INTERNATIONAL
C A N A D I A N CHEMISTRY S. J. COOK
First plarforming unit in Canada feature of Cana dian Oil Cos.' new refinery at Sarnia . . . Full employment for university graduates announced for this year's crop a 200-acre site, the largest O CCUPYING complete petroleum refinery to be built in Canada since the end of World War 11 was opened recently at Sarnia. T h e plant features the first platforming unit in Canada, and is the first in Ontario to use catalytic cracking. T h e refinery will proc ess 20,000 barrels of Alberta crude oil per operating day. T h e oil will reach the lakehead through a 1500-mile Interprovincial Pipe Line, in which Canadian Oil Cos., owners of the new refinery, have a substantial investment. T h e cost of the new refinery was $ 2 3 million. First television coverage in Canada of a Canadian industrial event was provided for the opening ceremonies. The petroleum industry in Canada had its beginnings nearby in the Petrolia—Oil Springs area a century ago. North America's first oil well, according to some historians, was drilled at Oil Springs, Ont., in 1858. T h e first drilled well in the United States w a s reported at Titusville, Pa., about a year later.
Industry Absorbs University Graduates Labour Minister Gregg reported recently that Canadian industry had provided a job for almost every university graduate seeking work this year. Summer employ ment was also available for practically every undergraduate, the minister said. About 19,000 jobs were opened for uni versity men, according to a report from the National Employment Service. Of these jobs, 5 0 0 0 were for graduates and the remainder were summer jobs for un dergraduates. Mechanical engineers were in greatest demand. Figures on total current employment of chemists and chemical engineers in Canada have just been published. These official figures, based on census data, show that 8574 chemists and metallurgists, in cluding 876 w o m e n , are now employed; chemical engineers number 2372, all of whom, except three, are male. Interest is always keen on the subject of international movement of scientists
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CHEMICAL
and engineers between the United States and Canada. It is frequently said that Canada is being continually drained of scientific· talent because of better financial offers m a d e to graduates by American firms, and U. S. Immigration figures published recently indicate that Canada has, in fact, suffered an average net loss of about 1500 scientific personnel in each of the last six years. It is encouraging, therefore, to report that figures for the first eight months of 1952 point to a rise of about 67', Ό above the six-year average in the number of professional persons coming to Canada from the U. S. American investment in the development of Canadian resources, par ticularly in the Alberta oil fields, is un doubtedly a factor in this connection. It now appears that immigration of pro fessional workers from the United Stateswill go over the 1000 mark in 1952 as compared with a six-year average inflow of 496. This increase of about 500 should therefore reduce the net loss to Canada from an average of around 1500 to fewer than 10O0 persons this year. Enriched Flour Regulations Announced Beginning Jan. 1, 1953, permissive en richment of bread flour will become effec tive in nine provinces, with Newfoundland providing for conipubory enrichment. T h e permissive regulations provide that enriched flour shall contain in one pound: Thiamine 2 . 0 - 2 . 5 mgm. Riboflavine 1.2-1.5 mgm. Niacin, or 16.0-20.0 m g m . Niacinamide 13.0-16.5 m g m . and with or without calcium carbonate or edible b o n e meal to provide from 500 to 6 5 0 mgm. o f calcium. A Government Advisory Commission on Nutrition w a s appointed in Canada in 1941 to study the problem of enrichment of flour with vitamins, about the same time that compulsory enrichment laws began t o b e put into effect in various parts of the United States. T h e Canadian com mittee, however, merely recommended use of a long extraction flour ( about 7 8 % ) which it w a s known would increase the thiamine content. It w a s assumed that other desirable vitamins would be present also in proportionately increased quanti· tics. N e w e r assay methods used today indicate that riboflavin and niacin contents of long extraction flour d o not in fact increase in proportion w i t h the higher per· centage of thiamine. Under t h e n e w regulations the millers will be responsible for the introduction of the enrichment mixture. Tariff Rates Reduced By order-in-council, effective Nov. 1, 1052. molybdenum scrap, previously s u b · |ect to 2 0 % duty, will b e allowed entry to Canada duty free. Germanium, for use in manufacturing electronic equipment· formerly dutiable at 2 0 % , has also b e e n put on the free l i s t T w o other items o f chemical Interest, now free, are polysty rene butadiene copolymer resins, formerly subject to 7.5% duty, and solutions of aniline d y e s , formerly dutiable at 20"*.
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ENGINEERING
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