-
The start of the war was seen by many people of colour as a place to prove that they were just as capable as a white man, and as a time for Canada to prove itself as a country. It was also the start of a great loss of life and brought damage to our country. This would still be a decline but something was gained from it. Image from Link text -
During the war immigrants from enemy countries were deemed “Enemy Aliens” and were put in internment camps. They were forced to build roads and dig ditches. The same law that gave women the right to vote took it from these men. And even after the war they still faced adversity, as many who had jobs were forced out so returning soldiers could work, most famous was the Anti-Greek riots. The poor treatment of these people was definitely a time of decline Image from Queens University Archives. -
Seen by many English Canadians as a way to enforce what they thought was a Canadian's duty. They were happy conscription was introduced. On the other side, the French were furious that they were being forced to fight in a war they felt they weren't part of, and the anti-violence groups were upset that they were expected to go against their beliefs. Although some saw this as a good thing, the decline it brought to other groups was larger. Image from The Canadian War Museum -
This was the end of great bloodshed, and soldiers were finally able to go home, but it also was the start of great racism fueled by unemployment. Unemployment would have been bad before the war, but now that cost of living had increased it became even worse. There was progress and decline because of this event, and neither one outweighs the other, meaning this was neither progress nor decline. Image from Evening Standard; WW1 books to read for Remembrance Day: What happened after the Armistice. -
Buildings in constant disrepair, cultural suppression, abuse, and malnutrition were in almost every residential school in Canada. The strict rules of these schools led many children to being unable to understand family, and in later years, they were unfit parents because they didn’t know how to care for their children. The atrocities these schools committed and the generational effects they had make this a period of great decline. -
New to Canada the at the time automobile has since been a great help to people worldwide. When they started making them in Canada it brought many jobs to the residents of the towns, it also opened new locations to families. These early cars were bad on gas though and we have now realized they have caused much harm to the environment. Although there was some downsides to the car it started a new era. Image from The Montreal Gazette April 16 1921 -
Before this, diabetes was a death sentence, since to live for as long as possible you had to starve yourself. Although it had been tried many times, Banting and his associates were the first to make a successful treatment for diabetes. It was sent worldwide for free. There was great progress for Canada and the world with this discovery. Image from the University of Toronto Archives. -
When the Act was passed, it barred all new Chinese immigrants except for diplomats or students from entering the country. All of the Chinese people in Canada couldn’t be out of the country for longer than two years. This act caused a lot of harm and is therefore a large decline. Image from B.C. Saturday Sunset newspaper -
After the Winnipeg General Strike, there were many strikes. Mainly in coal mines were decreases in coal prices lead to wage reductions, but overall the economy experienced an increase. This is the reason the time was called the Roaring Twenties, but this prosperity only affected some. Image from Archives of Manitoba -
Emily Murphy’s ability to be a judge was questioned based on a reference to “any person may work in Canadian court” being applied to men only, so she got four other women and went to the Supreme Court of Canada to ask if “person” referred to both men and women. They fought until the British Privy Court overturned the Supreme Court's decision of no. The outcome of their efforts was a big step forward in equality and emboldened other women to make changes. Image from Library and Archives Canada