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Spanish Flu
Map of the Spanish Flu Massive epidemic after veterans returned home. The Spanish Flu killed over100 million people and 50 000 Canadians. The name of Spanish Flu came from the large amount of deaths in Spain and received greater media attention after it moved from France to Spain. The origin of this influenza was not known. It is thought to have originated in China. World War I did not cause the flu; the massive troop movements increased the transmission and increased the danger of the virus. -
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Winnipeg General Strike
More information on the Winnipeg General StrikeIt was one of the most massive strikes in Canadian history, 30 000 workers quit their job and went on strike. The workers were frustrated with the high unemployment rate after WWI. They wanted better wages of 85 cents/hr and better working conditions of less than 8 hours a day. On June 21, “Bloody Saturday”, strikers set a streetcar on fire and the police attacked the crowd. On June 26, the strike was called off cause of the violence. In result, workers went back to work without a pay increase. -
League of Indians
More information on Natives and the League of Indians The League of Indians was formed in Ontario by F.O. Loft in 1919. Loft was a returning veteran and a member of the Six Nations Reserve. His purpose was to promote solutions to common problems to natives across Canada. Such as loss of reserve lands, failure to recognize aboriginal land rights, restriction of native people's hunting and trapping rights, educational that eliminates native languages and culture, and poor economic and health conditions on reserves. -
Group of Seven
Group of Seven Paintings The Group of Seven was founded in 1920. The original artists in this group were Franklin Carmicheal, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Franz Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. Macdonald and F.H. Varley. Tom Thomson were supposedly be apart of the group but he died in 1917. The group was drawn together by frustration with the conservative and Canadian art. They tried to establish relationship between art and nature. The group encouraged generations of artists. The group disbanded in 1933. -
Prohibition
More information on Prohibition Prohibition is a law that bans selling and drinking alcoholic beverages because it was thought that alcohol caused violence. The Dunkin Act passed in 1864, which prohibited the sale of liquor closing legal drinking establishments. Prohibition caused Bootlegging, which was the illegal sale of alcohol as a beverage, and illegal drinking places rose dramatically. In 1920, British Columbia voted against prohibition and alcohol was sold legally through government stores through out the country. -
Prime Minister: Mackenzie King
More information on William Lyon Mackenzie KingMackenzie King was Prime Minister of Canada for a total of 22 years, and the longest serving Prime Minister. He was part of the Liberal Party of Canada. He created social programs such as unemployment insurance, welfare, old age pensions, and family allowance. He accomplished freer trade with United States. He led Canada through WWII and the conscription crisis. The Canadian Citizenship Act was also produced and Mackenzie King became the first Canadian citizen in 1947. -
Insulin
More information on Insulin Insulin was discovered by Frederick Banting and Charles Best at the University of Toronto. Although Insulin is not a cure, it is a life saving treatment for people suffering from diabetes. Insulin was discovered by tying a string around the pancreatic duct of several dogs. Several weeks later, all of the pancreas digestive cells died and absorbed by the immune system, leaving thousands of pancreatic islets. The protein from islets was isolated, and insulin was discovered. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
More information on the Chinese Exclusion Act Chinese workers helped to build the Canadian Pacific Railway in low wages and dangerous environments. The government put a head tax of $500 each person to discourage Chinese immigration. In 1923, Canada passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, banning all Chinese immigrants except for students, merchants, and diplomats because of racism, labors were no longer needed, and shortage of jobs. Only 8 Chinese immigrants entered Canada from1923-1947.The Chinese Exclusion Act officially ended in 1967. -
Persons' Case
More information on the Famous Five and Persons Case The Famous 5, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy and Irene Parlby from Alberta argued with the government whether women were qualified as “persons”. The Supreme Court of Canada replied "person" did not include females. Then they appeal to the British Privy Council and overturned the decision of the Supreme Court and they decided the word "person" did include females. The definition of "person" became an entrance to women's equality and rights. -
Black Tuesday
Canada's economy was growing rapidly in 1929. The stock market values were soaring and loans were easy to get. Then the market became unstable and investors became nervous and started selling stocks all at once, crashing the markets. Millions of people had no income and unemployment rose to 23%. Canada was pulled out of the Great Depression by WWII in 1939. Many soldiers were needed, and factories opened to manufacture supplies, creating more jobs. -
Five Cent Speech
More information on the Five Cent Speech William Lyon Mackenzie King campaigns "stability" and "democracy," gaining the position of prime minister. When the economy crashed, provincial government asked for relief funds. King delivers a disastrous speech in The House of Commons trying to show his concern about the Great Depression. He states, “would not give them a five-cent piece to those alleged unemployment purposes” and "it is the provinces' responsibility”. After this speech, King was thrown out of power. -
Prime Minister: R.B. Bennett
More information on BennettRichard Bedford Bennett promised to fight the Depression, which helped him win the election of the 11th Conservative Party Prime Minister. He tried many solutions, but they were not successful. He tried to persuade the British Empire to add new taxes, which helped the economy a little. He established relief camps that were not popular to Canadians. He came up with the “New Deal” but Canadians did not find it convincing, then the Liberals took over his position. -
Statute of Westminster
A British act that granted the freedom of Canada and other Dominions. The Imperial Conference declares that Britain and the Dominions were "equal in status" and worked towards changes in commonwealth’s legal system. The Statute of Westminster was finally passed by the British Parliament after the discussion with Canada's governments to alter the British North American Acts. Canada did not take up all the new powers of the statute until 1949, -
New Deal
More information on the "New Deal" The “New Deal” was put forward by Richard Bennett during the peak of Great Depression. He was hoping to get the economy on an up rise again. The “New Deal” includes progressive taxation system, a maximum work week, a minimum wage, closer regulation of working conditions, unemployment, health and accident insurance, a revised old-age pension and agricultural support programs. This policy didn't work and could not save Bennett's place in politics. -
On to Ottawa Trek
During the Great Depression, unemployed men were sick of the working conditions in relief camps. The men abandoned the camps and went on strike in Vancouver. They demanded work, wages and an end to government relief camps. They decided to take their case to Ottawa, hitchhiking onto trains. Sadly, their strike was brutally smashed by the police but their strike wasn’t lost. The new Liberal government came into power and felt the need to eliminate the camps.
