The Lost Code

Traditional Industrial Sectors

The Hochelaga Cotton Factory

Musée McCord, print, M979.87.360

Sectors like the leather, tobacco, and textile industries had experienced steady growth in the second half of the 19th century. Starting in the 1900s, their growth was less consistent. Although the tobacco industry continued to make headway in Québec, the leather industry (saddlery, shoemaking, and tanning) lost ground to Ontario. By 1921, it represented only 9% of the Canadian market.