The Interwar Years: Canada in the 1920’s (Part 2)
A) Society and Culture
1) Soldier’s Return: Soldiers returning from the horrors of WWI were faced with several
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obstacles and rude awakenings upon their return.
 _________________________________________ resulted in some Canadian
soldiers waiting years to get home.
 Soldiers returned home to find_______________________, inadequate medical
services for the wounded (physically and mentally), and few jobs.
 Many soldiers became _____________________towards a seemingly uncaring
and unappreciative government, for whom they had sacrificed so much.
Women’s Rights: Although the suffrage movement achieved remarkable advancement
during the previous decade, many issues still needed attention.
 Although ___________________________________________to the House of
Commons (Alberta, 1921), government was dominated by men.
 The Persons Case and the Famous Five: Although Emily Murphy was appointed
as a magistrate (judge) in Alberta in 1929, she was challenged on the basis that
only “persons” could hold this office under the law, and
that________________________________________________. Murphy and four
other advocates for women’s rights, nicknamed the “Famous Five”, appealed to
the ________________________and overturned the barbaric law.
 Most women were still excluded from high paying professions and jobs.
Arts and Leisure: As the _____________________________________through the
1920’s, Canadians celebrated the end of war and prosperity in a number of ways.
 Group of Seven: This __________________________developed a unique style
that captured the Canadian landscape. These men put Canadian art on the map and
heavily influenced generations of Canadian artists (Emily Carr).
 Many Canadians began to enjoy a variety of leisure activities due to increased
wealth,__________________________________________________.
Technological Advancements: The 1920’s witnessed amazing technological
improvement in transportation, communication, and__________________________.
a) Transportation: _____________and the assembly line – Henry Ford
b) Communication: Telephones were common and the invention of the
radio began to_____________________________________________.
c) Household Products: Items like the refrigerator, washing machine,
vacuum cleaner, etc., made everyday life a lot easier.
American Influence on Canadian Culture: Increased transportation,
communication and economic ties to the U.S._________________________________.
 American movies, music, clothing, fads, etc were enthusiastically adopted and
embraced by ____________________________(French-Canadians aside).
 Many of the first significant highways in Canada stretched_______________,
rather than east to west. American-Canadian contact increased dramatically.
B) Canadian Workers and the Economy
1) Post-War Economy: Many employers had grown extremely wealthy during the war,
and _________________had reluctantly agreed to reduce pay as their patriotic
contribution to the war effort. After the war, ____________________________, and
many workers suffered. For many families, wages no longer covered the cost of rent or
food. This situation led to_______________________________________________.
2) Workers Demands: There were three main demands of workers and unions:
a) ____________________: Increased pay was needed to afford the basics of life
b) ___________________________: health and safety or workers was neglected
c) ___________: workers wanted the right to join unions to protect their rights.
3) The Winnipeg General Strike, 1919: Tensions between workers, union leaders and
employers came to a head in the________________________________________.
 May 1919: Metal and building workers walked off the job. They demanded higher
wages, a shorter work week, and the right to_____________________.
 ___________________________________supported the workers and voted for a
general strike. 30,000 workers (many non-union) walked off the job.
 Winnipeg was crippled. There were no firemen, postal workers, telephone
operators, newspapers, streetcars, delivery drivers, etc.
 Citizen’s Committee of One-Thousand: Business leaders, politicians, and
industrialists joined together to _____________________________________
 The federal government intervenes: _______________________was amended to
deport foreign born union leaders. Many strike leaders were arrested.
 Bloody Saturday: Protest parade turned violent when strikers clashed with the
RCMP on June 21st. One striker died, thirty were injured, and hundreds were
arrested. This incident_________________________________________.
 Result: Initially the labour movement suffered significant setbacks, but eventually
the strike led to__________________________________________.
4) American Influence on the Canadian Economy: The 1920’s witnessed a dramatic
economic change in Canada, due to_________________________________.
 With Europe reeling from the devastation of WWI, the United States emerged as
the______________________________________.
 Branch Plants: Rather than lending Canadian businesses money, U.S. investors set
up _________________________________companies in Canada.
 Resources: The majority of Canadian raw materials (eg. pulp, oil, coal, minerals,
etc.) were exported to the U.S. These materials were then manufactured into
consumer products and____________________________.
 Bootlegging: As prohibition lasted much longer in the States than it did in
Canada, Canadian bootleggers made__________________________________.
 Tourism: Economic prosperity and improved transportation resulted in
American________________________________. Service jobs (hotels, resorts,
railways, etc.) flourished and in 1929 alone, Americans spent over $300 million
dollars in Canada.
 Although most Canadians celebrated this economic partnership, it was the
American economy that really_______________________________________.
The 1920’s is significant for a number of reasons, but one thing stands out; the
shift from British to American influence on the Canadian way of life.