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Canada Establishing Itself as a Middle Power
Canada no longer wanted to be considered a small power as it had helped out both financially and physically with the war effort. In an effort to establish itself as a middle power Canada helped create many new organizations like the United Nations and NATO. Canada was also the first country to send peacemaking troops overseas in an effort to stop the fighting. Canada becoming a middle power impacted everyone positively because Canada was no longer ignored by the larger powers. -
Safety Net
Ottawa moved ahead with creating a safety net during this time as now they could afford it. Unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, and baby bonus payments were just some aspects of this safety net. This impacted those in Ottawa because now they didn't have to worry as much about another Great Depression and not being able to feed their families. It gave them some peace of mind. -
New ways of Life
After the baby boom in Canada many people needed bigger and better homes so between 1950-1960 the government built over one million new and modern homes. High-rise apartment buildings which took up less room than the old ones were also being built along with both shopping centers and malls. These new buildings affected the Canadian lifestyle, you no longer walked down main street for your shopping but instead drove to the mall and got everything there. It was the start of a more modern Canada. -
British Columbias New Premier
By the early 1950's BC had a new premier, Bennett. During his lead Bennett organized the building of roads through mountains, the launching of ferries into coastal waters, and the damming of many rivers for electric power. He also organized many jobs for returning veterans which included cutting timber, refining minerals into resources, and catching salmon. Bennett helped British Columbia during his time in government and provided the citizens with needed roads, ferries, and hydro-electric power -
Change in Quebec
After their premier died suddenly, those in Quebec were left wondering if the English-Canadians would swallow up their French ways. In an effort to not let this happen those in Quebec decided they wanted out of confederation and to become their own nation. They started demanding the federal government to let them out of confederation however Trudeau came to a different agreement that meant they did not have to leave. This impacted Canada because it made us a strong bilingual country. -
Nuclear Energy
After World War II was over, scientists started thinking about how they could use atomic power peacefully. Canada had so much natural uranium that it seemed a waste not to use it so scientists created the CANDU. This reactor safely turned uranium into electricity. This new invention in the late 1950's and early 1960's proved extremely useful and impacted Canada by providing it with 12% of the countries electricity today. -
Pierre Trudeau Coming to Power
In 1968 Trudeau came to power, he was perfectly bilingual, could debate to students, and draw crowds. Underneath this charming display Trudeau was tough and obsessed with confederation, specifically Quebec's place in confederation. During his lead Canada stopped Quebec from leaving confederation, became more bilingual, borrowed and spent lavishly, and changed both the constitution and BNA. This impacted Canada positively because now Canada is a proud bilingual country thanks to Trudeau. -
The Beginnings of Ecology
In the fall of 1971 a small boat sailed out to the small island of Amchitka where the U.S intended to test a nuclear bomb. Those onboard this boat intended to stop the bomb and warn the world of the dangers of nuclear radiation. This was not the only incident either, after this the organization of Greenpeace was created to warn the world of everything from pollution to endangered species. This impacted Canada significantly because now we try to take care of the planet and all the creatures on it -
Tragedy in Vietnam
In 1978 hundreds of thousands of refugees fled Vietnam because of the war going on there. Many of these refugees fled on small crowded boats and headed for Canada. This time Canadians rallied to help the refugees instead of denying them entry. Citizens helped them settle into communities all around Canada. This impacted Canada because it brought many Vietnamese here to stay. It also impacted Canadians by allowing them to be good people and overcome any fears or prejudices they may have had. -
The Cold War Was Finally Over
At the end of the 1980's the Cold War ended. The West and East were no longer opposing each others every move and for the first time since 1945 the hostility and threat of global nuclear war was easing off. The peace did not last long however, conflicts came about in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Canadian peacekeeping troops were called in and attempted to resolve the problem and stop the fighting. This impacted Canadians because it earned Canada the role of peacekeeper. -
Canada's New Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney and his progressive conservative party were voted in. Once in power he promised to open Canada up to the outside world. Canada's prosperity was no longer guaranteed however so he had to cut many services like the passenger trains that didn't pay for themselves. Mulroney also negotiated a free trade with the U.S during his lead. Mulroney's lead impacted Canada today because we no longer have passenger trains but we do have a more prosperous economy because this train system is gone -
Challenger
The American Space shuttle Challenger rocketed skyward and was in orbit within minutes. On board this shuttle were seven astronauts including Marc Garneau from Quebec. He was the first Canadian to look down on earth from space. This impacted everyone because it gave them the want to explore and discover more of the universe. It also showed everyone just how small our planet was and how we were all connected. -
Rick Hansen
Wheelchair bound athlete Rick Hansen completed a 40 000 km journey across the length of Canada and along the Great Wall of China. He raised millions of dollars for research and therapy and inspired everyone. This impacted Canadians because it taught them to always follow your dreams and to never let anything get in the way. -
The Meech Lake Accord
In 1987 Mulroney set out to make changes that Quebec had demanded. The Meech Lake Accord would have given powers once held by Ottawa to each province, and would have declared that Quebec would have the power of a distinct society. This Accord however was debated by the provinces and ultimately turned down. This affected those in Quebec because they were so close to getting what they wanted and then it was turned down. -
Electronic Communications and Supersonic Jets
By the 1990's Canadians were connected to the outside world with new inventions like electronic communications and supersonic jets. Multicultural radio and television also brought the outside world in. This impacted the Canadians both positively and negatively because now they could see the different cultures surrounding them but also the suffering and inequality that surrounded them. -
First Nations Fight
The First Nations started to demand change during this time, they wanted the government to stop damming rivers and protect their lands from miners, loggers, and other intruders. At the same time they wanted the government to respect and honour the treaties they had already made with them. This resulted in some First Nations going to court and having their Native claims to land and self-government uphold. This impacted many First Nations because they were now finally starting to gain control -
The Charlottetown Accord
After the Meech Lake Accord failed, Quebec gave Canada two years to give them what they wanted. In an effort to make this two year deadline Canadians in Parliament met in Charlottetown and created the Charlottetown Accord. They held a nationwide referendum in 1992 and the Accord was voted down. Yet again those in Quebec were close to getting what they wanted but had it snatched off of them. This would impact what the Quebec government would do next. -
For the First Time in Thirty Years
In 1998 the government of Canada brought in more money than it spent. It had a budget surplus rather than a deficit. This raised Canadians hopes that some of the public services that had been cut would come back. It also helped ease people into the new millennium and give them hope for prosperous times ahead. -
Y2K Panic
In the years leading up to 2000, many Canadians started to worry about whether their computers would be able to read the new date. If computers were unable to read the date then the systems that ran bank machines, delivered heat, and electricity would collapse. Many programmers worked frantically to ensure this didn't happen but Canadians were still in panic. If the computers did collapse then it would have impacted the lives of all Canadians until they could get them back up and running again. -
Smooth Millenium Change
Thanks to the hard work of programmers the new millennium rolled in smoothly and no computers failed. Canadians were relieved and now they could enjoy the celebrations. This panic impacted everyone because they were frightened of the unknown however the programmer's fixing the problem brought relief to all Canadians and allowed them to continue with the celebrations. -
Bibliography
The Story of Canada Chapter 10:
https://edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/pid-110652-dt-content-rid-923528_1/xid-923528_1
https://edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/pid-110652-dt-content-rid-923645_1/xid-923645_1
https://edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/pid-110652-dt-content-rid-923570_1/xid-923570_1
https://edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/pid-110652-dt-content-rid-923633_1/xid-923633_1
