Depot Harbour: the Rise and Fall of an Ontario Grain Port
Abstract
This thesis considers the creation, commercial success, decline, and abandonment of Depot Harbour, a major grain port in Ontario. I argue that the rapid, early success of the port beginning in 1898 was only possible with the confluence of economic globalization of grain markets, the expansion of the grain trade and transportation routes in Canada, and ownership invested in the port’s success. The transfer of ownership to a national railroad left Depot Harbour exposed to the negative ramifications of consolidation and nationalization of the railroad system of Canada, which led to its neglect and ultimate abandonment by 1945 despite the ongoing expansion of the grain trade. The development and operation of the port was an intrusion into the property and lives of the indigenous population of Parry Island and left a legacy that included property loss and changes in the economic base for that community.