The Countdown Begins.

Milestones are an opportunity for reflection, and the 75th anniversary of Canadian Business is no different. So, in the fall of 2002, the editors and writers set about collecting and researching the histories of hundreds of companies that laid the foundation for this country's prosperity. The result is Countdown 75, a series of profiles on Canada's greatest companies, as chosen by the staff of Canadian Business. So we've considered many factors: longevity; cultural impact; contribution to economic growth and employment; global scope; and innovation-technological, industrial, financial and managerial. Above all, we sought well-run Canadian corporations that created real economic, financial and shareholder value. For advice, we turned to a number of industry experts, as well as business historians Barry Boothman at the University of New Brunswick, Claude Bellavance at Université du Québec, Carleton University's Duncan McDowall, and Andrew Thomson at Wilfrid Laurier University.