THE CHANGING FACE OF CANADA
SOCIAL CHANGES DURING THE COLD WAR ERA
Arranged By Brandon Eaglesham
Elvis
Presley
=
The King
of Rock
and Roll
The Beatles = The Fab Four
Marilyn
Munroe
=
The Sex
Symbol
James
Dean
=
The
Rebel
Without
a Cause
Jimi Hendrix = The Experience
The Everyday Life?!
The Burbs
(aka
Suburbia)
CANADA WAS A CHANGING
Three words describe the 1950s and
1960s in Canada:
BOOM
GROWTH
PROGRESS
BABY BOOM
See date to right
• Population boom- families had 3 or 4 children
• 6.7 million children were born in Canada between 1946 and
1961, making up almost one third of the population
• Baby boomers (influence culture and economy—think of
present-day retirement rates and the influence this will have
on Medicare and old-age pensions)
• More schools, institutions, and products created to cater to
UNCLE LOUIS’ EXPANSION OF SOCIAL ALLOWANCES
PM Louis St. Laurent – 1948-1957
His government expanded federal social welfare
programs:
Increased old age pensions and family
allowances
established hospital insurance
(a precursor to universal Medicare)
Other important things:
Appointed the first Canadian-born GG
helped bring Newfoundland into the confederation
Gave Canada more autonomy by making the highest
court the Canadian supreme court
enabled us to change our constitution without
British approval
SUBURBIA
•
•
•
•
Population growth=Demand
for housing=Housing
developments
(similar/cheaper housing
solutions)
Cheap land encouraged big
houses on large lots with lawns,
patios, even swimming pools.
Suburban subdivisions
became “bedroom
communities” with their own
schools, parks and churches.
Importance: Where do you
live?
AGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE
•
•
1950s Canadians fell in love with cars and bought 3.5 million of
them
Represented: fascination with technology, progress, security, and
personal freedom  also enables for suburbia as cars enable
commute
WOMEN IN THE FIFTIES
• Traditional middle-class
family, with a stay-at-home
mom
• Father breadwinner
• Long, full skirts and high heels
emphasized femininity
• New gadgets popular:
toasters, floor polishers
• Women resented suburban
life
Women’s Position
TEEN CULTURE
•
•
•
•
Baby boomers spent more time in school than earlier generations.
Invention of the “teenager”
Rock n’Roll became a favourite- it was banned in many places
Elvis Presley’s onstage hip-swiveling was called obscene
TV AND CONSUMER SOCIETY
•
Encouraging people to buy more products (consume)ie. bigger
cars, Barbie dolls, Davy Crockett hats
VOICES OF WOMEN
When PM Diefenbaker accepted the BOMARC Missiles into Canada and we later found out that
they were designed to hold nuclear warheads the Canadian public became deeply worried
1960 – A columnist at the Toronto Star, Lotta Dempsey urged women to join together in
opposition
the idea received massive amounts of support from women across the nation.
Women all across Canada held the banner for their voice against this issue
Maryon Pearson, wife of then-opposition leader, Lester B Pearson (who was leading the fight
in parliament against nuclear weapons in Canada
Dief decided to get rid of the nuclear parts of the missiles in 1962
but in a startling turn of events Pearson did an about face and decided we should have
nuclear weapons, flabbergasting the Voices of women society
1963 election was decided on this issue, Pearson won with a minority
first election decided because of a direct US issue.
To this day the Voices of Women society works on issues locally and nationally on issues of peace,
social justice and human rights.
Mavis Wiley was one of hundreds of Canadian women who wrote Dempsey
letters of support.
"If you are going to scream loud and hard about the world situation right now, let
me join you. But let us not scream alone, let us urge the women of the world to
join us."
http://www.cbc.ca/history/EPISCONTENTSE1EP15CH1PA4LE.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_for_Nuclear_Disarmament
http://www.toxipedia.org/display/wanmec/Therese+Casgrain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_for_Nuclear_ Disarm ament
Map of nuclear-armed states of the world. NPT-designated nuclear weapon states
(China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States)
Other states with nuclear weapons (India, Pakistan, North Korea)
Other states believed to have nuclear weapons (Israel)
NATO nuclear weapons sharing states (Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Turkey)
States formerly possessing nuclear weapons (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, South
Africa)
CBC RADIO
National radio station set up in 1932 (was then
called the CRBC, later changed in 1936)
during the great depression as a distraction
from the despair.
