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Farming and Food
As World War 1 started, Canada was in debt and the demand for wheat, cheese, meat, and fish grew internationally. However, as time went on, the soil became exhausted and there was a drought. This resulted in a higher demand for farmers. (The War Museum) -
Imperial Munitions Board
The prime minister of Canada during the world war turned the Shell Committee into the Imperial Munitions Board. This board was run by a businessman named Joseph Flavelle. This helped out with the high demand of labour by hiring 30000 female and 250000 male workers to work in their buildings. It was created to help out with producing ships, shells, explosives and training planes. (The War Museum) -
The Income War Tax Act
The government thinks that all Canadians should “do their bit” to help out with the war. So, they decided to temporarily make Canadians pay income tax to finance soldiers. This act hardly helped with anything before the war ended. In addition to that, most Canadians did not even pay taxes. This was then later permanent and that is why we have taxes now. (The War Museum) -
The Winnipeg General Strike
More than 30000 workers left their jobs due to the fact that they wanted better wages and working conditions. This strike shut down many buildings in Winnipeg, and even police officers joined in. Sadly, the Winnipeg General Strike did not give them what they wanted, but this strike was a very important event in history as it pressured labour groups. (Reilly) -
The Norman Wells Field
The Norman Wells field had high quality crude oil which was discovered through the oil seeps. This field helped with the development of planes and flight by supplying fuel and lubricants. Today, Norman Wells field produced more than 226 million barrels of crude oil. (Kempthorne and Irish) -
Hydroelectric Stations
Ontario Hydro was generating electricity from Niagara Falls. During the 1920s, hydro electricity was responsible for around 90% of Canada’s total generating capacity, but it was soon later decreased due to fossil fuels being an alternative. (The Canadian Encyclopedia) -
The One Percent Federal Sales Tax
In 1920, the federal government introduced a new one percent federal sales tax which applied to all transactions. This was put in place to pay for the great war. This tax then later was increased due to the fact that this one percent tax made tax revenues go up. -
American Investment in Canada
After the war, many countries were in debt including Britain. Since Canada could not trade with Britain anymore, American investment in Canada certainly grew. Canada for the most part, exported pulp, paper, and metals to the United States which then made cars and radios with the metal. -
Immigrants
After World War I, the government of Canada created certain immigration restrictions which led to Canada wanting British and American immigrants. The immigrants would work long hours only to get very low wages which was unfair. In 1925, as Canada’s economy improved, they removed these restrictions. However, they still received little wages and poor work conditions. -
The Great Crash
The New York Stock Exchange had a drop in wild trading. Many people were unemployed due to the crash and the unemployment rate rose to 25%. It will also continue to rise in a few years. In addition to that, billions of dollars have been lost due to this crash. This crash was the start of the Great Depression. (Hillmer)
