Times of Turmoil
Even after World War 1 ended in 1919, its effects were still
felt across the world, including Canada . Once the war had ended,
people began to shift their focus to issues in their everyday lives. Soon,
people began to voice their concerns with poverty, unsafe working conditions,
and poor healthcare. As the years would go by, more and more Canadians would
take these issues into their own hands.
Post-War Problems
Prohibition
During the war, every province except for Québec had banned liquor sales. This was due mainly to the campaigning by women’s groups, who were supported by farmers, churches and merchants. The war demanded food for soldiers, so the grain needed for alcohol production was instead being made into food for the fighting men and women. It was during 1918 that the Federal government finally made alcohol illegal throughoutCanada . This did nothing to stop
those who really wanted it however, and ‘bootleg booze’ became the primary
source of alcohol for people who went around the law. Since the United States
also had prohibition from 1919-1933, many Canadians made money by selling
liquor to Americans, an estimated $1 million per month at Windsor-Detroit
crossings along. Prohibition helped lower crimes rates, and fewer people were
arrested for drunkenness. As well, workers would take more money home, since
bars were closed, and workers missed fewer days from hangovers. Eventually the
government began to think more with their pockets than their heads, as they
noticed that they were, losing out on potential millions of dollars a year in
alcohol tax. They came to the realization that they could not fully enforce
prohibition, so they opted to tax the bad habits of alcoholics all across
Canada, and prohibition died off during the 1920’s, one province at a time.
During the war, every province except for Québec had banned liquor sales. This was due mainly to the campaigning by women’s groups, who were supported by farmers, churches and merchants. The war demanded food for soldiers, so the grain needed for alcohol production was instead being made into food for the fighting men and women. It was during 1918 that the Federal government finally made alcohol illegal throughout
Influenza Epidemic
As soldiers came back from the fighting inEurope ,
that brought back something unexpected with them, the “Spanish Flu”. This virus
was carried back to Canada ,
and spread quickly among the population. Quarantines were put in place, and
schools and churches were closed, but people still became infected. In the end,
50,000 Canadians dies from this flu, only 10,000 less than the number who died
in the war itself. In response to this, the federal government created the Department
of Health in 1919. The federal government also began to collect stats like
birth and death rates, and infant mortality rates.
As soldiers came back from the fighting in
The Discovery of
Insulin
In 1912, more than a million North Americans had diabetes,
although nobody knew the cause or a treatment. Frederick Banting, a doctor in
WW1, spent much of his time considering diabetes, and he realized that insulin
was what was missing. In 1920 he thought of a way to remove it from dogs, and
ten got the help of Charles Best, a University
of Toronto
Labour Unrest
As wartime munitions factories closed down and workers were laid
off, women were put under pressure to return to household duties and give up
their jobs. Veterans returning from the war expected a job and an opportunity
to restart their normal lives. However, inflation had happened during the war,
meaning prices had risen. Unfortunately, wages did not rise at the same pace,
and living costs doubled between 1914 and 1919. Workers wanted unemployment
insurance, injury compensation and pensions, but employers were not forced by
law to listen to any of these things. The only way in which to make employers
listen to worker demands were strikes, but they were often ineffective. Employers
could get injunctions (court orders) for the workers to get back to their jobs,
or let strike-breakers take the jobs, leaving the strikers jobless. In
1918-1919, many more people joined unions as labour unrest rose nationwide.
One Big Union (OBU)
In 1917, the Bolshevik radicals overthrew the Russian government, and called for worldwide revolution among workers. They thought that everyone should control how goods were produced and distributed. InCanada ,
employers feared that their workers were planning for similar events. When
trade unions met in Calgary
in 191, police stood watch to ensure nobody was planning to overthrow the
government. Here, it was decided that all the unions must form into one general
union to have more power. Union leaders were upset that the Trades and Labour
Congress (TLC) only represented skilled workers in trades, and not semi-skilled
or unskilled workers. This led to the formation of One Big Union (OBU), with
hopes of forcing employers to raise wages and shorten work hours.
