 118.8 125.5 121.3 125.4 122.6 125.4 122.4 Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, "Prices and Price Indexes." Table 11.—Principal Wholesale Price Indexes, Canada (Base: 1935-39=100.) M Date General Wholesale Price Index Raw and Partly Manufactured Fully 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 (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 99.2 108.0 116.4 123.0 127.9 130.6 132.1 138.9 163.3 193.4 198.3 211.2 240.2 226.0 220.7 217.0 219.8 219.0 218.6 217.9 218.2 217.8 217.4 215.8 215.3 214.3 214.8 215.3 85.1 194.7 129.1 126.1 79.3 99.4 94.9 103.1 114.4 123.0 131.1 134.4 136.2 140.1 164.3 196.3 197.1 212.8 237.9 218.7 207.0 204.8 206.5 205.1 204.3 205.7 207.5 206.7 207.4 204.9 202.9 201.4 202.1 203.4 86.2 208.2 133.0 123.7 93.3 103.5 101.9 109.9 118.8 123.7 126.9 129.1 129.8 138.0 162.4 192.4 199.2 211.0 242.4 230.7 228.8 224.2 227.8 227.3 226.9 225.1 224.5 224.5 223.6 222.3 222.6 221.8 222.2 222.3 144.3 132.8 78.3 95.8 99.0 113.3 125.2 135.1 140.0 143.1 143.2 148.6 187.0 222.7 218.0 244.6 296.1 252.6 232.3 223.5 224.1 223.6 222.8 223.9 224.2 223.9 224.2 222.1 221.7 223.3 224.1 224.0 158.5 137.2 69.3 100.9 83.7 85.4 88.9 109.7 129.0 144.5 162.5 177.9 184.1 200.6 191.9 191.9 200.4 223.0 175.1 162.1 159.4 160.0 158.3 157.6 158.2 158.9 173.6 167.6 162.6 161.8 164.0 163.5 130.2 144.4 69.2 104.8 101.5 106.7 124.4 144.6 161.8 166.1 170.2 181.2 200.2 263.7 265.4 281.4 336.9 277.5 263.8 256.2 266.3 264.7 262.0 260.4 268.0 267.3 262.1 248.2 245.5 240.5 243.6 245.9 144.4 140.8 69.3 102.9 92.6 96.1 106.6 127.1 145.4 155.3 166.4 179.5 192.2 232.1 228.7 236.7 268.6 250.2 219.5 209.2 212.9 212.3 210.2 209.0 213.1 213.1 217.8 207.9 204.1 201.1 203.8 204.7 Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, "Prices and Price Indexes.' DEPARTMENT OF TlEADE AND INDUSTRY BB 29 Tourist Trade Section The volume of tourist travel to British Columbia from the United States increased somewhat in 1953 over 1952. In the same period the number of Canadian tourists returning from the United States through British Columbia ports increased slightly. Tables 12 and 13 give a breakdown of tourist travel between British Columbia and the United States. Jj £ Chart 1 gives a breakdown of automobiles visiting Canada from the United States by State of origin, with the number visiting British Columbia and the Yukon shown in red. In 1953, automobiles originating in California, Oregon, and Washington comprised 85 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 five days, and expenditures averaged $14.19 per car per day. || 1 Expenditures of United States travellers in Canada during 1953 reached a record high of $282,000,000. There was a slight decrease in British Columbia's share of the total expenditure—14.6 per cent, as compared with 15.5 per cent in 1952, 15.3 per cent in 1951, and 13.5 per cent in 1950. However, United States tourist expenditures were larger in 1953 than in 1952. Interprovincial tourist-travel figures are not compiled by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, but it is undoubtedly important and adds considerably to the total of tourist expenditures in British Columbia. United States United States Travel Expenditures Travel Expenditures Year in Canada Year in Canada 1942 $79,000,000 1948 $267,400,000 1943 87,000,000 1949 267,100,000 1944 116,600,000 1950 259,700,000 . 1945 163,300,000 1951 258,000,000 : 1946 216,100,000 1952 257,000,000 ' 1947 241,100,000 1953 282,200,000 BB 30 BRITISH COLUMBIA «o ex CO u > is o u 1 ■+-» cd o v>j .9 *0 CO a u <+H o CO Ph Ul O V>J F-H £ >> ^ O fo 00 "ft J2 % § o 3 .<3 03 •N* C*-4 rO o 5 Ul a <D sa t M to o v\) .Jh S*. 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StH U H •OH IH 02 «° I fl o Wrt «to "St * 0<H CS0 3" d a) 0 a o o rH <H o .OB a o •H "H g H CO HMr r DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 31 nr~ 2 0. >• < O i >- H X 55 z o 0) h < h 0) Q UJ h Z D UJ I H O 0- Ll < o < z < o CD z E u h z UJ (/) UJ J 5 o o h D < z 2 UJ o u. E o lL o 0) UJ < H (7) O Z o X to co in h < X o BB 32 BRITISH COLUMBIA 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 40 per cent of the net value of production, provided employment to some 60,000 people, and paid out $200,000,000 in salaries and wages. During 1953 the primary forest industry of logging cut an all-time high of 5,291,587 M board-feet, valued at $240,275,000. Operations in the Coast region accounted for 3,702,098 M board-feet, with Douglas' fir as the leading species at 1,497,004 M board- feet and hemlock next with 1,022,414 M board-feet. At the same time, Interior operations cut 1,589,489 M board-feet, with Douglas fir again the leading species at 579,490 M board-feet and spruce next at 532,903 M board-feet. | || The traditional conversion enterprise for British Columbia timber has been saw- milling. The sawmilling industry in the Province has grown tremendously since its inception a hundred years ago, so that to-day it is the most important single industry in British Columbia and produces over half the total Canadian production of sawn lumber. During 1953 sawmills in the Province produced 4,045,724 M board-feet of lumber, valued at $276,564,562. In addition, these mills produced other products, such as shingles, ties, laths, box-shooks, etc., as well as selling slabs and edgings, sawdust and hog fuel. Mills in the Coast region produced 2,571,631 M board-feet of lumber, valued at $193,655,945, while those in the Interior produced 1,474,093 M board-feet, valued at $82,908,617. M The pulp and paper mills of the Province during 1953 used 863,113 cords of pulp- wood, valued at $24,304,558, as well as 314,144 cords of waste wood (for example, sawmill and veneer-mill chips, slabs, and edgings, etc.), valued at $7,080,391. From this material these mills produced 1,070,863 tons of pulp, valued at $84,658,292. Over half of the pulp produced was used in the Province to make 632,556 tons of paper, valued at $74,131,677. During 1954 this Section assisted the Railway Department with its studies on extensions for the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. This assistance consisted of economic studies dealing with resources adjacent to the present railroad, as well as those resources along the proposed extensions. Statistical information was prepared for the various lumber associations and was used in their brief to the Board of Transport Commissioners dealing with revisions in lumber freight rates. During the year this Section prepared a second publication dealing with the forest industries of the Province entitled " Statistical Record of the Logging Industry and Summary of the Forest Industries in British Columbia." The first publication in this series, "Statistical Record of the Lumber Industry in British Columbia," was released in 1953. In addition a report prepared by this Section appeared in the July, 1954, issue of the Pulp and Paper Magazine of Canada under the title of | British Columbia's Timber Policy and Its Relationship to the Pulp and Paper Industry." 