I have a researcher who is looking for total GDP (not per capita or index percentage) from 1926-2014, or even further back. I can find back to the 1981 in CANSIM table 384-0038 but nothing further back. There are some numbers in the digitized Canada Year Book, but it would be easier to have an excel sheet with these.
Answer
We can attach a file with GDP data from 1926-2013. It is noted in the file that there are conceptual breaks between the 1926-1960 time frame, 1961-1980 time frame and 1981-current time frame. Also, some historical GDP data were just loaded on to Cansim:
380-0501 GDP, Expenditure-based quarterly Mar 1947- Jun 1997. These data are unrevised and are on a 1986=100 basis (we currently use 2007=100). There is also a terminated GDP table 380-0017 that begins in 1961. Again, not revised.
For older GDP (GNP, actually), you can turn to the wonderful work of Prof. Malcom Urquhart, a Queen’s Economist who reconstituted estimates of the GNP from 1870 to 1926. Information about this book is provided below. It is also available online in ‘ebrary’ if anyone subscribes to this service.
Gross national product, Canada, 1870-1926 the derivation of estimates /
Bibliographic Record Display
* Author/Creator:Urquhart, M. C. (Malcolm Charles), 1913-<https://qcat.library.queensu.ca/vwebv/search?searchArg=Urquhart%2C%20M.%20C.%20(Malcolm%20Charles)%2C&searchCode=NAME&searchType=4>
* Title:Gross national product, Canada, 1870-1926 [electronic resource] : the derivation of estimates / M.C. Urquhart ; with chapters by A.G. Green ... [et al.].
* Published:Kingston ; Buffalo : McGill-Queen's University Press, c1993.
* Subjects:Gross national product--Canada--History.<https://qcat.library.queensu.ca/vwebv/search?searchArg=Gross%20national%20product--Canada--History.&searchCode=SUBJ&searchType=3>
* Description:714 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
* Notes:Includes bibliographical references and index.
* Access:License restrictions may limit access.
* ISBN:0773509429 :
* Part of:Canadian Publishers Collection<https://qcat.library.queensu.ca/vwebv/search?searchArg=Canadian%20Publishers%20Collection&searchCode=TALL&searchType=1>
Holdings Record Display
* Full text online:Canadian Publishers Collection<http://proxy.queensu.ca/login?url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/queen/Top?id=10132431> [License Terms of Use] <http://library.queensu.ca/devel/testing/360link/libraryLicenses.php?provider=Canadian%20Publishers%20Collection>
* Location:*Web (Queen's access only)
* Call Number: Online
