-
War Declaration
Britain Declared war on Germany and when this happened, since Canada was a part of the colony they were declared to war as well. This is what started the history of Canada. -
Battle of Somme
The Battle Of Somme in France was the most gruesome battle in the war that the Canadian/British army had gone through. Most of the Canadian troops were from Newfoundland and Labrador and had a very low population at the time and was even smaller with all the men in the war. The total amount of troops lost in this battle was about 57,540 men (both Canadian and British). The total distance the troops moved was about 11km and around 90% of Newfoundlands regiments were eliminated during battle. -
Voting Starts
The Wartime Elections Act "allowed female relatives of soldiers to vote and take part", and simultaneously took away the vote from Canadians who were born in an enemy country, or who spoke an enemy language. -
Treaty of Versailles
In the Palace of Versailles, France, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The armistice was established on November 11, 1918 at 11 AM. Robert Borden also got Britain to let the Dominion be represented as a separate nation at the meetings. Canada also joined the League of Nations separate from Britain. At the end of the war, Canada had gained international recognition and a sense of nationhood (the status of being a nation/national independence). -
General Strike
The Building and Metal Trades Councils in Winnipeg voted to go on strike. They asked for 3 things including, Decent wages ($0.85/hr)which is quite a bit during this time period, an eight-hour days, the right to bargain collectively for better working conditions. This strike quickly became a general strike and was now under the direction of the Central Strike Committee. -
The End of The General Strike
The general strike carried on for 37 days. On June 21st, 1919, a crowd of angry Canadians gathered to protest the arrests of the strike leaders. When the protesters turned violent and overturned a streetcar, the Mounted Police attacked the crowd and 1 person died, 30 more were injured. Many were arrested. This day was then forever known as Bloody Saturday. 5 days after this dramatic day, the general strike was over. -
First Nations
First Nations veterans had the right to vote, but only if they gave up their aboriginal status. Frederick Loft (a First Nations militant) wanted the government to let aboriginals keep their status and also have the right to vote. The League of Indians formed in 1919 giving aboriginals a united voice. In the 1920s and 1930s, many First Nations rights groups worked for better healthcare and education programs, better financial aid and control over their reserve areas. -
Diabetes Treatment
In 1921, a large number of the Canadian population had diabetes. In late 1922, Frederick Banting, an Ontario doctor, along with other medical researchers discovered a treatment for diabetes and named it insulin. This was a medical breakthrough achieved by Canadians that to this day is still being used. Insulin was effective in treating diabetes patients and the death toll from the illness decreased hugely. -
Balfour Report
The Balfour Report was brought to the attention in the Imperial Conference. This resulted in Canada and the other Dominions being declared self-governing and independent. This was the beginning of Canada's independence from Britain and achieving autonomy. -
Pension Act
The Pension Act was agreed upon to be passed in 1927, giving British subjects who were over 70 years of age a pension on $240 a year. Subjects earning more than $365 in income were not eligible for pension. Women received pension only if they were widows (a woman who has lost her spouse by death and has not remarried). Even though there were some restrictions, a small step had been taken towards social support programs.
