Understanding how geography shaped economic opportunity in 19th century Canada offers valuable insights into the roots of regional inequality and mobility across generations. The summary, titled “The Geography of Economic Mobility in 19th Century Canada,” highlights intergenerational economic mobility across regions in Canada between 1871 and 1901.

The research was conducted by Luiza Antonie, Kris Inwood, Chris Minns, and Fraser Summerfield, and will be published in the Canadian Journal of Economics in 2026. This work was supported by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Government of Ontario and the University of Guelph. The study explores:

• The key patterns of economic mobility from father to son between 1871 and 1901
• The role of geography and migration in shaping opportunities for upward mobility
• Regional disparities, with Ontario showing high mobility, Quebec improving over time, and the Maritimes remaining low in mobility

Learn more about the research through a brief one-page summary [1] and a short video [2]. This summary serves as a valuable resource for those interested in sustainable development and land-use planning in rural Ontario.  

This summary has been created through the Connecting the Dots initiative at the University of Guelph, supported by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance [3]. To view more research summaries or learn about the initiative visit rural.uoguelph.ca/research-summaries [4].