The National Policy | The Brian Mulroney Institute of Government

In 1878, former Canadian Prime Minister John A. Macdonald introduced The National Policy, which was an economic and political strategy utilized in his Conservative campaign and later implemented once elected.
The National Policy remains a cornerstone of Canada's economic history and it helped reshape post-Confederation Canada through three main elements: infrastructure; tariffs; and population growth.
While the policy involved several strategies, one aspect of the policy meant that from 1878 until the Second World War, Canada utilized heavy tariffs on foreign imports to protect domestic manufacturers from American competition.
Other vital components of The National Policy was the transcontinental railway, which served many purposes including transporting goods and people, and the policy brought greater immigration to the country and settlement in the West.
The National Policy faced great criticism in the Maritimes on the basis of suppressing businesses and economic growth.

Citation

"The National Policy." Canadian History: Post-Confederation. BC Campus OpenEd. Accessed May 27, 2022. https://opentextbc.ca/postconfederation/chapter/3-3-the-national-policy/