The Means of Production

I wonder if manufacturing in Canada is dead or at least terminally ill. The area that I live in Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo was at one time heavily industrialized. Now I see that our rate of unemployment is higher then in Halifax Nova Scotia. Five years ago if an economist made that prediction he would have been thought a lunatic.

Take a look at the photograph above its taken in a factory that is no longer a factory. It speaks to the way thing have gone. My father worked here for thirty five years. He helped make things, important things, large fans for the mining industry. I would imagine that some of the things that he skillfully built are still turning away helping to pull raw materials from beneath our northern frontier. Only now more and more of those raw materials are moving across the sea to build things that we once built for ourselves, providing people like my father a good job to help support his family.
When I was about ten my fathers union negotiated dental benefits in their contract with the company. Those benefits were hard fought for, I think that they came at the end of a strike. I know that many people are ideologically apposed to trade unions, but I have to say that I enjoy having my teeth now because of them.

The factory now is an outlet mall. Mostly everything in the place is made in Asia and then shipped to our shores. The place employs many people in its shops and shoe stores, but I don't think that many have dental benefits.