Post-War Canada (1940s-1970s) PDF

Post-War Canada: The Late 40s and 50s and 60s and 70s and 80s and 90s and 100s Politics in Canada: ​ Louis St. Laurent (Liberal) became P.M in 1948 (until 1957), succeeding Mackenize King ​ St. Laurent was a lawyer by profession and had served in King’s cabinet as Justice Minister afte...

Post-War Canada: The Late 40s and 50s and 60s and 70s and 80s and 90s and 100s Politics in Canada: ​ Louis St. Laurent (Liberal) became P.M in 1948 (until 1957), succeeding Mackenize King ​ St. Laurent was a lawyer by profession and had served in King’s cabinet as Justice Minister after Wilfreid Laurier ○​ Affectionately named “Uncle Louis/Buzzsaw Louie (iykyk)”→ Cause he was a soft spoken guy ​ St Lourent oversaw several key developments in Canadian History ○​ He oversaw the Gouzenko Affair as a cabinet minister, advocated for the creation of NATO in response ○​ THe P.M who successfully negotiated Newfoundland’s entry into Canada in 1949 ○​ Initialed key Canadian infrastructure projects such as the Trans-Canada Highway, the Saint-Lawrence Seaway and the Trans-Canada pipeline ​ John Diefenbaker (Conservative) → From Saskatchewan (Last figure of “old” British Canada; the rise of smth new) became P.M in 1957 (minority gov.) and then smoked St. Laurent and won a majority gov. the following year ​ He won the largest ever electoral victory in Canadian History (in the 1958 election) ​ He was seen as a Canadian nationalist and quarreled with U.S presidents (particularly J.F.K) who ignored Canada during the Cuban Missile Crisis 👎 ​ He cancelled the Avro Arrow supersonic jet development in Mississauga → which would have made Canadian aviation supreme in the world ​ He was one of the founders of NORAD (during the Cold War) and stationed nuclear missiles on Canadian soil Canada in the 1960s The Political Landscape ​ Diefenbaker (Conservative) lost the 1963 election to Lester B Pearson (Liberal). Diefenbaker faced an economic downturn in the early 1960s and forced to devalue the Canadian dollar to 92 cents → ppl insultingly renamed the “Diefenbuck” ○​ His popularity declined as unemployment went up ​ Pearson’s major achievements included: ○​ Creating the Canada Pension Plan, Canada Student Loans and implementing the Canadian Healthcare System that Tommy Douglas had conceived of  ○​ Instituted the current CAN flag in 1965 ○​ Made French an official language of Canada, first gov. in the world to create a points system for immigration to remove discrimination ○​ Only able to win a minority government. A New Party Name ​ In 1961, the C.C.F (Co-operative Commonwealth Federation) became the N.D.P (New Democratic Party and chose Tommy Douglas as their leader → This party stuck to its socialist roots, although it saw a need for revitalization… What was occuring w/ Quebec? ​ Canada hosted one of the most popular World Expositions ever in Montreal called Expo 67 ○​ 50 million ppl came to visit ○​ Theme → “Man and his world” ○​ Helped Montreal get the Summer Olympic games in 1976 ○​ Was a success but relations b/t Quebec and the rest of Canada were still strained ​ French President Charles de Gaulle decided to visit Canada, he chose to arrive in Quebec City instead of Ottawa (felt the need to protect quebec) ○​ Most famous for a speech made in Montreal where he said “Vive le Quebec Libre!” (“Long live a free Quebec!”) Implying that Quebeckers were not “free” ○​ And that they were under the dictatorship of the english even though CAN troops died at Dieppe fighting for french freedom from the Nazi’s ​ This shocked many Canadian politicians and relations with the rest of Canada became further strained. P.M Pearson asked de Gaulle to leave Canada afterward What was occurring with Canada economically? ​ Canada still kept close ties with the U.S (ECONOMICALLY) however there were several campaigns to “buy Canada” (Trump’s inspo?) ​ Still too much demand to buy American products that were becoming more common in CAN households → Demand increased w/ the development of the credit card (and a new credit revolution occurred) *Great Depression vibes* ​ In 1965, Canada and the US signed the Auto Pact to permit the free movement of new cars, trucks and auto parts across the border ○​ Pact also allowed American branch plants in CAN to operate w/o having to pay tariffs when their products crossed the border → Attracted the automotive industry to CAN Was there an economic problem?  ​ Many ppl in the 1960s felt that Canada relied too much on the Americans, they wanted Canada to ban foreign investments despite its benefits (maybe we should have listened to them) Pierre Trudeau ​ Pierre Elliot Trudeau (Liberal) became P.M in 1968 when Lester Pearson resigned ​ Trudeau was a young leader and he appealed to the young and those interested in social change ​ His clothing fit the time period as he was commonly seen w/ his trademark flower and his choice of informal footwear, sandals (showing his dogs? smh) ​ The press propelled Trudeau to pop-start fame, creating “Trudeaumania” where he would be consistently mobbed by his followers The term "Trudeaumania" refers to the intense enthusiasm and admiration he received from the public, often leading to large crowds gathering around him wherever he went. ​ Trudeau was a French Canadian who wanted to have Canada as a united, federal nation → He was opposed to giving Quebec any more more than other provinces (openly critical abt Duplessis’ policies in Quebec) ​ Presented bills to Parliament to update Canada’s laws → Most famous for saying “the state does not belong in the bedrooms of the nation” when it came to changing the moral outlook on divorce and homosexuality What were Trudeau’s political ideas? 