By the 1950’s the station had grown and was now
in charge of a TV station (more on that in a
few slides)
NFB? – NATIONAL FILM BOARD-1939
National Film Board used to produce and distribute Canadian audiovisual
works IN order to protect Canadian culture!
http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/arts-entertainment/film/general-17/a-star-isborn-the-nfb-makes-its-debut.html
MASSEY COMMISSION
Children of the 1950s grew up identifying more with
American culture and values
1949
Massey Commission:
Investigate Canadian culture -> must protect our culture
from US
CBC TELEVISION
1952
CBC National radio network in-charge for development of TV
By 1960, 90% of Canadian homes had a television and access to CBC
Promoting Canadian culture through TV (Hockey Night in Canada)
How many people watch CBC?
Is it doing a good job of protecting / promoting Cdn culture?
CCA? – CANADIAN COUNCIL OF THE ARTS
Gov’t funded universities and the arts- Canada Council for the Arts was
created which awarded grants to writers, artists, and theatres.
CRTC? – CANADIAN RADIO-TELEVISION
TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
1968
Federal government introduces Canadian Radio-Television
and Telecommunications Commission -- > Regulate
foreign material broadcasted over the airwaves and
impose rules requiring Canadian content.
Each of theses measures encouraged the growth of arts and
culture in Canada and had a profound effect on
Canadian identity.
http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/blog/2013/10/09/crtc-says-70-of-ourclothing-needs-to-broadcast-canadian-content/
http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/artsentertainment/media/ruling-the-airwaves-the-crtc-andcanadian-content/does-watching-american-tv-makeyou-less-canadian.html
http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/artsentertainment/media/ruling-the-airwaves-the-crtc-andcanadian-content/topic---ruling-the-airwaves-the-crtcand-canadian-content.html
POST WAR IMMIGRATION
1950’s – 1960’s we had a restrictive immigration policy.
Preferred European’s specifically British as it was thought that
they would adapt the easiest
After World War II about a million veterans returned home from
overseas and many of them were bachelors who got married
and brought back war brides
Canada only accepted 165000 displaced persons (refugees from
camps, concentration camp survivors and others uprooted by
the war)
Immigrants settled in central and Eastern Canada
1945 – 1960 over 2million immigrants came to Canada
1956 – Emigrants from Hungary who were escaping the red stain
of communism were allowed entry into Canada because the
governments had to relax the immigration laws
NEW FLAG!
 1965
 Debate over symbols used
 The Red Ensign was too British to be the symbol of
modern Canada
 Caused rift between French and English Canadians
A Part Of Our Heritage - Flag Committee Room –
YouTube
http://mentalfloss.com/article/50022/11-rejectedcanadian-flag-designs
http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/politics/langua
ge-culture/flag-designer-recalls-controversy.html
Canada’s centennial (100th birthday) 1867-1967)
Got the expo because the soviet’s couldn’t fund theirs and it was awarded to Canada
Division of English and French Canada
Charles de Gaulle goes to the expo to make a speech and says “long live a free
Quebec “ at the CANADIAN expo upsetting English Canadians
MONTREAL EXPO
CHALLENGING SOCIAL VALUES
Diefenbaker introduced the Canadian Bill of Rights 1960
These human rights included:
 Freedom of liberty, security, of person, and the enjoyment of
property
 The right to equality before the law and its protection
 Freedom of speech
 Freedom of assembly and association
CANADA & THE ERA OF PROTEST
Teen culture:
Anyone over 30 was not to be trusted.
Looking to change outdated traditions.
CANADA & THE ERA OF PROTEST
Counterculture:
Young Canadians against “The Establishment.”
The Establishment = people who controlled the
government, large businesses and institutions in
general.
THE ERA OF PROTEST:
RIGHTS
Over rights for Aboriginals Peoples and Black/African
Canadians.
Demonstrated for their rights and over nuclear arms,
American interference in Canadian affairs, and the
Vietnam War, land claims and Aboriginal rights.
CANADA: THE WOMEN’S
MOVEMENT
Women’s Liberation/Rights Movement:
1960s.
Women (and some men) sought changes in
employment practices, life choices, and politics.
YOUTHQUAKE!!
1960s
 YOUTHQUAKE
 Baby boomers have grown up.
 Influence pop culture and are
influenced by it.
Goals:
 Against:
 Mainstream society
 Consumerism
 War in Vietnam
 Racism
 Popular music reflected these
concerns. (Bob Dylan, the Beatles,
the Rolling Stones.
 Showed that young people were
becoming more politically aware.
 In 1972, voting age was lowered
from 21 to 18.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqC_G
ma221M
Beatles Revolution
Women’s Movement and
Rights
1960s
• Feminism
• Equality in political, social, and economic fields
• 1967 PM Lester Pearson’s government set up the Royal
Commission on Women’s Rights Commission on the Status of
Women
• right to choose to work outside the home
• provide day cares
• 1977 = laws on equal pay for equal work passed.