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CO TJ ^ cd rj ♦H S o * * oo 6g .s§ 111 •** CO o 0> co q a? J? CO > 1 U CO cO <L) 15 s O 09 .C hB CO i2 ooco 73 q«M q -h o -is Vh «-" T^i 3 q, £ q CO 0) S .x v -q iJ 2 q co cO > -q cO 05 q 5 O j) rHHH H « CO BB 34 BRITISH COLUMBIA Mining Division The value of the mineral output of British Columbia in the calendar year 1953 was $152,731,181, compared with $171,298,142 in 1952. Metals contributed 82.7 per cent of the 1953 production value, industrial minerals contributed 2.1 per cent, structural material contributed 8.9 per cent, and coal 6.3 per cent. The value of the metals was $126,333,618, compared with $147,799,867 in 1952. Greater quantities of copper lead, zinc, iron, and tungsten were produced in 1953 than in 1952. Copper was valued at $14,869,544, iron at $6,763,105, and tungsten at $5,950,323. The combined value of the three metals was $4,300,000 greater in 1953 than in 1952; however, because of lower prices the combined value of lead and zinc was almost $25,400,000 less than in 1952. The prices (yearly averages in Canadian funds) for gold and silver were fractionally higher, but the prices for copper, lead, and zinc were lower than in 1952. The value of industrial minerals increased, mainly because of the production of asbestos by the Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Limited. The value of structural material increased, mainly because of the increased production of cement made possible by the expansion in the plant of the British Columbia Cement Company Limited. Most of the copper produced was in the form of concentrates and, together with precipitates from Britannia Mine water and dross from the Trail lead-smelter, was all shipped to the Tacoma smelter for treatment. British Columbia lead and zinc, including the contents of concentrates exported and refined metal produced, were sold mainly in Canada, the United States, and Great Britain. Over half the silver produced was sold in the United States. In 1953 the last company-operated coal mine at Nanaimo was closed, and production of coal on Vancouver Island is now mainly from the Tsable River collieries of Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Limited. Coke production by the Crow's Nest Pass Coal Company has been entirely in by-product ovens since October, 1952. At the end of 1953 a plant to produce briquetted coal for use in steam-locomotives was nearing completion at Michel. || The average number employed throughout 1953 in placer, lode, coal, industrial- mineral, and structural-materials mining was 15,658. Major expenditures by those branches of the industry included: Salaries and wages, $55,543,490; fuel and electricity, $8,668,099; process supplies, $20,979,411; Federal taxes, $11,811,177; Provincial taxes, $1,172,276; municipal and other taxes, $1,210,966; levies for workmen's compensation (including silicosis) and for unemployment insurance, $1,769,232. Dividends amounted to $22,323,089, and the lode-mining industry spent $27,815,152 in freight and treatment charges on ores and concentrates. 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Miscellaneous Metals Antimony — \ ">• Bismuth | Cadmium —. 1 »» Indium oz- Iron ore tons Platinum oz* Tin 1°- Tungsten (WO3) » Totals Industrial Minerals Asbestos Barite tons Diatomite »» Flux (quartz, limestone) | Granules (slate and rock) | Gypsum and products | Mica :—jj lb. Perlite tons Sulphur ,, Totals Structural Materials Brick— Common No. Face, paving, sewer „ Firebrick, blocks Clays tons Structural tile, hollow blocks Drain-tile, sewer-pipe, flue-linings Pottery—glazed or unglazed Other clay products Cement Lime and limestone tons Rubble, riprap, crushed rock „ Sand and gravel Stone tons Totals~„. . Fuel Coal tons Total value. 1952 Quantity Value 17,554 251,393 8,796,720 42,005,512 284,949,396 372,871,717 $494,756 8,615,238 7,315,088 13,054,893 45,936,692 59,189,656 $134,606,323 2,333,239 142,246 726,172 404 900,481 2 212,113 1,434,640 848 12 55,588 1,610 91,112 314,000 182,627 830,815 2,566,540 11,483 321,710 739,504 122,308 $1,028,025 312,941 1,561,270 889 5,474,924 176 250,293 4,565,024 $13,193,542 $23,000 13,408 240 141,478 21,026 235,453 3,001 1,745,258 $2,182,864 $28,248 121,254 435,681 51,797 60,273 468,110 6,536 11,296 3,603,273 1,552,772 982,792 3,839,965 434,964 $11,596,961 1,402,347 $9,718,452 $171,298,142 1953 Quantity 14,245 253,553 8,376,953 49,021,013 296,559,781 378,345,159 1,551,043 71,298 787,158 6,752 991,248 1,092,228 2,168,977 3,560 37,358 4,620 172,665 604,000 1,112 151,954 1,382,883 4,307,894 5,226 338,005 770,415 2,611 1,384,138 Value $403,230 8,727,294 7,017,709 14,869,544 39,338,655 40,388,346 $110,744,778 $570,474 157,569 1,550,701 14,922 6,763,105 581,746 5,950,323 $15,588,840 $988,716 52,845 110,698 59,321 387,655 11,338 11,120 1,590,055 $3,211,748 $51,381 226,459 426,783 31,990 123,469 627,097 30,012 19,267 5,071,260 1,357,958 1,122,516 4,388,594 78,252 $13,555,038 $9,630,777_ $152,731,181 Labour Statistics Division During the year reviewed the Labour Division again completed the regular annual collection and compilation of labour information obtained from industry and business, a summarization of which has been prepared and published under heading of " Statistics of Trades and Industries g in the Annual Report of the Department of Labour for 1953. The co-operative arrangement in effect between the Department of Labour and the Department of Trade and Industry in the matter of statistical collection has again proved of valuable assistance, and the maintenance of this close interdepartmental relationship continues to provide a good measure of co-operation, mutual aid, and assistance in the joint effort. