The Likelihood of Canadian Bulk Water Exports - Breathing New Life into Staples Theory

Canada’s water sovereignty is increasingly threatened by the growing scarcity of this resource around the globe, particularly within the United States. This thesis explores the political and economic factors poised to drive future commodification and export of Canadian water resources. Despite federal opposition to water exportation, I illustrate how Canada may be forced to pursue this practice in the absence of drastic reforms to current federal water policy. Engaging staples theory, this thesis provides a comparative analysis of determinants driving early Canadian staples development with those encouraging bulk water exportation today. Early staples discourses are utilized to explore the likelihood of water exportation, while illustrating the utility of the staples approach to modern Canadian contexts. My research identifies several new factors an updated staples theory must consider in contemporary analyses of Canadian resource development, including, the modern environmental movement, the growth of international trade frameworks, and a decentralized Canadian federation.