The Tribulations of Antoine Ratte: A Case Study of the Environmental Regulation of the Canadian Lumbering Industry in the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

This article examines the impact of industrial and commercial development of the Canadian environment during the Nineteenth century. Particular reference is made to the effect of sawdust on the country's waterways and fisheries. The article makes the point that the development of adequate legislative and administrative mechanisms, to deal with the problem, had to await the emergence of a consensus amongst the politicians, civil servants, the courts, and the general public that a problem existed.