1.​ He believed that a good society allowed as much freedom for the individual as possible. Believed that CAN should have a charter of rights and freedoms (enacted 1982) 2.​ He believed in reason over emotion, despised nationalism 3.​ Believes citizens must become involved politically to protect their individual freedoms → Would lead to to less corruption and problems within the government 4.​ Believed in federalism as the best system to preserving individual rights and the French-Canadian identity 5.​ Believed that French-Canadian Quebeckers could not identify with Canada bc they did not feel abt home outside of their province → Trudeau was sensitive to their fear that their language and culture was threatened Bilingualism ​ 1969: Trudeau passed the Official Languages Act which makes CAN a bilingual nation ​ All government documents were to be published in both French and English ​ Federal courts and federal civil services would also become bilingual  ​ Many were opposed to bilingualism on the grounds of expense and job favoritism (better chance of getting a job if u were bilingual) ​ In Quebec, many believed that the French language could not survive unless it was made the sole official language of Quebec → Led to problems with English Canadians who were opposed to this idea What was the 1969 White Paper? ​ In the late 1960s, nearly 300 000 Aboriginal people lived in Canada → Their conditions were poor and they often suffered from discrimination ​ Working with the minister of Indian affairs, Jean Chretien, Trudeau created the 1969 White Paper ○​ This document abolished the Indian Act ○​ Also stated that the Aboriginal people should be treated the same as other Canadian citizens (gradually allow them to become more part of mainstream Canada) ○​ Native leaders fiercely opposed to this as they saw the document as imposing undesired regulations upon them ○​ Trudeau withdrew the White Paper form becoming law ○​ The White Paper was met with strong opposition from Indigenous communities, who saw it as an attempt to erase their rights, culture, and treaties. What was happening socially in Canada? ​ As technology improved, it took more of the workforce → Plastic and aluminum became the new forms of material available to people ​ Concerns about mortality erupted from the development of the birth control pill ​ Church attendance began to swindle ​ Feminism started to change female participation in the workforce and traditional ideas of equality were challenged ​ By the 1960s, children born in the 1950s were not teenagers, this led to… The Birth of the Hippie ​ Hippies wore their hair long and wore scruffy clothes → They were rebelling against conformity and other things they considered wrong in society (Evident in the Vietnam War protests) ​ They were different from everyone else as they believed in communal living, social freedom, experimenting with various forms of drugs. ​ This movement lasted up until 1969. The Woodstock festival is seen as the culminating activity of the movement  ​ Another part of the Hippie movement was political activism. They were vocal and used the university as a centre for revolutionary thought. ​ Anything clashing with the status quo was seen as progressive. ​ Music, which was highly influenced by what hippies stood for, was very political in the 1960s. Artists like Neil Young, the Guess Who, and Gordon Lightfoot started to use their music to get a political message across. ​ This generation became one of the most politically active ever, and has earned much political control and wealth as a result *cue depressed millennial* BAHAHA REAL (lowk us too tho) real QUESTIONS: 1)​ Describe Maurice Duplessis. What is his historical significance? ​ in 1760, the french colony of what is now Quebec was conquered by the british and became part of the british empire and eventually part of Canada ​ French Canadians struggled to maintain their language, religion and identity ​ By the 1950’s French Canadian were not only struggling to keep their culture but they contended with economic survival as well ​ 8 out of every 10 positions were held by English speaking Quebeckerss ​ French Canadians felt as second class citizens of Canada From 1943-1959, Maurice Duplesis and the Union Nationale dominated Quebec. Duplesis tried to create French Canadian nationalism by challenging the federal gov’s involvement in Quebec affairs. ​ Quebec’s standard of living was 10% lower than the avg. Canadian and 20% lower than in Ont. (bc of the farming mandate that was forced by Duplesis → (it was necessary but didn’t provide with a good source of income) ​ He was also seen as the protector of Quebec against the threat of communism ​ he maintained power by allying w/ the Catholic church and pushed for quebec to become a more agrarian society (based more of farmwork and agriculture) ​ He allowed English and foreign investment to prompt Quebec’s industry while educating French Canadians to mistrust technology and value rural life ​ Quebec’s education system promoted humanities instead of science, business or technology ​ Duplesis ruled Quebec with an “iron fist” and discouraged all opposition ​ On 1959, Duplesis died and a year later the Union Nationale was overthrown by the Liberals 2)​ What was the Quiet Revolution? By the 1950s new leaders in Quebec