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Indian Act
In 1876, Parliament passed this act to be able to take complete control of the First Nations reserves. However, the First Nations did not think they would completely give up their land, but they wanted to share the fruits of the land. Despite being handed these reserves, the government still cheated the Indigenous people. Even though they were given government funded healthcare and education, they lost the right to be able to govern themselves and vote; so their freedom was basically taken away. -
Xenophobia
Canada had displayed many forms of xenophobia in the past. For example in 1907, In British Columbia people who were from India were barred from voting. Another example is Black Canadian students experienced segregation in school and in theatres and this was acceptable in both Nova Scotia and Quebec. -
Spanish flu
Currently scientists believe that the flu (previously called the Spanish Flu) started in birds, got transferred to pigs then to humans. Humans then carried it to Europe and it spread quickly, soldiers that came back home to Canada in 1918 made it spread quickly across the region, and a global pandemic soon started. 50,000+ Canadians died -
Prohibition
Early 20th century - alcohol was blamed for many social problems; crime, family violence, public drunkenness & poverty. SO due to this, under the War Measures Act, the federal government enacted Prohibition; law against buying and selling alcohol-ban lasted a year after the war. People upset with this ban went to buy alcohol illegally and dangerously (from criminals). Many people crossed the borders to sell alcohol, they were called 'rum runners'. -
Immigration Policies
Xenophobia being very common in Canada, there were a strict set of policies set for people who could immigrate to Canada. The Immigration Act of 1919, banned people that: were from countries who sided with the Central Powers, were socialist/communist, illiterate. These immigrations didn't affect you if you were British, white or had a British sounding name. White Americans were also welcomed. -
Winnipeg General Strike
Members of the Winnipeg building trade unions went on strike when their employers refused to negotiate an increase in their wages. By May 15, 20,000 members of 94 unions were on strike. The Citizen's Committee of high class workers (businessmen, politicians etc.) portrayed the strike as foreigners trying to overthrow the government. After the RNWMP came to stop the strike, by June 17-25 many of the protestors where threatened with job loss. A strike leader was deported and others sent to jail. -
Old Age Pensions
Despite Canadians living longer by 1920, many old people were poor. More people lived in cities, and paid work for older people was scarce. Veterans received pensions but senior citizens received nothing. So J.S. Woodsworth and social reformers brought forward the Old Age Pensions Act (it was passed). Paid a maximum of $20 a month but could only be claimed if you were:
British aged 70+
lived in Canada for 20+ years and in their province for 5+ years
an annual income of less than $365 -
Insulin
A doctor called Frederick Banting and a professor named J.J.R. Macleod tested their theory that injecting insulin into a body could help treat diabetes. Then on the 23 of January in 1922 injected animal insulin into Leonard Thompson a 14-year-old diabetic and Thompson lived until his late 20's but then died of other diseases. -
Chinese Exclusion/Immigration Act
Chinese immigrants had been paying a head tax since 1885, and once they arrived both Chinese and Japanese people weren't allowed to vote. Then in 1923 the Chinese Immigration Act was passed. This meant that Chinese workers in Canada couldn't bring their families therefore their wives in China were left to raise their Children in poverty. -
Radio
Many Canadians bought radios since the technology improved and the prices fell. By 1928, some Canadian radio stations but 80% of Canadians listened to U.S. broadcasts. They listened to Canadian and imported drama, comedies, music and sports broadcasts. In 1927, Prime Minister Mackenzie King participated in Canada's first cross country broadcast when he addressed the country from Parliament Hill to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation. -
Child Labour Laws
Child labour was common but as Canada became more urban, children working on farms was uncommon and more children worked in factories, mills and mines. These jobs were poorly paid. Social reformers then campaigned to destroy child labour by making school attendance compulsory. 1929- Most Canadian provinces banned children under 14 from working in factories+mines. In 1911, 63% of 14 year old's attended school for any period of time, by 1931 it was 83%. -
Persons Case
End of 1919, most Canadian women were allowed to vote. By the British North America Act of 1867 stated that women weren't considered 'persons'. The famous five came together to fight against it, and at the time Supreme Court decisions could be appealed to the Privy Council in Britain, so the women went there and the privy councillors overturned the Supreme Court's decision and ruled that Canadian women are persons on October 18 of 1929. -
Wall Street Crash
Great Depression had many causes but the stock market crash (or the wall street crash) of 1929 was the biggest cause. The month before, people were selling their stocks on the New York, Montreal & Toronto exchanges since financial experts stated that the markets were "fundamentally sound". On Oct 4, the Toronto stock exchange lost $200 million in value but experts still reassured them. On Oct 24 stocks sold at less and Oct 28 value of shares on Toronto stock fell by $1million/minute. -
Residential Schools
Duncan Campbell Scott was one of the main advocates for assimilation and in 1920 said "I want to get rid of the Indian problem...". Scott believed that education was the key to assimilation and in 1920 Indigenous children from 7-15 were required to go to school hundreds and thousands of kilometres away from home. Only allowed to speak English, separated from siblings and friends and teachers were abusive, physically, sexually & emotionally. By 1931 there were 80 schools & about 150,000 attended. -
On-to-Ottawa Trek
1930's- young, unmarried men rode freigt trains in search for work.. 1932- General Andrew McNaughton a WW1 veteran suggested relief camps be set up in remote locations. Bennett followed this advice and the men did a lot of manual labour but were paid little and their living conditions were poor. April 1935- the men staged a walkout demanding higher wages, leaving the camps to hitch rides to Vancouver planning on going to Ottawa to take the case to the Prime Minister.
