-
Dead and Wounded Soldiers, Social Change (-1)
During WWI, approximately 61 000 Canadian soldiers died, more than 172 000 were wounded, 3462 had an amputated limb, and over 9000 reported to struggle from "shellshock". The sacrifices of the brave soldiers contributed greatly to Canada's independence and autonomy, and recognition in the world. Though the sacrifices Canada made in WWI allowed Canada to gain independence, the deaths and casualties of thousands of Canadian soldiers were not worth the autonomy gained. -
PT2: Dead and Wounded Soldiers, Social Change (-1)
The death and wounds of soldiers as a result of WWI caused decline for Canada, as Canada goes down in numbers, and many families lost their loved ones. -
PT2: Conscription, Social and Political Change (-1)
In the end, only 24,132 men served overseas, of the 401,882 men that were registered for conscription. Though Prime Minister Borden deemed the conscription to be necessary for Canada's military, put into perspective, this act caused more damage and divide between Canadians than it did aid the country. The conscription caused unintended decline for Canada by harming the relations of Canadians. -
Conscription, Social and Political Change (-1)
In 1916, Prime Minister Borden observed numerous deaths and casualties of Canadian soldiers on the battlefield. The following year, this led the federal government to enact the Military Service Act, which enlisted men aged 20-45 in the call-up to serve overseas. The conscription caused conflict and division between French-Canadians who predominately opposed conscription and English-Canadians who supported this act.
This act was also accompanied by angry protests in Quebec. -
Sluggish Postwar Economy, Economic Change (-2)
After WWI, Canada was left with a severely struggling economy. Canada's debt had skyrocketed to $1.2 billion, four times as much as it was prior to the war. Many factories and manufacturing orders shut down. In addition, the return of thousands of soldiers meant a surplus of workers and higher rates of unemployment. Wages were low, working conditions were poor, and the cost of living only rose. In response to the poor living conditions, protests were held, like the Winnipeg General Strike. -
Roles of Women in Society, Social Change (-1)
After what seemed like progress for the roles of women in WWI, then end of the war revealed that women still continued to be publicized as inferior to men. On the return of soldiers, all women in the workforce were told that they were no longer needed, and to quit their jobs, so that the positions could be handed over to men. Women had to resume their traditional roles in society, but even if a woman stayed in the workforce, her wage would be significantly lower than male wages. -
Spanish Flu Epidemic, Social and Economical Change (-2)
Between 1918 and 1920, Canada was devastatingly struck by outbreaks of the Spanish flu. This virus was very contagious and deadly, and the lack of extreme measures to prevent spread caused the epidemic to kill more than 55 000 Canadians. The loss of Canadians from the flu, only worsened the impacts of the 60 000 who died in WWI; leaving many Canadian families without a primary wage worker, and thousands of children orphaned. This outbreak only sparked more issues for postwar Canada. -
Anti-Greek Riots, Social Change (-2)
During this period, "enemy aliens" in Canada received a lot of hate from society. The Anti-Greek Riots in Toronto give a clear example of the violence they faced. When soldiers returned from WWI, many Canadians were not pleased to see "enemy aliens" living and working peacefully. This sparked riots in Toronto, where 400 rioters participated in attacking 15 Greek restaurants; while Greek people were all falsely assumed to be pro-German. Police arrested 15 rioters, with 6 of which being veterans. -
PT2: Roles of Women in Society, Social Change (-1)
The lack of change in the roles of women in society show decline in Canada in the sense that women continued to be treated unequally to men. -
PT2: Sluggish Postwar Economy, Economic Change (-2)
Canada's sluggish postwar economy represents decline in Canada, while the weakening of the economy left fewer jobs and opportunities for Canada, and brought worse living conditions. -
PT2: Prohibition, Social Change (-2)
"... an unjust law. I have a right to violate it if I can get away with it... I shall do it in business until I get caught. Am I a criminal because I violate a law that the people do not want?" - Rocco Perri (infamous bootlegger) in Toronto Star interview in 1924. The prohibition in Canada unintentionally caused decline between Canadians and their government, as many Canadians felt resentment towards them. -
PT2: Spanish Flu Epidemic, Social and Economical Change (-2)
The Spanish Flu Epidemic brought decline for Canada, as it ultimately made living conditions for Canadians worse -
PT2: Anti-Greek Riots, Social Change (-2)
The Anti-Greek Riots is just one example of the mistreatment of "enemy aliens" in Canada during this period. These riots show major decline in Canada, as there is violence seen, relationships between Canadians are worsening, and not all Canadians are treated equally -
Prohibition, Social Change (-2)
In 1918, the federal government enacted prohibition under the War Measures Act. This enactment banned the production and selling of liquor for Canadians. Many Canadians were not pleased. Instead, this prohibition triggered a rise in illegal liquor-manufacturing and selling, allowing bootleggers to make a great profit. Quebec also saw a spike in drug deaths, it was argued that the prohibition led Canadians to turn to more dangerous substances like drugs. The prohibition caused unexpected decline. -
Winnipeg General Strike, Social Change (-1)
From May 15 to June 20, 1919, Canada faced its biggest strike, the Winnipeg General Strike. More than 30 000 workers walked out on their jobs in response to the poor working conditions. This caused so much commotion that factories, shops, transit, and city services in the area shut down. Violence was seen, with arrests, injuries, and the deaths of two protesters. Though the main goal was not immediately achieved, the protest united Canadian workers through one common goal. -
PT2: Winnipeg General Strike, Social Change (-1)
In the end, the main goal was not immediately achieved, and workers returned to work on June 25, 1919 (some were fired), with no change in the working conditions or wages. 17 of the Winnipeg General Strike leaders were fired. Though there was no progress in the strikers' jobs, the protest united Canadian workers through one common goal. The Winnipeg General Strike presents decline in Canada, clearly revealing that well-paying jobs were not available to Canadians. -
PT2: Residential Schools, Social Change (-2)
The purpose of residential schools was to assimilate First Nations youth into Euro-Canadian culture, as they were limited to speaking only English, and could not practice their beliefs. To this day, the profound impacts of these government-run schools affect Canada's First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. The damage that residential schools caused the First Nations in Canada shows decline, as they were not free to embrace their cultures. -
Residential Schools, Social Change (-2)
Throughout this time period, and many other decades, First Nations in Canada were discriminated against for their culture. An event that depicts the severity of this discrimination is the sending of First Nations children to residential schools. In 1920, under the Indian Act, it became mandatory for First Nations aged 4-16 to attend residential schools. In these facilities, students were physically, psychologically, and sexually abused, and forced to forget much of their identities. -
PT2: Chinese Head Tax, Social Change (-2)
In addition, under the Chinese Immigration Act, all Chinese immigrants in Canada had to repay taxes if they leave the country for more than two years. The discrimination towards Chinese immigrants in Canada presents a decline in Canada, as society was not fair nor free. -
Chinese Head Tax, Social Change (-2)
The Chinese Head Tax was an act that evidently discriminated against Chinese immigrants in Canada. From 1885 to 1923, all Chinese immigrants were forced to pay a large fee to enter. The fee began at $50, but by the time it ended in 1923, Chinese people were paying $500, with the total amount paid to be $23 million. The discrimination continued after its repeal, as in the same year, 1923, the Chinese Immigration Act was enacted, excluding Chinese from entering Canada.