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 37 Adequate coverage of industrial labour information on an annual basis necessitates continuous revision of existing statistical forms used in each inquiry, and progressive changes and amendment to the questionnaires continue to result in a marked improvement of the factual information obtained through this medium. If Additional projects completed during the year include the preparation of regional breakdowns of industrial employment and payroll information, an alphabetical index of reporting firms arranged by industrial classifications and geographical location, the current edition of a list of industrial firms in size groups, and routine statistical analyses of Provincial labour data as required in response to inquiries from industry, business, and other Governmental departments. The industrial payroll totals which follow show in varying degree the growth and development in the Provincial regional areas over the past four years, based on industrial payrolls only, and the accompanying census map outlines the areas mentioned in the table. While the totals shown are restricted to industry, and as such are not representative of the entire payroll of each area, as an indicator of labour concentration in the various census districts they do, however, provide a means of comparison from year to year. Table 17.—British Columbia Industrial Payrolls by Statistical Areas for the Comparative Years 1950 to 1953 Regional Area Total Payrolls (Salaries and Wages) 1950 1951 1952 1953 No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 7 No. 8 | No. 9 No. 10 Not specified Totals $14,730,880 28,152,569 17,986,918 276,660,854 87,321,304 7,793,958 17,053,224 11,492,745 9,749,718 1,352,763 2,139,119 $16,925,795 33,803,674 21,563,865 326,844,763 106,834,119 10,905,394 22,065,843 18,808,909 19,560,533 2,140,056 2,291,684 $474,434,052 $581,744,635 $27,425,293 40,455,349 20,422,805 358,233,779 109,412,278 11,015,136 20,160,757 20,771,777 32,163,701 2,266,598 4,703,401 $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 $647,030,874 | $673,114,364 BB 38 BRITISH COLUMBIA Chart 2.—Census Divisions Thken fhom tfri&sh Co/umbio Depor~£rrt*rrt of Lands, Geogrophtcof Of MARKET RESEARCH DIVISION This Division is responsible for market research studies, industrial and location surveys, the collection of market statistics and statistics relating to new industries, new plants, and additions to existing plants. The 1954 edition of the Regional Industrial Index was published and most favourably received. A new edition of the Trade Index is planned for 1955 as the supply of the earlier edition has been exhausted for some time. Several regional statistical publications were released showing bench-mark data for specific regions of the Province. fl I In addition, many miscellaneous requests covering population, area studies, industrial and area development, and marketing problems were answered. MECHANICAL TABULATION DIVISION This Division was established to handle mechanical tabulation work for the Bureau and act as service centre for departments of the Government requiring the facilities of punched-card equipment. No charge is normally made to the departments for this service; however, accurate job costs are maintained and are listed below to show the value of work done for each department and branch for the twelve-month period ended DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 39 October 31st, 1954. Similar figures for the previous period are included for comparative purposes. Department of Agriculture—Herd Improve- 1953-54 1952-53 ment Branch $685.20 $1,056.65 Department of the Attorney-General— Motor-vehicle Branch $5,423.86 $6,049.88 Liquor Control Board 33,784.56 27,111.60 39,208.42 33,161.48 Department of Education— J Annual Statistical Report $1,626.06 Division of Research, Tests, and Standards 1,358.68 2,984.74 1,124.98 Department of Finance—Furniture inventory 628.94 Department of Health and Welfare— Accounting Division $1,890.94 $1,678.92 Medical Services Division 14,493.50 14,025.22 Hospital Insurance Service _. 6,986.86 1,236.76 23,371.30 16,940.90 Department of Labour — Annual Statistical Report 2,627.24 3,493.04 Department of Lands and Forests— Geographic Division $288.88 $468.40 Water Rights Branch 5,064.96 746.18 Forest Surveys Division 12,880.46 4,196.98 Forest Management Division 971.02 2,140.98 Mm I 19,205.32 7,552.54 Department of the Provincial Secretary— Civil Service Commission _.._ $4,929.00 $4,735.54 Queen's Printer 11,741.00 12,822.20 16,670.00 17,557.74 Department of Public Works—Traffic Division 647.77 Department of Trade and Industry— Bureau of Economics and f Statistics $6,747.36 $5,846.94 Mechanical Tabulation Division 5,673,94 8,221.12 § 12,421.30 14,068.06 $117,821.29 $95,584.33 To meet the diversified demands of the various departments, a complete set of punched-card equipment is rented, which includes alphabetic printers, sorters, reproducing gang summary punches, end printing document punches, an alphabetic interpreter, collator, and multiplying punch, as well as alphabetic punches and verifiers. Here again the job cost records are used to ensure that maximum utilization is obtained from the equipment. 1(1 To operate the equipment efficiently, a well-trained staff has to be maintained, and at present it consists of a senior supervisor, assistant supervisor, four senior machine operators, seven machine operators, a senior key-punch operator, eleven key-punch BB 40 BRITISH COLUMBIA operators, a senior clerk-stenographer, and three clerks. In addition, three members of the Liquor Control Board staff are attached to the Division to maintain liaison and perform necessary clerical functions. In the opening half of this period we were greatly handicapped by the loss of experienced machine operators to industry, and it was feared it would seriously affect our production; however, the closing of the tabulating section of the Hospital Insurance Service in May enabled us to secure experienced operators and bring our staff up to complement. As in previous years, a considerable amount of development was undertaken covering both the revision of current jobs and the drafting of proposals for new applications. The major developments are described briefly in the following section of this report. British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service During the month of May the British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service