Canada The 1950s and 1960s 7.1 Return to

Canada The 1950s and 1960s

7.1 Return to Peacetime Veterans Come Home Veterans could buy building lots at good prices Many Canadians could get financing to buy houses under the National Housing Act (1944)

7.1 Return to Peacetime Canada’s Postwar Economic Position The GNP doubled during WW2 Wages, savings and tax revenues rose Europeans and Americans were buying Canadian goods

7.1 Return to Peacetime Rising Confidence: Consumer Demand and the Baby Boom Canadians had saved money for 6 years of war and went on a buying spree for consumer goods A ‘baby boom’ after the war lasted into the 1960s

7.1 Return to Peacetime Confidence and Social Security Canadians felt confident because of financial security Unemployment Insurance Act (1940) Family Allowance (1945) Old age pension had existed since the 1920s A health care plan would come about in the 1960s

7.2 A Changing Canada: Immigration & Urbanization Immigration Increased greatly after the war Selective-preference was given to British, American and French citizens 1950es-Canada let in people from other parts of Europe, China and India The demand for immigrant labour led to even more immigration in the 1950s

7.2 A Changing Canada: Immigration & Urbanization Changing Immigration Laws 1952: The Immigration Act stated that immigrants could be barred based on ethnic background 1962: skill, merit and ability factors are added to the act 1967: more changes; Canada’s black population doubled

7.2 A Changing Canada: Immigration & Urbanization Urbanization & Internal Migration In 1900, 2/3 of Canadians lived in rural areas. By 1971, it had changed to urban Suburban Society: people living in housing developments outside of cities, where they commuted to work from

7.3 Boom Times in the 1950s & 1960s Growth in the Old Industries There was dramatic growth in the mining and oil industries Towns like Timmins and Elliott Lake grew up virtually overnight due to mineral discoveries. These included nickel, copper, silver, uranium and asbestos

7.3 Boom Times in the 1950s & 1960s Growth in the Old Industries Alberta’s Leduc oil fields were discovered after the war Alberta’s wealth became tied to the oil industries and it still is today

7.3 Boom Times in the 1950s & 1960s Canada-Under Construction! Houses and buildings of various types went up all over the country to support the growing population mega-projects like subways, railroads, oil fields, hydroelectric developments, the St Lawrence Seaway and the Trans-Canada Highway

7.3 Boom Times in the 1950s & 1960s The Canada-US Automotive Products Agreement (Autopact) Many small auto manufacturers went out of business in this period; by the 1960s only Ford, GM and Chrysler were left These three signed the Autopact in 1965 to allow limited free trade of autos and parts It lowered costs, but also eliminated the practice of individual factories producing a full range of models; today they specialize

7.3 Boom Times in the 1950s & 1960s Manufacturing: Consumer Goods Refined consumer products, like Refrigerators, Record players, TVs (black & white) were bought Some new products were dishwashers, colour TVs, hi-fi stereos, 8mm movie cameras and portable transistor radios Service industries expanded in restaurants, department stores and supermarkets. Shopping plazas were new (malls came later…)

7.3 Boom Times in the 1950s & 1960s A Cold-War Economy Some of the growth in mining was directly due to military equipment Nuclear weapons and energy were extensively developed, as were radiation machines for cancer treatment

7.3 Boom Times in the 1950s & 1960s A Cold-War Economy Radar defence installations were built and maintained across Canada’s north The Avro Arrow was developed and (almost) manufactured in Canada

7.4 Economic Problems Economic Downturn The boom times lasted until about 1957. Why did things change? The economies of Europe and Japan finally revived after WW2 The European Common Market (ECM) raised tariffs on Canadian products American wheat surpluses drove prices down

7.4 Economic Problems Economic Downturn Why did things change?… continued Unemployment rose Immigration rose Migration to cities from rural areas More women entering full-time employment

7.4 Economic Problems Economic Downturn What did the government do? Set up a number of ‘make work’ projects The Governor of the Bank of Canada said Canada was entering a recession and raised interest rates. PM Diefenbaker disagreed and he was dismissed.

7.4 Economic Problems Economic Downturn Other Problems: The balance of trade wasn’t in Canada’s favour; she bought more imported products than those exported. PM Diefenbaker devalued the Canadian dollar to 92.5 cents, which shook Canadians’ confidence.