In 1917, the Bolshevik radicals overthrew the Russian government, and called for worldwide revolution among workers. They thought that everyone should control how goods were produced and distributed. In
The Winnipeg General Strike
The tensions came to a head during the 1919 Winnipeg General
Strike. It started on May 1st, when the Building and Metal Trades
Councils went on strike asking for three things: decent (85 cent) wages, 8-hour
work days, and the right to collective bargaining (for improved work
conditions). Soon, other unions were lending their support to this strike, and
workers in other cities (like Toronto and Vancouver ) were going on sympathy strike to show they
supported what was going on in Winnipeg .
This escalated to a general strike, where almost all workers went on strike,
except the police who supported the actions, but vowed to keep working to
maintain peace. This led to two opposing
sides in Winnipeg, the strikers and the owners, employers and leading citizens of Winnipeg. The strikers were led by the Central Striker Committee, who
only allowed some bankers, dairy workers and the electrical operators to remain
on their jobs. Almost every worker in the whole city was off the job to make
their point. Meanwhile, the opposition, calling themselves the Citizens’
Committee of One Thousand feared a repeat of the Bolshevik revolution. To combat
this, they did everything that could to stop the strike early on, except listening
to what the people really wanted. They banned parades and demonstrations, as
newspapers countrywide turned against the strikers. Then, the Winnipeg Citizen newspaper made the open
accusation of the strikers attempting to bring about a revolution. This,
alongside the growing unrest of the strikers alarmed the Canadian government
greatly, and caused them to change the Criminal Code. Now, any foreign-born Canadian citizen could
be arrested and deported without so much as a trial if it was thought they were
trying to cause a revolution. During this time, the government in Ottawa sent
in soldiers armed with machine guns, just in case it did break into violence. As the strike wore on into June, the families
began to experience more troubles, since no money was being made. This led to
some of the strikers returning to their jobs in the best interests of their
families. On June 17, Mounties raided the homes of the strike leaders as well
as the labour headquarters building, seizing documents and arresting 10 of the
leaders. After 37 days, the tensions
reached a climax on June 21st, a day that would later be known as
Bloody Saturday, on this day, a crowd gathered to watch a protest parade against
the arrest of the strike leaders, even though parades were banned events. The mayor
of Winnipeg panicked, and read out the Riot Act to the crowd, though his voice was drowned out by that of the crowd, then called in for the Royal North-West
Mounted Police for assistance. The crowd, growing agitated, tipped a streetcar
and set it alight. At this point, the Mounties charged in on horseback to try
and break up the crowd. When this failed, they fired their guns into the crowd,
causing them to rapidly flee the area. In the end, hundreds were arrested, one
was killed, and a number were wounded. By the end of the next five days, the Central
Strike Committee told the workers to go back to their jobs, and the strike was
over.
The Results of the Strike
The strike appeared to have failed in the eyes of many
workers. The leaders were arrested, families were in even worse shape
financially then before, and many workers were forced to sign “yellow-dog
contracts” upon return to work. These contract papers meant he workers would
not join a union to take part in any union activities. Some workers had it
worse, as they discovered they did not have jobs to return to, as their
employers fired them as soon as they returned. With the fall of the strike, any
hoped for One Big Union were shelved for 30 years, as bitterness between workers
and employers would last in Winnipeg for a long time. In July of 1919, the
Criminal Code was once again changed. Now, people trying to use violence to
bring social or economic changes could be searched without any warrants, and
sent to jail for up to 20 years. As well, anyone attending a strike meeting or
spreading literature for strikes could be charged with being part of an illegal
organization. These new rules would not be changed until 1936.
Some people did see positive results of the Winnipeg General
Strike in Canada. Many citizens began to have greater levels of appreciation
for the workers, seeing their importance in the community. Citizens realized
that the city would not be able to operate if it were not for the workers who
complete the low level and monotonous jobs that allowed the city to function. The
strike also brought attention to the social and economic problems that were
faced by many workers. A Royal Commission was set up to investigate what really
caused the strike. The man who headed the commission, H.A. Robson, came to the
conclusion that it was not an attempt to start a revolution, and was really
about high living costs, poor working conditions, and the extremely low wages.
Labour Leaders in
Government
Following the strike, many labour leaders found their way into politics, since they saw the only way to solve the problems in unemployment and the economy would be to have their say in the government itself. In the Manitoba provincial elections of 1920, four of the strike leaders were elected, while still serving their prison sentences! Some other leaders would also go on to serve in city governments as school trustees or councillors. In the 1921 federal election, J.S. Woodworth became the MP for Winnipeg North Center, and held this job until his death in 1941. Later on, he would also be the first leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), a political party made to support workers. A.A. Heaps was another strike leader to be elected federally.