closed its tabulating section, and certain basic operations were turned over to this Division for processing. A revised admission-discharge card was designed so that the accounting and statistical information could be obtained from a single card. From this card we agreed to prepare weekly hospital remittance statements and municipal billing statements. Commencing October 1st, limited monthly statistical tabulations were to be prepared. The first of these monthly tabulations has recently been completed and is currently being reviewed to determine the most practical form of presentation. The Division also undertook the responsibility of tabulating its 1953 annual statistical tables. Each major tabulation covers some 300,000 cards which have to be sorted on approximately ten columns, summary punched, put through the multiplying punch some five times to establish various averages and percentages, so that a three-month period is required for each tabulation. It will be appreciated that we were somewhat handicapped in producing early results by the fact that we did not start this work until June 1st. However, we expect to complete its major tabulations by the end of the year. To do this work, the Bureau accepted the responsibility of obtaining an additional alphabetic printer, summary punch, and two sorters, while a Federal health grant covered the salaries of two machine operators for the balance of the year. At the request of the Hospital Insurance Service, card forms are being drafted to cover the recording of multiple admissions as required by the Federal Government. This will require the use of two punched cards for each admission, the second card being used for accounting purposes only. Liquor Control Board We have been officially advised that the punched-card system will be discontinued in the Esquimalt and Pender Street stores and that a cash-register system will be used instead. This comes as a disappointment, as considerable effort was put into the development of the punched-card system, which, it is felt, had many valuable advantages. However, the work being done for these two stores is only minor compared to the various other jobs being done for the Board, and the new licensee records will more than utilize the equipment freed by the cancellation of the counter-check procedures. Department of Health and Welfare—Cost of Drugs Plans are still being progressed in an endeavour to establish a combined physician's quarterly statement covering the value of drugs prescribed and medical services rendered for social assistance cases. This work is being done for the Medical Services Division of the Department of Health and Welfare. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 41 Department of Public Works Tabulations were completed on the traffic records of the Department of Public Works. These covered some 37,000 trips and presented a very comprehensive study of the movement of traffic through certain control points by time of day and purpose of trip. Department of Agriculture The milk production records of the Herd Improvement Branch were extended during the year to cover the Jersey and Holstein breeds. While this is not a large-scale job, the calculation of averages for sires, daughters, and daughter-dam pairs makes it a worthwhile tabulating operation. i Department of Lands and Forests—Water Rights Rental Billing The initial preparation of 15,000 water rights rental bills was done on our equipment during the month of December and proved to be a very satisfactory operation. The recording of payments during the year has been maintained, and statements by batch have been prepared for control purposes. A large volume of status-change notices covering changes in rental, ownership, and address were also processed. Considerable effort was put into the designing of a suitable form for the recording of status-change notices. British Columbia Forest Service—Forest Surveys and Inventory Division By far the most complex jobs undertaken during the year were those for the Forest Surveys Division. Four actual jobs were undertaken, all of which dovetail together to produce an estimate of the timber resources in the various survey units. The four jobs may be described as (a) Volume of Trees—Part I, Gross Volume; (b) Volume of Trees—Part II, Decay Analysis; (c) Volume of Trees—Part III, Standing Tally; (d) Working Plan and Special Survey. Some 250,000 cards were punched and verified to cover Part I which, after several passes through the machines involving the use of logarithm masters, produced Gross Volume tables. Calculations were then made on 250,000 Part II cards which were punched to cover cull factors. These cull factors were then applied to the Gross Volume tables to automatically arrive at the Net Volume tables which give the cubic content of trees by species, age, d.b.h., and height by merchantability standards. The Net Volume tables were then applied to the cards punched for Part III which was a standing tally for unit areas, the result being a volume in cubic content per acre for a unit area which could be used as an average value of volumes in various forest classes. The above-average volumes were applied to the 250,000 cards punched for the Working Plan and Special Survey to establish timber estimates of the survey units, these results being tabulated directly on to multilith masters to facilitate the rapid distribution of many copies. Department of Education In addition to the annual statistical report for the Department of Education, a special study of intelligence survey records was made for the Division of Tests, Standards, and Research. The purpose of this study was to establish differential standards for the subjects tested at the University Entrance and Senior Matriculation levels. This proved to be a rather unique application as some 13,500 cards were punched showing subjects taken, programme, and S.A. score for the student. These were then tabulated to establish the differential standards. The code numbers for the course taken were interpreted over BB 42 BRITISH COLUMBIA mark sense fields in the cards, and actual grades attained are now being marked into these fields. The marks are subsequently automatically punched into the cards, which will enable a comparative analysis of grades by intelligence quotient and subject or such other combinations as may be required. P PUBLICATIONS Monthly Bulletin.