-
Prohibition
Canada banned the production, import & transportation of liquor across the country. Crimes were committed when people were drunk. Bootleg booze was when illegal liquor was made and it was sold by organized bootleggers. Rumrunners were people who went over the American border to sell the liquor. Eventually individual provinces stopped the law of prohibition. -
Spanish Influenza
Canadian soldiers who were coming back to Canada from the war carried a virus with them oversea. The Spanish Flu often led to Pneumonia caused by the weakness of the immune system. About 50,000 Canadians died from this epidemic, and to prevent it from spreading they closed down schools and churches. In 1919, the Federal Department of Health was created. They began to collect birth/death rates and infant mortality rates to understand about the public’s health concerns. -
Period: to
Canadian History 1920's & 1930's Timeline
-
Winnipeg General Strike
Workers, strikers and their friends and family went on strike in Winnipeg because they wanted better working conditions. They wanted to work only 8 hours a day, get 85 cents per day and have the right to bargain about their working conditions. This led to Bloody Saturday on June 21st. A few were killed and some were injured and many were arrested. On June 26th the strike was over and it had not worked. The workers had to sign a contract which says that they won't participate in union activities. -
Group of Seven
Seven talented painters came together and formed a group called The Group of Seven. They originally consisted of Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A. Y. Jackson, Franz Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J. E. H. MacDonald, and Frederick Varley. The Group of Seven is most famous for its paintings of the Canadian landsapes. Their first exhibition of paintings by the group was held on May 1920. They became very famous, but because their influences were so wide spread so they decided to separate in 1931. -
Insulin
Over 1 million people in North America had diabetes but they didn’t know how to treat it. Medical researcher, Frederick Banting believed that if he could somehow isolate the hormone in animals, he could treat diabetes patients with injections of it. J.R.R. Macleod let Banting use the reserach lab and he had the help of Charles Best. Soon they both discovered insulin, and it can help treat diabetes. -
Prime Minister Mackenzie King
Prime Minister Mackenzie King was the 10th Prime Minister of Canada from Dec 29 1921 to June 28 1926; Sept 25, 1926 to Aug 6, 1930; and again from Oct 23, 1935 to Nov 15, 1948. Mackenzie King's accomplishments are social programs such as unemployment insurance, old age pensions, welfare, and the family allowance, freer trade with the United States and Canadian Citizenship Act. Mackenzie King became the first Canadian citizen in 1947. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Since, immigration was a main issue in the 1920s the Canadian government did not want foreigners to come to Canada. July 1, 1923, is the day that the Chinese Exclusion Act came into effect. Canada only wanted British immigrants because they want everyone to have the same beliefs. They made it compulsory for the immigrants to pass an English literacy test. It wasn't until 1967 that the final elements of the Chinese Exclusion Act were completely eliminated. -
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)
The Royal Canadian Air Force of Canada was active from 1924-1968. The government thought that military planes could be used to deliver things from cities or countries in a quicker way, especially when it came to emergency situations. The RCAF was a big help because of the trained pilots. The national airline services were created and now flying to places around the world or to cities is extremely convenient. -
Persons Case
Women were not always considered "persons" in compared to men. Emily Murphy was the first woman judge in the British Empire and was questioned if she or any woman had the right to be judge. Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney and Nellie McClung (Famous 5) appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada and as a result, obtained rights similar to those of men. -
Black Tuesday
In the 1920’s people bought plenty of stocks when the price was low and then sold them when the price was high. Due to everyone selling their stocks, the market went down and eventually everyone became broke and owed money to banks. It occurred in the United States and Black Tuesday was a major event that led to the Great Depression. This also affected Canada because of trading. Many people lost everything, including their jobs, money, cars and houses. -
Prime Minister R.B. Bennett
Prime Minister Bennett was the General of National Services, he created The Relief Act in 1932, the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission and he was a Leader of Opposition. He was also a part of the Conservative Party. Bennett was too closely associated with the Depression. Since the unemployment rate was so high, the Relief Act provided unemployed single men with a subsistence living. -
Statute of Westminster
The Statute of Westminster was passed out by the British Parliament on Dec.11, 1931. It was granted to Newfoundland, New Zealand, Australia, the union of South Africa, and to the Irish. Canada was no longer under the control of the British by 1931. Canada became completely self-governing and was bounded by no laws other than its own. The British Empire wanted to give freedom to the countries and let them to be able to work on their own. -
New Deal
Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's "New Deal" promised a maximum work week, minimum wage, better working conditions, unemployment insurance, health and accident insurance, a revised old-age pension and agricultural support programs. He did this so the Conservative Party and he could . -
On to Ottawa Trek
The Depression of the 1930's caused unemployed men to feel that they were not paid enough. Men living in BC were unhappy with their working conditions. They wanted to be pair more than 20 cents a day. Prime Minister Bennett showed no sympathy and sent the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to turn them back and to stop the workers. Regina Riot broke out on July 1, 1935 causing injuries and death. -
SS. St. Louis
The MS St. Louis was a German ocean liner most notable for a single voyage in 1939. Gustav Schröder, the captain, tried to find homes for the 937 German Jewish refugees after they were denied entry to Cuba. St. Louis sailed from Hamburg to Cuba carrying refugees seeking asylum from Nazi persecution.
