Between the two world wars, shipbuilding as a whole was a dormant factor in the Canadian economy and in September 1939, Canada's merchant navy consisted of less than 400 ships of 500 gross tons and over, totalling about 1,100,000 gross tons. Of this total some 260 ships of 700,000 tons were operating in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence area, sixty coasters of 150,000 tons sailed in the coastal routes, and only 40 ships of about 250,000 gross tons could be classified as ocean-going vessels.