—This publication has been continued and expanded. Special articles have been included at various times throughout the year covering topics of current interest. Included are statistical summaries of business indicators relating to British Columbia's economy. Summary of Business Activity in British Columbia.—This publication is a companion of the Monthly Bulletin and provides a compact source of annual statistics relative to the economy of the Province. External Trade.—Monthly statistics covering external trade are contained in the 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.—It is planned to release a revised issue of this publication in 1955. British Columbia Regional Industrial Index.—This publication was released in 1954 and contains statistics on a wide range of subjects covering all areas of the Province. British Columbia Facts and Statistics.—The eighth edition of this publication will be released in 1955. This publication provides 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, Manufacturing, Water Power, Tourists, and Economic Activity. Establishing a Business in British Columbia.—This brochure, published by the Bureau, gives to prospective investors information relating to the establishment of a business in British Columbia, such as government regulations, facilities and services, etc. List of Industrial Firms in British Columbia by Number of Employees.—An alphabetic listing of firms segregated by size groups according to employment. Statistical Record of the Logging Industry and Summary of the Forest Industries in British Columbia.—An historical summary of statistics relating to the logging and forest industries of British Columbia. Regional Statistics of British Columbia.—Summary of census statistics by regional areas. At the end of 1954 three area studies were completed, namely, West Kootenay, East Kootenay, and the Okanagan. Current Publications.—A directory of publications released by the Department of Trade and Industry. # J||t In addition to Departmental publications, other studies were completed but not released for general consumption. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 43 REPORT OF THE BRITISH COLUMBIA GOVERNMENT TRAVEL BUREAU GENERAL The tourist trade in 1954 did not eclipse the record-breaking figures of the year before, but at the year's end, entries on travellers' vehicle permits were only slightly behind 1953, and in spite of adverse weather conditions which affected the whole continent in the early summer, the over-all volume was fairly well maintained. Inter- provincial and domestic holiday traffic appeared to take up a great deal of the slack, so that in spite of a 2-per-cent (approximately) drop in United States entries, an estimate of $70,000,000 on the Tourist Industry Account is on the conservative side. In 1954 there was a very noticeable appreciation in the number of inquiries respecting camp-sites and all camping areas were well patronized, but the increased use of these facilities does not appear to adversely affect the resort establishments; rather, it reflects the greater use of public amenities by those who prefer this type of recreation and by many who would otherwise be denied outdoor holidays. Camping facilities were appreciated by the people of British Columbia and foreign visitors alike. Mail volume of the British Columbia Government Travel Bureau totalled 31,626 in 1954, compared with 23,517 in 1953. With few exceptions, inquiries were given response within twenty-four hours of receipt. During the year the travel counsellors were afforded opportunities of gaining first-hand information on various sections of the Province. Queen Charlotte Airlines co-operated by giving the Chief Counsellor a familiarization tour of west coast points, and during the season a tour of the Province and mountain regions was organized for two of the Bureau staff and members of the staff of the Alberta Government Travel Bureau. This exchange of visits between counselling personnel proved extremely worth while and was followed by a joint conference in Cranbrook in October, attended by the Directors of the Alberta and British Columbia Travel Bureaux, their assistants and counsellors. Out of this conference, recommendations were made to the respective Governments resulting in several co-operative measures which have been approved for 1955, including joint field representation in Pacific Coast States, joint folders, and other promotional media. ADVERTISING Advertising in 1954 followed the same pattern as in previous years, with space in international magazines (Holiday, National Geographic, Time, Sunset, etc.) being supported by newspaper space through the eleven western States, with special emphasis in California, Oregon, and Washington. Television was also used by the agency responsible for the placing of advertising. Five bulletin-boards, with a traffic count of over 11,000,000, were repainted with an invitation to visit British Columbia. These have been maintained for several years in the vicinity of Seattle, Portland, Tacoma, Grant's Pass, and Spokane. Radio was again used with a view to encouraging British Columbians to spend their own vacations in the Province, and it was also used in conjunction with Canadian national magazines and newspapers to encourage more interprovincial tourist traffic. This campaign has also had the effect of stimulating a large number of settlement inquiries. While the tourist advertising campaign was handled by an advertising agency, the Bureau staff prepared 189 general advertisements, issued orders covering 1,648 advertisements for other departments, and checked all advertising invoices for every branch of the Government service. BB 44 BRITISH COLUMBIA FIELD WORK The travel promotional programme, through personal contact with travel information offices, followed a pattern quite similar to that of former years. This type of publicity has proven itself as being very suited to the Bureau's needs, although the time allotted to such work has been less than would be desirable. In the United States the Assistant Commissioner, during a nine-week period in the spring of the year, checked with the main offices in principal cities throughout the ten western States. Travel literature and general discussions on British Columbia vacations with travel counsellors were enthusiastically received, giving reason to believe that greater time in