Economy
Quebec is second only to Ontario as the most industrialized province of Canada. Manufacturing and services are the leading sectors of the province's economy, both in revenue generated and in numbers of people employed. Also important are tourism, retail and wholesale trade, and the banking and insurance industries.
Quebec accounts for about a fourth of the total value of all Canadian manufacturing. Abundant forest, mineral, and water-power resources, an ample labor supply, and an excellent location on one of the world's great shipping routes have all played major roles in the province's industrial development, which has been especially rapid since the end of World War II. Numerous United States companies and other foreign firms have invested heavily in Quebec.
Quebec's most important industrial activities are the preparation of foods and beverages; the smelting and refining of metals, mainly aluminum (from imported ores), copper, and zinc; the manufacturing of pulp and paper, especially newsprint; and the production of transportation equipment. Some products, particularly newsprint and aluminum, are made mainly for export. Also significant is the production of textiles and clothing, chemicals, petroleum products, electrical goods, and wood products.
Montreal and its suburbs account for roughly two-thirds of the province's industrial production; the Quebec City area ranks second. Other prominent manufacturing areas center on Drummondville, Shawinigan, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières.
Most of Quebec is unsuitable for farming, mainly because of the harsh climate and poor, thin soils. Only about 2 per cent of the province is used for crops, pastures, and farm woodlands. Except for small areas in the vicinity of Lake St-Jean and Lake Abitibi in the southern part of the Shield, all the farmland is in the St. Lawrence Lowland and the Appalachians.
Dairying is the main kind of farming; milk, used chiefly for making butter and cheese, is the leading source of farm income. In milk production Quebec leads all other provinces. The production of hogs, beef cattle, poultry, and eggs is also important. Hay is the most widely grown crop and Quebec is usually Canada's second-largest producer. Oats and corn are also grown as forage crops. Other significant crops include sugar beets, potatoes, apples, barley, oats, and tobacco. Quebec is Canada's leading producer of maple sugar and maple syrup.
Quebec has abundant mineral resources and usually ranks fourth among provinces in the value of its mineral output. Metals, particularly iron ore, gold, copper, and zinc, normally make up more than half of the value of Quebec's mineral production; asbestos and construction materials such as stone, sand, and gravel make up most of the rest. There are no known reserves of fossil fuels in Quebec.
Iron ore, mined at several locations, is the leading mineral in value of output. Most of the ore comes from huge deposits on the Shield near Schefferville and Gagnon. Much of it is exported through St. Lawrence ports. Also of major importance is asbestos. Quebec has long been one of the world's great producers and exporters of this mineral. Production is mainly in the Thetford Mines area, south of the city of Quebec. Niobium, used in making various kinds of steel, is also mined in this area. Quebec is Canada's sole producer of this mineral.
Lumbering, especially in the southern part of the Shield, is a major industry in Quebec. The annual cut is second only to that of British Columbia. Quebec is the leading province in the production of pulp and paper and second in the production of lumber.
Fishing is one of the oldest industries of Quebec. It centers in the gulf and estuary of the St. Lawrence, where many people in the coastal villages and towns engage in smallscale commercial fishing. The leading fishing villages and towns are on the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands. Cod and lobsters are important in the catch.
Quebec has excellent transportation facilities in the far southern part of the province, particularly in the St. Lawrence Lowland. Much of the Shield is virtually inaccessible except by air.
Railway service is provided primarily by the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific transcontinental systems. The highway network is one of the finest in the nation. The principal route is the Trans-Canada Highway, which traverses nearly 400 miles (640 km) of the St. Lawrence Lowland. Major routes also include freeways and toll roads, some of which are called Autoroutes.
The St. Lawrence River is a major shipping artery, providing access to the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. Montreal and Quebec are the leading general cargo ports. Sept-Îles and nearby Port-Cartier are major iron ore ports.
Quebec is served by Air Canada, Canadian Airlines International, several regional airlines, and numerous foreign airlines. Montreal's two airports, Mirabel and Dorval, are hubs of air service in Quebec.