Following the strike, many labour leaders found their way into politics, since they saw the only way to solve the problems in unemployment and the economy would be to have their say in the government itself. In the Manitoba provincial elections of 1920, four of the strike leaders were elected, while still serving their prison sentences! Some other leaders would also go on to serve in city governments as school trustees or councillors. In the 1921 federal election, J.S. Woodworth became the MP for Winnipeg North Center, and held this job until his death in 1941. Later on, he would also be the first leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), a political party made to support workers. A.A. Heaps was another strike leader to be elected federally.
Politics and Regional Protests
Upon the
resignation of Sir Robert Borden in 1920, Conservative member Arthur Meighen
was sworn in. Unfortunately for him, he
was now head of a country plagued by strikes and varying regional interests. French
Canadians were still upset over conscription, and were feeling alienated. A
group, Action Nationale, which was
led by Abbé
Lionel Groulx, spoke out that French culture had to be preserved. The French-Canadians
also wanted ownership over the hydroelectric and other large industries, were
opposed to foreign investment in Quebec and wanted to focus more on rural life
and values. In the Maritimes, many companies had moved to central Canada,
forcing workers out of jobs. Also, industries struggled due to high freight
rates, a declining demand for goods like fish and coal, and a crippled steel
industry. This led to the creation of a Maritimes Rights Movement which wanted
more subsidies, more trade through maritime ports, and high tariffs. A royal
commission looked into this in 1926, but the government only made small changes
based on their recommendations, leaving the main problems unresolved. In the
prairies, the wheat market had crashed, as Europe could not afford to buy
Canadian wheat with their post-war economies, leaving farmers short on cash.
They complained that high tariffs of farm equipment and high freight rates made
their operating costs too high, a problem they had faced since the early 1900’s,
though they had never seen reason to complain before. They felt that the
political parties were too busy with business interests in central Canada. Eventually
in 1920, the National Progressives party was formed, composed of farmers. One
of their beliefs was that people should have the right to propose laws and
remove MP’s who were not representing their concerns. They won 65 seats in the
1921 federal elections, second only to the victorious Liberals. This party would
quickly fall apart due to a lack of unification in major decisions, but farmer’s
parties would still stand for their concerns.
Soon came the
1921 federal election, which resulted in William Lyon Mackenzie King, grandson
of William Lyon Mackenzie who led the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837. King
would dominate the Liberal party and Canadian politics until he died in 1950.
King was not your average politician, as he was cautious, careful and shrewd. He
also was interested in spiritualism, and claimed to have talked with his dead
mother as well as important figures, like Laurier. His success was due to
listening to the people and only coming to decisions upon reaching compromises
with all interested groups.
Veterans and Social Support
Veterans returning from the war wanted a job with decent wage, and compensation for injuries. More than 70,000 injured or disables veterans returned to Canada post-war, and they received free medical care, but it was not enough. Many needed fake limbs, treatment for shell shock, or aid for visual impairments. Captain E.A. Baker returned to Canada blinded, but established the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in 1918. A job training program was made to help train veterans for employment, including the Soldier Settlement Act of 1919, which offered farming land to interested veterans. Even with pensions being given to deceased veteran’s families it was still hard to get by. The early 1920’s resulted in job-trained veterans unable to find jobs, which made the government raise pensions and add unemployment insurance. The War Veterans Allowance Act of 1930 gave pensions to veterans over 60 or who could not get jobs. The Pension Act was passed in 1927 due to the concerns of labour and farmer groups, and gave a $240 annual pension to people over 70. They had to have lived in Canada for at least 20 years, and were not eligible if they made over $365 a year. Home owners had to give their homes to the Pension Authority who sold it and used the money to pay the pension. Women had to be widows, and Aboriginals as well as people who were not British subjects were denied the pension.Aboriginal Political Movement