these offices or more frequent calls would be welcomed. With the heavy pressure of the many promotional activities being staged for the encouragement of travel to other countries, it is gratifying to note the steady interest maintained in this Province by these travel personnel. Offices contacted consisted mainly of travel bureaux, automobile clubs, Chambers of Commerce, transportation companies, and oil companies where directional bureaux are maintained. Films were shown and talks given to a number of organizations. Television stations continue to show interest in our films, and excellent publicity was obtained through this medium; radio has not been able to use our available material to the same advantage. Magazine and newspaper travel editors were most co-operative in supplying picture and story space. While the Alberta and British Columbia field work took on somewhat the same style as that in the United States, the local or community tourist information centres are among the most important contacts. These bureaux continue to play a most vital role in furthering travel in British Columbia. PUBLICITY The reader-columns of newspapers, magazines, trade papers, and house organs are regarded as excellent channels for the distribution of Provincial publicity supplementary to the scheduled advertising campaigns. Accordingly, every opportunity was taken to make use of free space in a wide variety of publications by responding readily to editorial requests for material and by voluntarily submitting stories, articles, and photographs to periodicals circulating in British Columbia's travel market. The Travel Bureau's staff writer was also employed in producing a considerable amount of industrial publicity for the Province. In addition to speech material for officials of the Department of Trade and Industry and other departments, the travel writer produced articles and statements for an important list of publications. LITERATURE More than 700,000 pieces of promotional literature were distributed last year. These included road reports, special-event folders, maps, listings of tourist accommodation, regional folders, and general and factual booklets. Designed to support a definite sales objective, meet a particular need or requirement, or support a definite objective in a specific market, all this material was distributed on personal request, except at entry ports where limited amounts of folders were kept available in racks accessible to visitors as they crossed the border. The Bureau added to its poster series and gained a very wide distribution, one avenue of which were large chain department stores in the United States. At the International Holiday Poster Exhibition in Durban these " posters created considerable interest, and contributed much towards the success of this Exhibition." New productions included a regional folder on the Howe Sound-Powell River recreational area and a booklet, "Alluring British Columbia," which, illustrated with DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 45 full colour, has been widely appreciated as an outstanding piece of promotional literature from point of view of design, copy, illustration, and printing. Another new mailing piece draws attention to the attractions and advantages of Central British Columbia. "TOURIST ACCOMMODATION REGULATION ACT" In 1945, when the Regulations Governing Tourist Accommodation and Trailers were promulgated, housing conditions in the tourist industry were such that the failure of some operators to meet standards of sanitation and provide basic amenities demanded by changing trends in a growing industry dictated some measure of control. The regulations brought down were largely concerned with health measures, but more recently competition in the industry, new standards of public acceptance, star rating under the Regulations Governing Classification, and the establishment of health units throughout the Province have contributed to the development of over-all standards requiring no further control on the part of the British Columbia Government Travel Bureau. Health requirements are now checked by local and regional health units, and on December 4th the Regulations Governing Tourist Accommodation and Trailers were rescinded. This means that tourist accommodation is no longer licensed or registered by the Bureau, but the classification of tourist accommodation (star rating) will be continued. British Columbia's classification system has been investigated by other Provinces, and early in the new year a conference of representatives from each of the four western Provinces will meet with a view to devising a system which could apply to each one of the Provinces. In the enforcement of regulations under the Act and in the settlement of problems arising out of them, acknowledgment should be given here to the co-operation of the public health engineers, the doctors and sanitarians attached to the various health units, and to the officers of the Auto Courts and Resorts Association. The following tabulation shows the relative standards of tourist accommodation through the Province as of December 31st, 1954, and as reflected by the auto courts and resorts:— Number of Auto Courts Star-rated and Ungraded 1954 1950 1948 Number Per Cent Number Per Cent Number PerCent Four stars Three stars _ Two stars One star 395 255 175 123 166 35 23 16 11 15 216 220 155 147 172 24 24 17 16 19 70 158 112 141 151 11 25 17 23 No star 24 Total graded Ungraded 1,114 100 226 _ 910 100 260 _ 632 100 1 Totals 1,340 40 — 1,170 — ___ Permits .. .. —— Grand total 1,380 — 1 - mammm ■f The following grades were raised in 1954:— Twenty-three grades raised from three to four stars. Five grades raised from two to four stars. One grade raised from one to four stars. One grade raised from no star to four stars. Nineteen grades raised from two to three stars. Eleven grades raised from one to three stars. gg 46 BRITISH COLUMBIA One grade raised from no star to three stars. Fifteen grades raised from one to two stars. Five grades raised from no star to two stars. Ten grades raised from no star to one star. The following grades were lowered in 1954:— Fourteen grades lowered from four to three stars. One grade lowered from four to two stars. Twenty-one grades lowered from three to two stars. Five grades lowered from three to one star. Nine grades lowered from two to one star. One grade lowered from