How did the Canadian shoe industry get started?
Like cobblers all over the world, Canadian shoemakers used an awl, a curved knife, a needle and a wooden last. They set up shop in their own homes, employing 4 or 5 workers. Toward the middle of the 19th century, the introduction of machinery revolutionized the production of footwear.
Where are the footwear factories in Canada located?
The industry employed 20 785 workers. In 1985 there were 169 factories employing 14 164 persons and producing 43 million pairs of footwear valued at $870 million. The industry is concentrated in Montréal, Québec City, Toronto and the Kitchener-Cambridge, Ontario, area. About 90% of the firms are Canadian-owned.
How did the footwear industry change over time?
The sewing machine was adapted for stitching footwear components. Other devices were developed for cutting, cementing, nailing and vulcanizing parts of the shoe. Eventually, what had been a cottage craft became a sophisticated, highly mechanized factory industry.
Why was there a shortage of shoes in Canada?
Imports from Asia took over most of the low-price ranges; those from Europe captured much of the market for fashion footwear. The deterioration in the Canadian share of the domestic market caused shoe manufacturers to seek the protection of the federal government against the flood of imports.
Like cobblers all over the world, Canadian shoemakers used an awl, a curved knife, a needle and a wooden last. They set up shop in their own homes, employing 4 or 5 workers. Toward the middle of the 19th century, the introduction of machinery revolutionized the production of footwear.
The industry employed 20 785 workers. In 1985 there were 169 factories employing 14 164 persons and producing 43 million pairs of footwear valued at $870 million. The industry is concentrated in Montréal, Québec City, Toronto and the Kitchener-Cambridge, Ontario, area. About 90% of the firms are Canadian-owned.
The sewing machine was adapted for stitching footwear components. Other devices were developed for cutting, cementing, nailing and vulcanizing parts of the shoe. Eventually, what had been a cottage craft became a sophisticated, highly mechanized factory industry.
Imports from Asia took over most of the low-price ranges; those from Europe captured much of the market for fashion footwear. The deterioration in the Canadian share of the domestic market caused shoe manufacturers to seek the protection of the federal government against the flood of imports.