Aboriginal groups struggles to keep their cultures due to the Indian Act of 1876, which was aimed at assimilation. They were not considered independent, but were given housing and hunting rights, though the government really hoped for them to simply give up and assimilate. To help this, Residential Schools were set up to take in aboriginal youth and teach then the ‘white’ culture. These schools strictly enforced rules, and students were treated poorly, with connections to their families being broken. By the time residential schools were closed in the 1960’s, a generation had lost their vulture, and returned to poor conditions on reserves. In 1919, a Mohawk veteran, Frederick Loft, formed the League of Indians, an attempt to voice concerns of natives. They did not have a right to vote, and were faced with discrimination off of reserves. In the 1930’s the league expanded west, still working for better financial aid, control over reserves and full hunting rights. When aboriginals in BC tried to bring up land claims in the Privy Council of Britain, they were blocked by the Canadian High Commission. The government continued to oppress them, prohibiting them from raising money for land claims, restricting political rights and banning potlatch ceremonies. They would go on to seize sacred objects and continue t treat aboriginals poorly.Immigration
After WWI, immigration had slowed, but Canada was looking for British immigrants, and advertised itself as a land of opportunities. Foreigners were tuned back, and any let in had to pass an English literacy test, since the government wanted to assimilate them. Religious groups that had been given special treatment and avoided fighting in the war were looked down upon, and previous laws were overturned. These groups were not allowed to enter the country until the mid-1920’s. Asians were discriminated in the west, through lower pay, restrictions in jobs and no voting rights. July 1st, 1923 marked the Chinese Exclusion Act, banning all Chinese immigrants except students, diplomats and merchants. From then until 1947, only 8 Chinese immigrated. It was noted that immigrant farmers were moving to cities and adding to unemployment, so the government restricted European immigrants and Japanese.Economy on the Upswing
By mid-1920, the effects
of the war were diminishing and the economy was rising. Only coal was failing,
mainly due to hydroelectricity and oil industries.
Wheat on the Prairies
Huge wheat crops were grown from 1925 to 1928, and prices were climbing due to the recovery of Europe. Famers were buying tractors and machinery, replacing horses. Farmers made organization to find buyers for their products, giving them more profits in sales. Grain prices stayed at a high throughout the first part of 1929, adding to the benefits.
Huge wheat crops were grown from 1925 to 1928, and prices were climbing due to the recovery of Europe. Famers were buying tractors and machinery, replacing horses. Farmers made organization to find buyers for their products, giving them more profits in sales. Grain prices stayed at a high throughout the first part of 1929, adding to the benefits.
Pulp and Paper
Newsprint shot up to Canada’s second largest industry in the 1920’s, second only to agriculture. Across Canada, softwood forests were being cut down for newsprint, mainly being sold to America, who had used most if it’s own sources of wood for newsprint. The government had to step in to tell Canadians to keep some of their wood for their own newspapers. More wood was being sold from Canada than the rest of the world combined. This also meant the forests were being destroyed at an alarming rate, and workers were often following the paper routes into the USA to find more jobs.
Newsprint shot up to Canada’s second largest industry in the 1920’s, second only to agriculture. Across Canada, softwood forests were being cut down for newsprint, mainly being sold to America, who had used most if it’s own sources of wood for newsprint. The government had to step in to tell Canadians to keep some of their wood for their own newspapers. More wood was being sold from Canada than the rest of the world combined. This also meant the forests were being destroyed at an alarming rate, and workers were often following the paper routes into the USA to find more jobs.
Hydroelectric Power
Quebec and Ontario saw huge increases in hydroelectric power production in the 1920’s. Niagara Falls had been used since 1895, and now many rivers were being used as well. As electric appliances became more common, people steered away from coal to hydroelectric power, making Canada’s hydroelectric power second largest in the world.
Quebec and Ontario saw huge increases in hydroelectric power production in the 1920’s. Niagara Falls had been used since 1895, and now many rivers were being used as well. As electric appliances became more common, people steered away from coal to hydroelectric power, making Canada’s hydroelectric power second largest in the world.
Oil and Gas
The 1920’s was the ‘Oil Age’ all over Canada and North America. As cars were more common, people needed gas for them. People also used oil and gas for heating and cooking. This demand led to the search for hi ‘black gold’, and Alberta found its source in 1924. Turner Valley became home to one of the most productive oil wells, making millions of barrels of oil and vast amounts of natural gas. This raised interest and confidence in this industry.
