Letter to John Foster Dulles from Canadian Secretary of External Affairs L. B. Pearson Concerning the Saint Lawrence Project

P Y The Secretary of State for External Affairs Canada Ottawa, March 24, 1953 Dear Mr. Dulles: I should like to refer to our conversation in Washington on February 15 when, among other matters, I mentioned to you the St. Lawrence Project. The completion of the power aspect of this project is becoming increasingly urgent. Hence, I am taking the liberty of putting these views to you again at a time when, I feel cer- tain, the United States Administration will wish to consider all aspects of the St. Lawrence Project. From the Canadian viewpoint, all other major sources of hydro-electric power available in the area to be served by the power project have already been developed or are in the process of development. Even if construction of the St. Lawrence power project were to begin this spring, the work would barely be com- pleted in time to avert a serious shortage of low-cost power which is already developing and which is expected to become acute by 1957. If the power project is not undertaken soon, this area of Canada will face a serious impairment of its industrial capacity. You are no doubt aware that in this area are located in- dustrial plants comprising approximately one-half of Canada's total manufacturing capacity. Many critical materials supplying the defence industries of both Canada and the United States are pro- duced there. In the case of nickel, for example, some idea of the importance of this source of power in Canada is indicated by the fact that 90% of the free world's supply of nickel comes from the area served by the southern system of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario. The development of the power potential of the St. Lawrence River is thus a matter of prime im ortance and urgency to Canada. If The Honourable John Foster Dulles, Secretary of State : Washington, D. C.