Final answer:
Manufacturing played a crucial role in shaping urban settlement patterns in Canada by creating a concentration of jobs in cities where factories were located, thus encouraging a population shift from rural to urban areas and leading to the growth of cities around core industries.
Step-by-step explanation:
Manufacturing significantly influenced urban settlement patterns in Canada, much like it did in the United States and Britain during the industrialization era. Starting in the 1850s, cities like Toronto and Montreal became hubs for industrial activities, housing factories that produced textiles, metal goods, steel, and other products. This concentration of industry in urban centers drew people to cities for employment, rapidly expanding the urban population.
The development of factories in urban areas allowed entrepreneurs to centralize production and manage workforces more efficiently. The presence of jobs in these factories led to a shift from a predominantly rural population to an urban one, as individuals moved to be closer to these employment opportunities. Over time, this led to the growth of cities around the core industries they housed.
Industrialization policies, such as Canada's National Policy begun in 1878, further reinforced urbanization by providing protective tariffs to shield Canadian industry from U.S. competition. This protectionist policy encouraged the growth of industries in cities, which in turn intensified the concentration of population in urban areas, thus shaping settlement patterns.