Roaring Twenties and Dirty Thirties Chapter 2 Roaring Twenties

Foster Hewitt

A Historic Broadcast

In 1923, Foster Hewitt (a legendary announcer) broadcasted a play-by-play of his first hockey game. There was no one in sports with radio experience, causing Hewitt to be the most qualified man for the job. In 1931, Hewitt called his first “Hockey Night in Canada” game in Maple Leaf Gardens. He was famous for his excited words “He shoots! He scores!”

New Inventions

The world suddenly shrunk in the 1920s. New inventions such as the radio, the automobile, and passenger travel by air made distances between people seem small. They provided enjoyment for the majority of Canadian citizens. World War I had taken its toll on the nation’s people, which made them ready to add excitement to their lives.

The Radio

A family gathers around one of the greatest inventions of the
century: the radio

The most noteworthy form of communication in the 1920s was the radio. It provided entertainment and news to both urban and rural areas within Canada. Farmers remained in touch with events that took place in cities. Most importantly, the radio was inexpensive. The first radio used a crystal (a piece of quartz) and a wire whisker (which would be rubbed on the crystal) to tune into a signal. Sound quality was usually poor, so earphones were used to listen to broadcasts. Soon enough, these radios were replaced by radios built within wooden cabinets. Tubes took the place of the crystal and speakers were used instead of earphones. This ran on batteries. In 1925, Ted S. Rogers discovered a method of using electricity within the household to power radios. Rogers established a radio station in Toronto in 1927. Before hand, in 1919, Guglielmo Marconi set up the very first commercial radio station in Montreal. By 1929 Canada had 85 broadcasting stations, which caused radio to be a major source of entertainment and news in people’s lives.

The Automobile

An affordable car, the Model T

In order to create an inexpensive automobile, Henry Ford developed an assembly line for mass production. At first, workers moved along the line to add parts to the vehicles. Eventually, conveyor belts were developed so workers could remain in one place and still add parts to each of the automobiles. Due to division of labour (giving workers separate jobs from one another) and using standard parts for each car, Ford was able to produce the “Model T” at a reasonable price ($395). The wealthy were not the only people that could afford an automobile. This invention forever changed rural life. Farmers could now travel to urban cities for goods, transport their children to schools with ease, or quickly drive the sick to hospitals. They became less isolated. Cars also became known as status symbols. They provided a sense of individuality and glamour (since celebrities drove cars). However, many were difficult to use. Cars usually failed in winter weather, causing the need for a crank and tow rope. Many citizens simply avoided driving in the cold because the engine would seize up. Despite the frustration associated with cars, Canada became the second largest automobile manufacturer in the world (after the United States). Due to competition from American companies, small Canadian automobile industries were forced to sell their businesses. As a result, three new corporations took control of car manufacturing in Canada. They were known as General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford. Canada’s automobiles were exported to both the United States and other nations within the British Empire. Automobiles also had a positive effect by causing “spin-off” industries to spring up. Cars created a need for gasoline, rubber, glass, asphalt, oil, paint, service stations, and road-side motels and diners. Money was spent on new roads and bridges. Tourism was also possible because automobiles were an easy form of transportation. Unfortunately, cars have had negative impacts as well. They affect the environment through pollution and are a major cause of traffic jams, deaths, and crime.

Aviation

Aviation was a large part of the 1920s

Citizens that were pilots during the war were excited to return to Canada and continue flying. Many attended fairs and carnivals to perform shows for spectators. Others became bush pilots for oil and mining companies in order to transport supplies and even people across Canada. In 1924, the Royal Canadian Air Force was established. The government thought that military planes and pilots should be used to maintain peace. Pilots soon kept an eye out for forest fires and smugglers and also checked on naval ships along the coasts. Airplanes were used to transport mail as well. Aviation showed real value after it was used to save the lives of citizens within the Peace River area of northern Alberta. Wilfrid May (a war ace) flew with a copilot to transport medicine to treat a diphtheria outbreak that was plaguing the communities. They were successful in performing the first mercy flight. Soon enough, citizens became interested in long-distance air travel. Since carrier planes were transporting mail and packages across the country, many thought that passenger air travel was possible. This was especially because of Charles A. Lindbergh, who flew non-stop from New York to Paris. American investors viewed this as a possible way to connect Canada and the United States, while countries within the Commonwealth of Nations wanted a British worldwide network. Finally, C.D. Howe (the Minister of Transport) formed Trans-Canada Airlines in 1937.

Urbanization

The amount of citizens involved in the rural way of life began to decline in the 1920s. Farm machinery replaced the need for a high amount of farmers, while land became increasingly inexpensive. Freight rates also rose and poor wheat crops caused more people to move from the Prairies to the cities. Meanwhile, in the Maritimes, new inventions like the refrigerator and motor boat replaced the need for fishers. Many were forced to move west to cities in Central Canada to find work. The economic boom in urban areas also caused cities to grow. Montreal increased by 38 percent, Toronto grew by 32 percent, and Vancouver grew by 48 percent. Vancouver eventually became the third largest city in Canada through the opening of the Panama Canal (a passage that allowed ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Buildings became notably larger as well, such the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (which became housed in a 32 storey building). Finally, suburbs were developed since citizens wanted to live on open green spaces. They could afford to live far away from their place of work because of automobiles.