three to no star. Three grades lowered from two to no star. Thirteen grades lowered from one to no star. Auto courts initially graded in 1954 were as follows:— Four stars 48 Three stars 13 Two stars 11 One star 15 No star 19 Total 106 Auto courts that ceased operating in 1953 numbered 40, and in 1954 numbered 50. New licences issued in 1954, 88, and cancelled (Health Department), 3. The following is a brief tabulation of tourist accommodation available in the Province:— Number of Rental Units Available to Tourists Auto courts and resorts 11,795 Hotels 14,073 Total 25,868 Number of Beds Available Each Night to Tourists Auto courts and resorts 47,180 Hotels 21,146 I Total 68,326 Construction Value (Estimate) Auto courts and resorts $31,123,000 Hotels (not including licensed premises or restaurants, etc.) 49,255,000 Total $80,378,000 CO-OPERATIVE ACTIVITIES Mention has been made elsewhere of the co-operation between the British Columbia Government Travel Bureau and the Alberta Government Travel Bureau, and while mutual interest dictated this, the British Columbia Bureau appreciatively acknowledges an interest on the part of the Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs for Alberta and the Director and staff of the Alberta Travel Bureau far beyond the ordinary measures called DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 47 for. The Province has also been served most generously by the Automobile Club of Southern California, the National Automobile Club, and the State Automobile Associations of California, Oregon, and Washington. Without exception the oil company travel bureaux have co-operated very closely, particularly in respect of dissemination of road reports. The regional and community travel bureaux at Kamloops, Nanaimo, Hope, Vernon, New Westminster, Chilliwack, Trail, Kimberley, Kelowna, Revelstoke, Nelson, Cranbrook, Courtenay, and a score of other centres, in co-operating with the Bureau, enabled it to round out a comprehensive programme of promotion and service. The Victoria and Island Publicity Bureau and the Vancouver Tourist Association gave a tourist service extending beyond their immediate interests and were in turn furnished folders and promotional material for distribution. A special credit should be given the British Columbia Automobile Association for a fine spirit of co-operation. The co-operation at all times of the Canadian Customs and Immigration Officers at border points is greatly appreciated by the Bureau as it is by the visitors. Without exception, visitors to the Province have been courteously received, a fact which has been very frequently commented on. Particularly friendly liaison has been maintained between the Bureau and the Canadian Government Travel Bureau in Ottawa, its offices in New York and Chicago, and the Canadian Consulates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. At all times the resources and facilities of these offices have been placed at the disposal of the Bureau and frequently taken advantage of. It is further acknowledged that without the ready co-operation of the foregoing agencies, the press and radio services, and other interests which recognize the value of the tourist industry, the promotional task of the Bureau would be much more difficult. Hi settlement Settlement inquiries were received in considerable volume throughout the year, a large number having been inspired by the press coverage of Kitimat and other developments, actual and proposed. A large number of people who had failed to establish themselves in Ontario and other Provinces to which they had originally migrated hoped to find a home in British Columbia; there were also a large number of retired Canadians seeking a happy place in which to spend declining years. A heavy mail was also received from prospective agricultural settlers. In disposing of these inquiries, the Bureau acknowledges the assistance of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Citizenship and Immigration, and other authoritative sources of factual information and advice. The National Employment Service in Vancouver and Victoria helped the Bureau on innumerable occasions, and the Agent-General for British Columbia and the Dominion Department of Labour in London, England, were important references. In no way does the Bureau solicit immigration, but the expanding economy of the Province naturally invites inquiry. Such inquiries as are funnelled to the Travel Bureau are given the information and references most suitable and helpful, but any finalizing is left to the Canadian or Provincial department most directly concerned. Appreciative acknowledgment has been received from many countries throughout the world. TOURIST COUNCIL The fifteenth annual meeting of the Tourist Council was held in Vancouver on May 21st, with the Deputy Minister in the chair. Operations of the Government Travel Bureau over the past year were reported upon by the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner and reviewed by the Council. The 1954 advertising campaign was outlined by the agency, leading to a discussion on media and a general endorsation of the programme. BB 48 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORIC SITES The marking of historic sites was confined to the issuance of two bronze plaques— one at Grand Forks symbolizing the spirit of friendship existing between Canada and the United States, and the other at Fort Langley in memory of Ovid Allard and William H. Newton, of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the many pioneers of the Fort Langley district. However, the Bureau's interest in the historic background of the Province extended beyond this one practical expression. Whenever opportunity offered at regional meetings and gatherings, the Commissioner emphasized the value of local historic references and took time as it offered to forward a list of historic sites for possible publication. Public interest in such sites has been evidenced by a large number of inquiries, which warrant issuance of a brief catalogue at least in mimeographed form. Meanwhile the proposed text is in the hands of the Provincial Archivist for review. RECEPTION CENTRE Keys for British Columbia's first tourist reception centre were handed over to the Minister early in December, and it is planned to staff the building early in the new year. The centre is designed to render assistance to tourists, help