Section P: Mining

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G. David Quirin, University of Toronto

Metallic Minerals (Series P1-81)
Non-metallic Minerals (Series P82-150)

This section includes production, exports and imports of metallic and non-metallic minerals, the latter category including structural materials but excluding fuels, which are reported in the Energy chapter, Section Q. The section contains three parts: metallic minerals, series P1-81; non-metallic minerals, series P82-150; and principal statistics, series P151-162. The first two parts contain quantities and value of production, exports and imports; the third part contains number of employees, salaries and wages, cost of fuel and electricity, cost of process supplies and containers, gross value of production and net value added by processing.

The basic sources used include the following Statistics Canada publications: Canadian Mineral Statistics, 1866-1956, (Reference Paper No. 68, 1957); General Review of the Mineral Industries, (Catalogue 26-201); Canada Year Book, (Catalogue 11-202); Exports - Merchandise Trade, formerly Trade of Canada, Volume II, Exports, (Catalogue 65-202); and Imports - Merchandise Trade, formerly Trade of Canada, Volume III, Imports, (Catalogue 65-203).

Use was made of the annual publications dealing with individual mineral industries, including Asbestos Mines, Coal Mines, Contract Drilling for Petroleum and Other Contract Drilling, (Catalogues 26-205 to 26-207); Gold Quartz and Copper-Gold-Silver Mines, Iron Mines, Nickel - Copper Mines, (Catalogues 26-209 to 26-211); Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry, Salt Mines, Sand and Gravel Pits, Silver-Cobalt and Silver-Lead-Zinc Mines, Stone Quarries, (Catalogues 26-213 to 26-217), Miscellaneous Metal Mines, Miscellaneous Non-metal Mines, Gypsum Mines, Potash Mines, (Catalogues 26-219 to 26-222). Data was also extracted from the annual Canadian Minerals Yearbook, published by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. Finally, the compilations made from unpublished and other sources by John Davis, in the first edition of the Historical Statistics of Canada (HSC I) are repeated in this volume. The reader is referred to the additional references and explanatory notes beginning at page 408 of the first edition.

Attention should be drawn to the different conceptual bases used for reporting quantities and values for metallic and non-metallic minerals, respectively. For non-metallics, quantities are net shipments and values are free on board point of shipment. In the case of metals, unless otherwise stated, production is production of the metal from domestic smelters or refineries plus the estimated metal content (after deducting smelter loss) of ores and concentrate exported. A number of valuation bases have been used. Until 1926, prices in major U.S. markets, usually New York, were simply applied to the metal content figures without deduction of refining or transportation costs. Subsequent adjustments have brought values closer to actual producer receipts for shipments. As a consequence, data for earlier years in the series are not directly comparable with data for more recent years, and overstate the value of metallics in comparison with non-metallics. Data on other minerals of lesser economic importance may be found in the first two sources cited above.

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Metallic Minerals (Series P1-81)

Source: for 1886 to 1956, Statistics Canada, Canadian Mineral Statistics, 1886-1956; for 1957 to 1975, General Review of the Mineral Industries, annuals, 1957 to 1975, and individual mining reports cited above. See notes on individual series in HSC I.

P3. Copper. Smelter losses in exported ores and concentrates are estimated at 10 pounds of copper per ton of concentrates. A deduction is made for refining costs.

P7. Iron. Until 1939, reported production is export tonnage.

P9. Lead. Smelter losses on exported ores and concentrates are estimated at 5 per cent. Montreal prices were used until 1926, London prices 1926 to 1946, New York prices 1947 to 1950.

P25. Zinc. A deduction of 160 pounds per ton of concentrates is made for smelter losses and exported concentrates.

Source: for 1926 to 1977, Statistics Canada, Exports – Merchandise Trade, annual, 1926 to 1977; for 1868 to 1925, the files of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.

A new Export Commodity Classification was introduced in 1961 and a new Import Commodity Classification in 1964. Both differ greatly from the classifications which they replaced. As a result some of the export and import series in this chapter could not be continued on a basis comparable to that in the HSC I. In the present edition all series have been continued from 1960 according to the new classifications, but an attempt was made to achieve conformity with the commodity content of the old series. Where large parts of a commodity group, according to the new classification, had a reasonable degree of comparability with the old series, the appropriate parts of the new series were used to update the old series. However, where it was impossible to achieve reasonable continuity between the two classification systems, the commodity group according to the new system was used. The following notes to individual series indicate where substantial differences occur between the old classification (data to 1959) and the new classification (data from 1960 to 1975). In some cases quantity data have been lost for the years 1960 to 1963 in the conversion to the new classification.

