Canada and Newfoundland: Their Natural and Industrial Resources

This pictorial map, titled Canada and Newfoundland: Their Natural and Industrial Resources, was designed by MacDonald Gill in 1942. It is a richly detailed, visually engaging representation of Canada’s geography, industries, and natural wealth during the Second World War. The map serves both as an informative resource and as a piece of wartime propaganda, emphasizing Canada's contributions to the war effort through its vast reserves of raw materials, manufacturing centers, and agricultural production.

The visual style is highly illustrative, with symbols, icons, and small illustrations depicting various industries and natural resources, from mining and forestry to fishing and farming. The key to symbols in the lower-left corner provides a guide to interpreting the map, listing icons for industries such as gold, silver, nickel, and lumber, as well as oil refineries, pulp mills, and hydroelectric power stations.

One of the most striking features is the decorative elements framing the map. In the upper-right corner, the Canadian coat of arms is displayed, along with the Latin motto A Mari Usque Ad Mare ("From Sea to Sea"), reinforcing national unity and strength. The surrounding ocean is filled with illustrations of planes and ships, alluding to Canada's crucial role in supplying materials and engaging in wartime production. In the bottom left, a circular text box provides historical context, stating that Canada and Newfoundland dedicated all their resources to the war effort. This text reflects the urgency and total commitment of the Canadian economy to support Allied forces.

The map also highlights major cities, including Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg, each illustrated with clusters of industrial buildings and transportation hubs. The inclusion of Newfoundland, which was not yet part of Canada (it joined in 1949), acknowledges its importance as a resource-rich Dominion and strategic location in the North Atlantic.

Historically, this map was created at a time when Canada had emerged as a key industrial and agricultural powerhouse within the British Empire. The country had undergone rapid economic transformation since the beginning of the war, shifting from a peacetime economy to one fully dedicated to wartime production. Canada supplied vast amounts of raw materials, including aluminum for aircraft, timber for construction, and food for troops overseas. By 1942, Canadian industry had ramped up production of munitions, vehicles, and ships, making it a critical player in the Allied war effort. This map visually encapsulates that transformation, reinforcing national pride and demonstrating Canada’s indispensable role in the global conflict.

MacDonald Gill, the map’s designer, was a well-known British cartographer and graphic artist famous for his decorative and pictorial maps. His style is evident in the whimsical yet highly detailed illustrations, which make the map both informative and visually appealing. The use of bright colours, clear labelling, and a dynamic composition ensures that it is not just a functional map but also a piece of artwork designed to inspire and educate.

Overall, this pictorial map is a striking example of wartime cartography, blending artistry with propaganda to emphasize Canada's vast resources and industrial power.