Innis' Staple Theory, Exports, and Recession: British Columbia, 1981-86

Abstract

For Harold Innis, staple exports provided the starting point to examine Canada's institutions and internal structures. Given the central role of staple exports, Innis sought to accomplish the task of developing a distinctively Canadian theory by wedding three types of concerns: geographical, institutional, and technological. This framework is reviewed and elaborated upon in order to examine the nature and extent to which British Columbia's global role with respect to staple production has changed with the severe recessionary conditions of the early 1980s. Evidence is drawn from a large firm-level survey of manufacturing, wholesaling, and producer service firms completed in 1988. It is concluded that Innis' staple theory remains an accurate account of British Columbia's trade performance.