This study assesses critically the conceptualisation and operationalisation of variants of the de-industrialization thesis that have been proposed in Canada, the United States, and United Kingdom. A series of operational measures are identified and then applied to the case of Canada to determine if it has been losing its manufacturing base. Long term data on employment, output, investment, and trade are examined for the manufacturing sector as a whole. Certain general trends are also contrasted with those of other G-7 countries. Further, the study considers trends in the major manufacturing industries (two digit SIC) and in the sub-industry groups: automotive, steel, and pulp and paper. The data are mainly from Statistics Canada publications and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The evidence runs counter to the expectations of the de-industrialization thesis. Canada's manufacturing base has generally grown.

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