A chart about urbanization in the twentieth century

Fads, Fashions, and American Influences

Flappers; this was an outrageous fashion for women

Canadian citizens became known for quickly following the latest fads and fashions. Many saw it as a way to escape the war years, which drained the energies and happiness of the people. The origin of fads in Canada was primarily the United States. Advertising of American products, goods, fashions, and movies was common across North America. Though the United States had a major influence, others did not necessarily like how America was shaping the lives of Canadians. One common fad in the 1920s was the Chinese game mahjong. This was a game that involved cards and dominoes and was extremely popular. However, people had moved on to the crossword puzzle by 1927. The American publishers Simon and Schuster had introduced the crossword puzzle, causing it to be the new fad. This period of time also involved a constant desire to establish records for kissing, drinking, and other marathons. The most popular, however, was dancing. Couples danced non-stop in order to win thousands of dollars, sometimes to the point where they dropped dead. Fashion also played a major role in the world of fads. Women adopted the flapper look. They sported unbuckled galoshes, short hair, knee-high skirts, and rolled down silk stockings. Men decided to dress in leather jackets, baggy pants, and colourful hats. Though fads had an influence on the population, most people just admired those brave enough to follow them from far away.


Entertainment

The Charleston

Black culture experienced new life in the 1920s. A form of music of Jazz (made famous by musicians such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong) originated in New Orleans and was brought to Canada. A dance known as the Charleston was also rooted in Black culture. Another famous aspect of entertainment was silent movies. Actors such as Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, and Greta Garbo were famous on the big screen. One star that was born in Canada was Mary Pickford. She was not only a talented actor but also a successful businesswoman, as she started United Artists with Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith. Movies began to increase in popularity and there were soon 900 movie houses in Canada. Though this American form of entertainment influenced Canada through a company known as Famous Players' (which took over movie houses), Canadian actors also became a major part of entertainment in America.

Canadian Culture


Another form of entertainment/culture that began to dominate Canada was art. Many citizens were becoming increasingly interested in paintings, especially the paintings created by the group known as the Group of Seven. To support love of entertainment, organizations and schools that revolved around this field of interest were established. An example was the Canadian Authors' Association, which was created in 1921.

The famous artists, the Group of Seven

Women in the 1920s

Women still experienced discrimination in the 1920s. Despite winning the right to vote during the war, few women had been elected to provincial governments. The only female politician after the 1921 federal election was Agnes Macphail, and she was constantly insulted by her male peers. Traditionally, women had been homemakers, secretaries, servants, clerks, and/or factory workers. Their wages ranged from 54 percent to 60 percent of what men earned. It was even more difficult to obtain a job for women of ethnic minority groups. Chinese, Japanese, and Black women could not find jobs outside their own communities.

The Famous Five, a group for women's rights 

The Persons Case

The Persons Case was one of the first cases in Canadian history advocating for the rights of women. Emily Murphy had become the first judge in the British Empire and was given a position on the Alberta court. One day a lawyer stated that she had no right to judge because she was a woman. The Supreme Court of Alberta backed Murphy up, but this did not settle the dispute. For several more years, the question revolved around if women could be considered “people”. In 1927, Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Henrietta Edwards, Irene Parlby formed the “Famous Five”. They petitioned the Supreme Court of Canada, which unfortunately decided that women were not “people”. Afterwards, the “Famous Five” took their case to the Privy Council in Britain. The Privy Council eventually did decide that women were “people”. The first woman to receive a position seat was Cairine Wilson.

Sports in Canada

Edmonton Grads: the best women's basketball team
in the world

Sports were also a major aspect of the 1920s. It was an age of sports heroes, such as the amateur sprinter Percy Williams, who won two gold medals at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. For the first fifty years of the twentieth century, the most famous Canadian athlete was Lionel Conacher. This individual constantly won medals and trophies in baseball, football, lacrosse, hockey, boxing, and wrestling. His accomplishments included winning the 1922 Grey Cup game and the Ontario Lacrosse Championship. Sports also became partially dominated by women as well. It was in the 1920s when it was finally considered acceptable for women to play contact sports. One of the first sports played by women in Canada was basketball. A team known as the Edmonton Grads dominated women's basketball between 1915 and 1940. They represented Canada in the Olympics and lost only 20 of 522 games. James Naismith (the inventor of basketball) stated that this team was the greatest basketball team of all time. One of the greatest female athletes of all time was Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld. She won a silver medal and a gold medal in the Amsterdam Olympics and dominated a wide range of other sports. Unfortunately, the golden age of women's sports did not last long. Citizens argued that women were "biologically unfit" to play sports. This glory would not be taken back until in 1960s.

Professional Sports


With urbanization taking a hold of Canada, there was an increase of popularity in the world of professional sports. This called for bigger arenas and stronger ties with the United States. Canada formed the National Hockey League in 1917. At first there were only Canadian teams, but American teams such as the Boston Bruins soon joined in 1925. The NHL became the largest hockey league in Canada. Most of the players were Canadian, even when there were only two teams from Canada left in 1939 (Montreal and Toronto).

All war is deception-Sun Tzu

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