them with itineraries, and encourage them to spend as much time as possible in British Columbia by advising of alternate routes, scenic and sports facilities and attractions, and by giving factual information with respect to roads and accommodations. REPRESENTATION During the year the British Columbia Government Travel Bureau was represented at the conventions of the Canadian Tourist Association, Windsor; Auto Courts and Resorts Association meetings and conventions at Prince George, Williams Lake, Cranbrook, Campbell River, Vancouver, and Victoria; at the meetings of the Okanagan- Cariboo Trail Association in Kamloops and Bend, Ore.; at the Dominion-Provincial Tourist Conference in Ottawa; and at the general meetings of the Vancouver and the Victoria Tourist Associations. Advantage was taken of every opportunity to stress the fact that British Columbia's tourist industry makes a major contribution to the general economy of the Province and that the bureaux operating on a Provincial level could and should be supplemented to advantage on regional and local levels. PHOTOGRAPHIC BRANCH The activity of the Photographic Branch is reflected in the following report:— Motion-picture Shows. — To various organizations in Victoria and environs, 60; preview shows in the Branch theatre, 26. Motion-picture Circulation.—Total audiences: British Columbia, 222,667; other Provinces, 806,808; United States, 559,540; grand total, 1,589,015. Still Prints.—During 1954, prints suitable for reproduction were sent to writers, publishers, advertising agents, as follows: British Columbia, 2,452; other Provinces, 656; United States, 450; foreign, 266; total, 3,824. Darkroom Production.—Total number of negatives processed, 9,712; total number of prints, 15,742. it Still Photography.—During the year the Photographic Branch accepted and completed still assignments for the following departments: Agriculture, British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service, British Columbia Power Commission, British Columbia Resources Conference, Economics Bureau, Health and Welfare, Lands and Forests, Mines, Premier's Office, Provincial Archives, Provincial Museum, Public Works, and Queen's Printer. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY BB 49 Still Assignments.—Photographers were in the field and covered Highway No. 16 from Prince George to Prince Rupert, and also the Pacific Great Eastern Railway from Prince George to Squamish. A series of black-and-white and colour photographs, suitable for covers, was taken on Vancouver Island, Vancouver, and the Lower Fraser Valley. A tour of Vancouver Island and Vancouver by a press group from Australia was covered by one of our photographers, and the resulting photographs were given wide coverage in Australia. A series of ski-ing photographs was taken during the spring at Grouse Mountain, giving much-needed coverage. Many photographs were taken and enlarged for use in the displays at the new British Columbia Building at the Pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver. if An interesting assignment covered the whole process of the making of the new British Columbia mace. This group of photographs was suitably bound and deposited in the Provincial Archives. Another unusual assignment was photographing the British Columbia Legislature in session. This has never been done before. Motion Pictures.—Approximately 75 per cent of the footage for a new industrial motion picture was taken during the year, concentrating on secondary industries. The Branch provided assistance in producing television travelogues on Vancouver Island and on the Lower Mainland. These were shown in the Los Angeles area with much success. Assistance was given to the British Columbia Power Commission in editing a short film of its production. Completed Films.—Three colour-sound motion pictures were released during the year. They were "Northward Bound" (Alaska Highway), "Lady of the Lake" (the Kelowna Regatta), and "Quality Plus" (certified seed-potato production). Television.—Films were supplied to and televised by various stations, as follows:— KING, Seattle, Wash.—8 films, approximately 30,000 viewers (each show). CBUT, Vancouver, B.C.—3 films, approximately 30,000 viewers (each show). CKSO, Sudbury, Ont.—1 film, approximately 21,000 viewers. CKCK, Regina, Sask.—1 film, approximately 25,000 viewers. CFPL, London, Ont.—1 film, approximately 10,000 viewers. Rediffusion, Inc., Montreal (closed circuit)—16 films, approximately 30,000 viewers (each show). In addition, a special showing of the film 1 Vancouver Island " was presented over KING-TV, Seattle, to an estimated audience of 200,000. British Columbia Films in the United Kingdom British Columbia House, London, has available a number of our films and has rendered a valuable service in showings to commercial firms, tourist bureaux, clubs, public and secondary schools, and private audiences. A total of 852 showings were made to a total audience of 107,203 persons. VICTORIA, B.C. Printed by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most ExceUent Majesty 1955 860-255-4500
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Department of Trade and Industry REPORT For the Year Ended December 31st 1954 British Columbia. Legislative Assembly [1955]
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Title | Department of Trade and Industry REPORT For the Year Ended December 31st 1954 |
Alternate Title | DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY |
Creator |
British Columbia. Legislative Assembly |
Publisher | Victoria, BC : Government Printer |
Date Issued | [1955] |
Genre |
Legislative proceedings |
Type |
Text |
FileFormat | application/pdf |
Language | English |
Identifier | J110.L5 S7 1955_V03_09_BB1_BB49 |
Collection |
Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia |
Source | Original Format: University of British Columbia. Library. Law Library. J110.L5 S7 |
Date Available | 2018-05-17 |
Provider | Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library |
Rights | Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy or otherwise distribute these images please contact the Legislative Library of British Columbia |
CatalogueRecord | http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=1198198 |
DOI | 10.14288/1.0367830 |
AggregatedSourceRepository | CONTENTdm |
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