7.4 Economic Problems Labour Relations in the 1950s-1960s ‘Blue collar’ workers’ wages increased 30% between 1945-1950, after a series of strikes Legislation in the 1950s-1960s severely restricted unions By the late 1960s, unions had spread to many more industries and they were more militant

7.4 Economic Problems American Investment The Canadian economy’s recovery in 1962 was partly due to American investment American companies owned 90% of Canadian petroleum and automobile production

7.4 Economic Problems American Investment Many Canadian factories were American branch plants All of this investment was good, but there were problems as well…

7.4 Economic Problems American Investment Many Canadians feared losing control of their economy to Americans The government introduced tax incentives which favoured Canadian companies It also opened trade with other countries like Cuba and the Soviet Union

7.4 Economic Problems Economic Change: The Human Impact Family farms began to disappear East coast inshore fishing declined in favour of large-scale offshore fishing. Foreign overfishing was hard to control Traditional northern aboriginal lifestyles changed with the development of Canada’s North

7.6 The Rights of the People Advances in Civil Rights Civil rights legislation was intended to fight discrimination based on colour, religion and ethnic background

7.6 The Rights of the People Native Rights Aboriginal Canadians earned less money and had worse living conditions than other Canadians, which resulted in lower health standards Some changes were made to the Indian Act in 1951, allowing more aboriginal rights

Advances in Civil Rights Native Rights PM Trudeau wanted to eliminate the ‘special’ status aboriginals had, and give them the same rights as other Canadians. Native leaders opposed this; they wanted self-government. As in fig. 7.6d, all aboriginal Canadians got the right to vote by 1960.

7.6 The Rights of the People Women’s Rights After WW2, many people assumed women would return to their traditional roles in the home. Those that worked received less pay than men. Pay equity legislation was passed in the 1950s, but in reality women still made less.

7.6 The Rights of the People The Women’s Liberation Movement Feminists of the 1960s believed that society was set up to support men and that to get power, women had to seize it from men. Most women did not share this view. The Royal Commission on the Status of Women was struck in 1967 to ensure equality for women.

7.8 Canada and the Cold War From 1945-1969 Banning the Bomb By the 1960s many people in Canada were marching in protest of nuclear weapons, and demanded that Canada not support any nuclear weapon policies Canada never ‘officially’ owned nuclear weapons, but American ones were stationed on our soil. Bomarc Missile, 1961-72

Peacekeeping (a Canadian 'invention', thanks to Lester B. Pearson): any UN military action to separate hostile forces, maintain truces and get food to hungry people

7.10 Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s Technology and Lifestyle: the following were common or new… In homes: 1-line telephones, radios, TVs, refrigerators, stoves & freezers, central heating Affordable air travel Computers Communication Satellites Cars

7.10 Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s Television By the end of the 1960s, almost all Canadian houses had a TV. The CBC microwave network broadcasted coast-to-coast by 1958

7.10 Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s Television: It changed lifestyles: Furniture had to be rearranged Supper times were scheduled around shows Bedtimes changed on Saturday nights…??? People stayed home to watch TV; movie theatres closed as a result Attendance at sports events dropped Newspapers lost advertising money People ate TV dinners

7.10 Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s The Car Styles and features changed radically after WW2: bright paint, fins, chrome, automatic transmission, radios,… It became a status symbol: what you drove defined who you were In the 1960s, ‘muscle cars’ and ‘pony cars’ debuted See the style changes on page 302

7.10 Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s Youth Culture For the first time, youth subculture became a major influence in society Young people adopted their own styles of clothing, not just being miniature versions of their parents

7.10 Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s Youth Culture 1950s: the ‘biker’ or ‘collegiate’ looks 1960s: the ‘hippy’ or ‘British invasion’ looks

7.10 Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s The biggest influence was music. Rock ‘n roll was new. Some popular musicians were Elvis Presley, Paul Anka, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Band, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell The music celebrated free speech, free love, drug use and anti-war protests

7.10 Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s New Attitudes and Values After the depression and WW2, Canadians wanted to relax and have fun. The following became common: Car travel for leisure TV entertainment Portable radios More liberal values & attitudes towards drinking, hairstyles, clothing and music Protesting civil rights abuses and against the arms race

7.10 Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s A Changed Society…things changed in a variety of areas: Privacy Obscenity Abortion: made legal…sometimes Homosexuality: made legal Birth Control: the pill became available Marriage…or not Fast food restaurants Credit Cards