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Power to the Periphery? The failure of Regional Convergence in Canada, 1890-2006

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  • Rosés, Joan R.
  • Minns, Chris

Abstract

Economic historians have long signalled the importance of location-specific resource booms in the Canadian development experience, but a full analysis of the dynamics of Canada’s internal income dynamics is conspicuously absent. This article presents comprehensive estimates of regional inequality in Canada from 1890 to 2006 and assesses the sources of convergence and divergence across Canadian provinces. Our convergence decompositions support the central role of resource booms in accounting for regional income dynamics, and show that structural change contributing relatively little to the development process. Our findings are in sharp contrast to the historical experience of other countries, including the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Rosés, Joan R. & Minns, Chris, 2018. "Power to the Periphery? The failure of Regional Convergence in Canada, 1890-2006," CEPR Discussion Papers 12803, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:12803
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Regional inequality; Resource booms; Structural change; Random growth theory; Canada;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N91 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
    • N92 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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