Industrial Canada (1958)

[Music] this is the 20th century world of industry it's a complex combination of mass production and technical skill in the short span of 50 years canada has become a major industrial nation new skyscrapers new factories shape the skyline of their cities [Music] this is a country rich in natural resources with an abundance of raw materials to feed its growing industrial machine this too is a country where giant engineering projects daily change the face of the landscape sixth in the world in industrial output fourth in trade amongst nations canada exports a wide range of products almost everywhere in the world behind this achievement lies the story of a remarkable transformation until the turn of the century more than half of canada's population was employed in agriculture and the country's economic life revolved largely around small towns and villages [Music] earning a living demanded many long hours of back-breaking toil on the land success or failure depended largely on the whims of nature through ancient skills and handicrafts each family filled most of its own needs for food and shelter but the traditional methods of work passed on from father to son finally gave way as the sounds of a new power echoed across the countryside with the establishment of manufacturing industries a growing population began to concentrate in the cities [Music] increased demand for essentials like shoes and clothes led to the development of the first assembly lines work was divided into segments each operation performed by a different person and gradually new machines were designed to help speed up production [Music] new tools new skills transform the old handicrafts industry diversified its output and learned to produce more goods at less cost then came war and the industrial worker applied his skill to making arms and munitions in the emergency canada multiplied her industries to produce for the first time everything from detonator caps to four engine bombers [Music] with peace industries matured by war found need for many more raw materials and canadians set out to explore their country anew the most northerly reaches of the great canadian shield were now being opened up by the new prospectors this time they looked not for gold or silver but for industrial metals like iron and uranium with the help of modern machinery canada processes more and more of her own raw materials many new mines and smelters have been opened up and new communities have been built around them canada is first in the world in production of asbestos platinum and nickel second in gold and zinc fourth in copper and lead [Music] from crude ore to final casting canadians have learned to make the heavy machinery essential to growing industry turbines dynamos generators now made in canada [Music] low-cost hydropower has made possible vastly increased production of basic metals such as aluminum before the war most of this metal was exported now factories are using more of it at home to make consumer goods thousands of parts thousands of pans items for thousands of kitchens [Music] television sets radios washing machines bicycles fountain pens vacuum cleaners made in canada to meet the growing demand mass production has brought consumer goods within the reach of almost everyone [Music] new techniques have revolutionized the oldest crafts even cooking in these automatic ovens a million biscuits are rolled stamped out and baked every hour from doe to box to warehouse in less than 15 minutes ah [Applause] far to the north beyond the settlements beyond the railroads stretch some of the world's greatest forests down a thousand rivers the logs ride on their way to become tomorrow's newspapers to be pulped and pressed into cardboard blotting paper bottle caps wall board and every kind of fine paper [Music] the newsprint machine turns wet wood pulp into paper at the dry end the first narrow strip is being laid working by eye the chief paper maker threads the leading strip over the final roller with a compressed air hose he smooths out the wrinkles a flick of the wrist and a new roll is started 200 inches wide 1200 feet a minute 10 tons of finished paper every hour [Music] half the newspaper pages in the world are printed on canadian newsprint the country's largest single export but today canada also offers a wide range of new products to the markets of the world canadian aircraft known widely for their careful design and craftsmanship now fly in the service of many countries in this one room work 400 design engineers their job is to develop the aircraft of tomorrow as industry grows more complex it creates the need for ever more specialized training in a wind tunnel at the university of toronto air blasts reaching four times the speed of sound set up shock waves on experimental shapes [Music] from the atomic research center to chalk river comes the promise of nuclear power for peace and radioactive isotopes for research and automatic process controls to serve the needs of business canada now makes computer mechanisms from simple adding machines to versatile electronic brains under the wheat fields of alberta new oil discoveries have brought new industries to the canadian west [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in these fractionating columns byproducts of oil are turned into useful compounds called petrochemicals some of these go to make acetate fiber destined to become fabrics for a satin dress or a window curtain once every 48 hours on a scheduled time to the minute a solitary worker comes to reap the harvest of synthetic yarn most of the products made here are industrial solvents essential to the manufacture of plastics and paints drugs and cosmetics thousands of products for industry and the home [Music] a petrol chemicals factory needs no windows or there is hardly anyone inside [Music] this is the nerve center the control room where every chemical reaction is followed through all its delicately balanced stages the eyes of this plant are its dials and charts they watch each process and tell what changes must be made to control it [Music] vast expanses of valves and pipes invisible processes making complex chemicals watched only by flow meters and [Applause] thermocouples industry has brought canadians a steadily growing prosperity more workers now enjoy holidays with pay social security shorter hours a pleasant place in which to live [Music] far from the dust and noise of the city center there are new communities where young families can buy their own homes and surround themselves with parks and gardens the face of canada is changing many new factories are laid out away from residential areas in strictly zoned suburban districts the grounds of these new industrial park lands are as landscaped and carefully manicured as if they belong to second [Music] homes industrial canada today is a land of busy productive people for modern life means a process of constant change to meet the increasing needs of canada and the world to adapt work and leisure to the tempo of the industrial age [Music] so [Music] hey you