• Paid maternity leaves from their jobs (1976)
• stop discrimination against women in society (law in ‘70)
Rights
• Unions supported Womens’ rights-Postal Workers union was
the first to give paid maternity
OMNIBUS BILL AND BEYOND
 In 1969, PM Pierre Trudeau
passed Bill C-150 (Omnibus
Bill)
 Major changes in social
legislation included:
Recognizing the right of
women to have access to
contraception
Recognizing the right to
abortion
Legalizing homosexuality
between consenting adults
IMMIGRATION & THE MULTICULTURALISM ACT OF
1988
•
•
•
•
•
•
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WWI 1960’s Canada’s immigration policy was quite restrictive
majority of immigrants from Europe and America
1967 legislation made Canada’s immigration policy “colour-blind”
Canadian economy required people with training and specific skills
immigrants chosen by a point system based on education and
employment prospects (Nationality and race no longer factors)
Immigration Act, 1976 - immigration regulations changed to allow
immigration of family members with relatives already in Canada
and for refugees fleeing persecution
1980s immigration policy tried to attract skilled workers and
investors into Canada
The Canadian Multiculturalism Act (Bill C-93) was enacted by
Parliament in 1988.
The Multiculturalism Act aimed to reinforce racial and cultural
equality with legal authority.
Department of Multiculturalism and Citizenship was established.
IMMIGRATION: 1976
The Citizenship Act of 1976:
 Introduced by Trudeau.
 Eliminated gender discrimination.
43
IMMIGRATION: 1976
The Citizenship Act of 1976:
 Overseas marriages when the mother was Canadian
the child would be Canadian (previously this was only
granted when the father was Canadian!)
 Required adequate knowledge of one of our two
official languages.
44
IMMIGRATION: 1978
Immigration Act of 1978:
Gave the provinces a new role in immigration
policy.
Quebec now had the ability to ensure that new
immigrants would be able to adapt to its
francophone culture.

Reduced barriers to immigration.
45
IMMIGRATION: 1978
Immigration Act of 1978:
New immigrants were welcome regardless of
colour/ethnicity, religion, or country of origin.
Created three categories of immigrants = the
family class (relative sponsored by existing
Canadian citizens), refugees, and independents
(people seeking improved living conditions).
46
MULTICULTURALISM
More immigrants arrived from Asia and the
West Indies.
To combat any growing racial tensions, the
Trudeau government acted quickly by
adopting a policy of multiculturalism.
47
MULTICULTURALISM
Multiculturalism = equal acceptance of races,
religions and cultures; official government
policy. (1971=Policy by Trudeau)
Helped schools to set up new courses,
promoted multicultural events, and set up a
council to study the problems of ethnic
diversity of in Canada.
48
New religious groups
in Canada. A photo
taken on Ste.Catherine
Street, Montreal, May 1,
1983. Religion has
become both more
personal and highly
diversified. Sociologist
Reginald Bibby claims
that Canadians now
want “religion ‘à la
carte,’ preferring to
pick and choose …
from religious
smorgasbords.”
Photography by Michel Brunelle..
49
HEALTHCARE & WELFARE
• Saskatchewan Premier T.C. “Tommy
Douglas” introduced a complete Medicare
program that allowed people in the
province to seek medical treatment without
paying
• Prime Minister Pearson introduced universal
Medicare (Medical Care Act)in 1966
• In 1966 Pearson’s government began the
Canada Pension Plan
• Introduced the Canada Assistance Plan
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDbigrTb8bI
TRUDEAUMANIA!!!!! – READ QUOTES PDF
• Pierre Elliott Trudeau appealed to many
young Canadians
• He was relaxed and witty.
• He drove a flashy sports car and was a
“hip” dresser
• He hung out with the rich and famous and
dated celebrities and eventually became
a celebrity himself.
• Young people responded to him as if he
were a rock star= “Trudeaumania”
• 1968 becomes prime minister
• Wanted a “just society” for all Canadians
JUST SOCIETY
1971 – Trudeau era,
Trudeau had a clear idea of what he though Canada should be: a “just society” for all
Canadians,
- Government had a duty to protect the rights and freedoms of all Canadians
- Foster their economic and social well being
- supported individual freedoms, and though that governments shouldn’t interfere
with personal liberties
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT
• Terrible damage being done to the Earth’s
air, water and land
• Environmental groups established to lobby
governments to control pollution and as a
result legislation changed
• Greenpeace created in 1970 in BC
•
•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jDMjfSU-uE
http://www.rachelcarson.org/ - Rachel Carson