P27. Aluminium, primary forms and scrap. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P29. Aluminium, semi-fabricated. Data from 1960 to 1977 is more comprehensive than data using the old classification.

P31. Copper blister ore, matte, etc. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P33. Copper ingots, bars, cakes, slabs, etc. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P35. Cobalt in ores. Data are no longer available.

P37. Cobalt, metals and alloys. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P39. Iron ore. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P41. Lead ore and scrap. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P43. Pig lead. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P45. Nickel matte, speiss, oxide. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P47. Nickel fine. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P49. Platinum. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P51. Silver in ores and concentrates. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P53. Silver bullion. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P55. Zinc in ores and scrap. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P57. Zinc spelter. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

Source: for 1926 to 1977, Statistics Canada, Imports – Merchandise Trade, annual, 1926 to 1977; for 1880 to 1925, the files of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.

P59. Alumina, bauxite, cryolite. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P61. Aluminium pigs, ingots, blocks and scrap. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P63. Cobalt. Data are no longer available.

P65. Copper. Data from 1960 on are more comprehensive than on the old basis. The series now includes: copper in ores, concentrates and scrap; copper refinery shapes; copper bars, rods, and shapes, n.e.s.; copper alloy refinery shapes, bars, rods and sections; copper and copper alloy fabricated materials, n.e.s.

P67. Iron ores. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P69. Lead. Data from 1960 to 1975 are less comprehensive than the pre-1960 data.

P71. Mangenese in ores. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P73. Nickel. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data. Nickel in ores, concentrates, and scrap was added in 1966.

P75. Platinum. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P76. Silver. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P78. Tin. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P80. Zinc. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

Non-metallic Minerals (Series P82-150)

Source: same as series P1-26.

P98. Sulphur. Until 1927, production is sulphur content of pyrites shipped, estimated at 40 per cent from 1886 to 1890 and 41 per cent from 1891 to 1910. From 1927, production includes content of smelter gases used for manufacture of sulphuric acid. Elemental sulphur is included from 1958 to 1975. Prior to 1958, elemental sulphur recovered from natural gas was treated as a manufacture and is excluded.

Source: same as series P27-58.

P106. Asbestos, crude. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P108. Asbestos, milled fibres. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P110. Asbestos, waste refuse or shorts. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P112. Gypsum or plaster. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P114. Cement. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P116. Clay. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P118. Lime. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P120. Sand and Gravel. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P122. Salt. Data from 1962 to 1975 include part of a former miscellaneous class.

P124. Sulphur in ores. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P126. Sulphur, crude or refined, n.e.s. This is a new series beginning in 1960.

Source: same as series P59-81.

P128. Granite. Data from 1960 to 1975 are more comprehensive than data on the old basis. The value in 1960 is $735,000 compared to $427,000 on the old classification.

P129. Gypsum. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P131. Phosphate rock. Data from 1960 to 1975 are slightly more comprehensive than on old basis.

P133. Silex or crystallized quartz. Data from 1960 to 1975 are less comprehensive than data on the old basis. The value in 1960 is $126,000 compared to $161,000 on the old classification.

P135. Salt. Data from 1960 to 1975 are less comprehensive than data on the old basis. The value in 1960 is $785,000 compared to $841,000 on the old classification.

P137. Sulphur. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P139. Cement. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P141. Clay. Data from 1960 to 1975 are less comprehensive than data on the old basis. The value in 1960 is $2.8 million compared to $3.3 million on the old classification.

P143. Lime. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P145. Sand and Gravel. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

P147. Sand Silica. Data from 1960 to 1975 are more comprehensive than data on the old basis. The value in 1960 is $2.6 million compared to $2.4 million on the old classification.

P149. Titanium oxide, white pigments and antimony oxide. Series is exactly comparable to pre-1960 data.

Principal Statistics (Series P151-162)

See the general introduction at the beginning of the Section, with regard to definition and content of the following principal statistics. The large change in the Standard Industrial Classification, which took place in 1960 and 1961, is described in detail in Section R: Manufacturing.

Source: for 1923 to 1944, the files of the Manufacturing and Primary Industries Division of Statistics Canada; for 1945 to 1975, Statistics Canada, General Review of the Mineral Industries, annual, 1945 to 1975.

Source: same as series P151-156.

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