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Spanish Flu
The virulent Spanish flu, a devastating and previously unknown form of influenza, struck Canada hard. There were no vaccine or effective treatment, it killed approximately 55,000 people, most of whom were age of 20~40. Countless nurses and volunteers risked their life to save patients because there was Inadequate quarantine measures, powerlessness against the illness, and a lack of coordinated. It influenced the public health of Canada, creation of federal department of health. -
Prohibition 1
In the early 20th century, alcohol was blamed for many social problems such as crime, public, drunkenness, family violence, and poverty. Nellie McClung and Louise McKinney of the Famous Five campaigned for the prohibition of alcohol because they believed if people stop spending money on alcohol, many families could improve their lives. This led to the banning of alcohol in several provinces, so bars were closed and selling alcohol became illegal. -
Prohibition 2
But some people who wanted to drink had to illegally trade alcohol with high cost from criminals, and government lost the income by alcohol taxes. By 1921, provincial governments began to repeal prohibition laws and replace them with government controlled liquor sales. -
Suffrage
Suffrage is the right to vote. Before Canadian women clamor for suffrage, they couldn't have the right to vote. Emily Stowe, the first woman to practise medicine in Canada, knew about inequality firsthand and began the campaign for suffrage. Then leaders such as the famous five continued the fight for women's right to vote. By their effort, some women could vote in provincial elections in some provinces. From that point on, women could extend suffrage, and work for other political institutions. -
Radio
During 1920s, more people bought radio as the technology improved and price fell. By 1928, some Canadian radio station created, but most of Canadians still listened to the stations from U.S. They listened to homegrown and imported drama, comedy shows, music, and sports broadcasts. Passengers also could listen to the radio in Canadian national Railway's parlour cars. Prime Minister Mackenzie King participated in first cross-country in 1927, and he kept used as a way to communicate with Canadians. -
Group of seven
Most of the painters in Canada were influenced by European styles and techniques, but some painter tried new style of art inspired in Canada's rugged landscape. They used strong, vivid colors, and wanted to show how landscape affected them. Emily Carr, Tom Thomson, and the group of seven were them. Many Canadians rejected the new style of art at first, but over time, this new style captured the imagination of many Canadians, who connected it with their growing sense of identity. -
Residential Schools 1
Duncan Campbell Scott, who was a well-known poet wanted to activate assimilation, and he believed education was the key. Many first nations children already attended school, but in 1920, all children between ages of 7 to 15 required to go residential schools. Most of schools were far away from their home, and separated from their siblings and friends. The school tried to civilize the children, so they must use English, not their first language. -
Residential Schools 2
They could no longer speak their first language, and estranged from their parents and cultures. Most of the schools were run by churches, so Christianity was emphasized. About 4,000 children were dying by physical and sexual abuse, and while they were escaping. Canada apologized for Residential school in June, 2008. -
Immigration Policy
There are push factors from home country such as poverty, lack of freedom, and famine. So people immigrant to another country which have pull factors to make a better life. In 1919, Canada barred people from countries that had sided with the central powers, those who were illiterate or who held socialist or communist beliefs, and people who had peculiar customs, habits, modes of life, and methods of holding property. -
Immigation policy 2
After World War 1, the federal government created the Department of Immigration and colonization and set out to attract British immigrants, especially famers who had skill, White Americans were also welcomed. Canada set many benefits for British who immigrate to Canada, in result, the British and Canadian governments cooperated in the 1923 British settlement Act. -
Pensions
By the 1920s, Canadians were living longer, but many older people existed in poverty. Fewer people lived in farm, there were no workplace for old people, and some veterans with disabilities from WWI couldn't receive anything. J.S. Woodsworth and others wanted to change it. So they paid pensions for them which a maximum of $20 a month, was available to people who were British over 70 years old, had lived in Canada for more than 20 years, and were not status Indians. -
Telephone
Telephone developed quickly after Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone in 1876. The telephone came in two pieces, and earpiece and speaking piece. Users were calling operator, usually a woman who connected them with the person they were calling. They were expensive and considered a luxury, so it was more for people who were wealthy. But over time, as the phone service became easier and cheaper, started to became common than before. The dial phone was introduced in 1924. -
The Stock Market Crash of 1929
This is one of the most immediate event that caused The Great Depression. In September 1929, people started to sell their stock on the New York, Montreal, and Toronto exchanges, and financial experts and politicians reassured the market. Toronto lost $200 million, and again, experts and politicians reassured the public. The situation gets worse and worse, as a result, Toronto stock exchange fell by $1 million a minute. -
Child Labour Laws
Various form of child Labour had existed in Canada from the time the first European arrived, children worked in factories, mills, and mines in poor environment and low cost. During the first decades of the 20th century, social reformers campaigned to abolish child labour by making school attendance compulsory. The law passed in most provinces. In 1911, only 63 per cent of children under 14 years old attended school and rest of them still worked, but by 1931, the figure was 83 percent. -
The persons case
The persons case is a constitutional ruling that established the right of women to be appointed to the senate. By the end of 1919, most women in Canada could vote and work in elected office, but no judges or senators. So the famous five put many efforts to define women as persons and they could work for senate. -
Crop Failure
In the 1920s and 1930s, wheat was prairie farmers' major crop. During WWI, wheat prices had risen and in 1919, and famers prospered. But after the war, other countries produced bumper wheat crops and placed tariffs on grain. And in 1928, the price of bushel of wheat was dropped. The price rose a little bit, but in 1932, it had dropped again. The farmlands struggled by drought and dust storms, and after that, grasshoppers ate them. So many farmers suffer from making their mortgage payments. -
The on-to-Ottawa Trek
Thousands of mainly young, unmarried men rode freight trains across the country looked for work. In 1932, Men who had no alternative began working on relief camp to clean trees, build roads, and carry out things. But they were paid little and had to live in poor environment, so in April 1935, many people demanded better working conditions and higher wages, and walked or hitched to go Vancouver. They gathered and held rallies, collected money for food, and many people in Vancouver supported them. -
The St. Louis
Liberal prime minister Mackenzie King was sympathetic to the problems of German Jews, but the provincial government opposed all immigration because he also convinced that allowing Jewish refugees into Canada would threaten national unity and his party's political support in Quebec. In 1939, the passenger liner St. Louis left Germany with 930 Jews on the board. They tried to escape Nazi persecution, but they couldn't disembark when they get there. They had to sail back except some of them