The 1920’s was the ‘Oil Age’ all over Canada and North America. As cars were more common, people needed gas for them. People also used oil and gas for heating and cooking. This demand led to the search for hi ‘black gold’, and Alberta found its source in 1924. Turner Valley became home to one of the most productive oil wells, making millions of barrels of oil and vast amounts of natural gas. This raised interest and confidence in this industry.
Mining
Copper deposits in Ontario and Quebec were found, nickel in Sudbury was a huge business and BC had one of the largest lead and zinc mines worldwide. These deposits were growing mainly due to American investment.
Copper deposits in Ontario and Quebec were found, nickel in Sudbury was a huge business and BC had one of the largest lead and zinc mines worldwide. These deposits were growing mainly due to American investment.
Foreign Investment
British investors
were the biggest foreign investor in Canada at the start of the 20th
century. WWI slowed this, and American moved in to fill the gap, developing
branch plant system. This system gave the Americans majority of profits as all
important roles were taken over by the Americans. Though some Canadians liked
this, thinking it would help expansion, others saw it as a takeover of Canadian
industries by Americans.
Canada’s Growing Autonomy
Canada took steps
in the 1920’s toward full autonomy from Britain. The start had been WWI, where
it was seen that Canada could hold its own and come to help Britain. When King
became prime minister, he pushed for Canada’s autonomy.
1922 Chanak Affair
Britain got in a dispute with Turkey near Chanak, and requested Canada’s military support if the situation got worse. King said parliament would decide, as Canada was becoming more of an isolationist, wanting to steer clear of foreign problems. This was to show that Canada was becoming independent from Britain, compared to WWI, when Canada came running to Britain’s side. Canada was showing that its interests were different from that of Britain.
1923 Halibut Treaty
Canada made an agreement on the
halibut fishing season with the USA, but insisted that only Canadians sign off
on the paperwork. Normally Britain would sign as well, but King said no, and Canada
won its right to sign foreign treaties alone.
1926 King-Byng Crisis
Gov. General Byng refused to dissolve parliament for an election when requested by King. King called this ignoring of the advice of the government a breach of the principle of a responsible government, and would clear up the exact role of the Gov. General at the next Imperial Conference.
Gov. General Byng refused to dissolve parliament for an election when requested by King. King called this ignoring of the advice of the government a breach of the principle of a responsible government, and would clear up the exact role of the Gov. General at the next Imperial Conference.
1926 Balfour Report
At the Imperial Conference, King made the delegates discuss the powers of Dominions, and how they relate to Britain. They decided that would be self-governing, but would join the Commonwealth of Nations. These nations were equal in status to other countries, but still had allegiance to Britain. As well it was decided that the Gov. General was representing the Crown in Canada. However, Canada would now talk directly to Britain.
At the Imperial Conference, King made the delegates discuss the powers of Dominions, and how they relate to Britain. They decided that would be self-governing, but would join the Commonwealth of Nations. These nations were equal in status to other countries, but still had allegiance to Britain. As well it was decided that the Gov. General was representing the Crown in Canada. However, Canada would now talk directly to Britain.
1927/28 Foreign
Embassies
Canada opened an embassy in the USA in 1927, and made Vincent Massey the first foreign diplomat from Canada. In 1928, embassies were opened in France and Belgium as well.
Canada opened an embassy in the USA in 1927, and made Vincent Massey the first foreign diplomat from Canada. In 1928, embassies were opened in France and Belgium as well.
1931 Statute of
Westminster
December 11 marked the British parliament passing the statute, which recommended the rules of Balfour Law. With this, Canada became completely self-governing. The only two sections Britain had higher levels in were court, as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was higher than the Supreme Court of Canada. Also, provinces could not agree on amendments to the British North America Act, so Britain kept this power, and still has it to this day. Once provinces agree, this power will be given to Canada. Other than these two things, Canada was completely autonomous by 1931.
December 11 marked the British parliament passing the statute, which recommended the rules of Balfour Law. With this, Canada became completely self-governing. The only two sections Britain had higher levels in were court, as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was higher than the Supreme Court of Canada. Also, provinces could not agree on amendments to the British North America Act, so Britain kept this power, and still has it to this day. Once provinces agree, this power will be given to Canada. Other than these two things, Canada was completely autonomous by 1931.
In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.-Herodotus
Homework for this chapter
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