began to emerge to try to solve French-Canadian woes. In 1960, the Liberal party lead by Jean Lesage, defeated the Union Nationale ​ Under this new leadership, pride in French-Canadian language, literature and traditions were promoted. In addition to provincial pride: ○​ The new provincial gov. worked to modernize Quebec’s economy ○​ The educational system was taken away from the Roman Catholic Church and “reformed” for a modern era ○​ Control of hospitals and other institutions was placed with the government, and they were also “transformed” ○​ Social legislation was enacted, progressive laws instituted and political reforms passed (including modernizing women’s legal status and changing the voting age for more youth participation ○​ The gov. nationalized hydro-utilities (making Hydro-Quebec the largest electric utility in the country) ○​ A pension pan was instituted ​ All these reforms were known as the Quiet Revolution in Quebec ​ The attitude in quebec could be seen with the the slogan the gov. and Quebeckers adopted in the 1960s - “Maitres chez nous (Masters in our own house)” ○​ Many French-Canadians (especially students) felt that Quebec was not a province like clothes, but a nation (with its own culture, history, language, institutions and government) ○​ Lesage decided change of Quebec in the framework of Confederation while there was a growing movement for separation ○​ Basically Quebec that that he was HIM, but Quebec was indeed NOT him 3)​ What was the FLQ? (and the Separatist movement) The liberal government of Jean Lesage, attempted to bring about change in the province within the framework of Confederation (cause he thought he was HIM.) ​ Some french-canadians believed that the only way to solve their problems was to separate from the rest of the country.🙄 ​ They argued that Quebec’s interests and those of the rest of Canada were not the same ​ The same ppl felt that despite Lesage’s reform’s, changes were taking place too slowly ​ As a result, in 1962 the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) was created with the goal of achieving independence for Quebec by any means necessary, including terrorism ○​ The FLQ first identified itself by publishing a manifesto with the slogan “independence or Death”  ○​ Throughout the 1960s, the group planted bombs in gov. building and in mailboxes in English-speaking sections of Montreal ○​ The Armee de Liberation du Quebec was an even more extreme group that robbed banks to finance the group's activities 4)​ Why is Rene Levesque important? By 1968 the mood had swung more strongly towards separation. Rene Levesque, who had once been a member of the Liberal Party, had now formed the Parti Quebecois (PQ). ​ This party’s vision of Quebec was that Quebec would separate from the rest of Canada → the separation would be achieved through peaceful negotiations ​ Their plan was based on the sovereignty association, which creates an independent Quebec with strong ties to Canada ​ At the same time that Levesque was in power in Quebec, Pierre Trudeau became the Prime Minister of Canada ○​ To calm the unrest in Quebec, his government passed the Official Languages Act in 1969, and poured money into Quebec ○​ Despite these efforts, Trudeau was not prepared to give Quebec special status within Confederation ○​ The scene was set for dramatic conflict in the 1970s (October Crisis) 5)​ Explain what happened during the October Crisis. Francophone militancy erupted in October 1970, when members of the FLQ kidnapped British Trade Commissioner, James Cross (dude was actually Irish) ​ The FLQ created a manifesto which was read on radio Canada → They demanded gold, safe passage to Cuba (which like why?? literally what was in Cuba?) and the release of political prisoners (these were the FLQ members who were caught participating in bombings ​ The federal gov. became involved because Cross was a foreign diplomat → Five days later Pierre Laporte (Quebec Minister of Labour and Immigration) was kidnapped from the front lawn of his Montreal home The violence was a result of Quebec nationalist resentment over the election of Premier Robert Bourassa, who was leader of the Liberal Party. Baourassa was a federalist. 6)​ Why is Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa important? Bourassa was the leader of the liberal party. Nationalists were hoping for the separatist “Parti Quebecois” to form the Quebec government, leaving resentment for Bourassa. ​ Bourassa and his cabinet went into hiding to avoid gov kidnappings ​ Bourassa asked Ottawa to send troops to Montreal to maintain order. 7)​ How did the October Crisis end? On October 16, 1970, Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act “necessary for the security, defense, peace, order and welfare of Canada” → (The imposition of the War Measures Act during peacetime was controversial, many opponents saw it as excessive and an unnecessary display of of gov. power. Trudeau justified its use by stating that the FLQ was attempting to violently overthrow the gov.) ★​ The gov. suspended all civil liberties and gives the police the right to search or arrest without due process of law → Had only been invoked before in WW1 and WW2 (and then in Covid, due to stupid Trudeau) ★​ 450 individuals were detained in Quebec, which was seen as an injustice imposed by a majority English government by the French Canadian nationalists. Increasing separatism ★​ October 17, 1970 Pierre Laporte was found dead in the trunk of his car. ★​ Early December 1970, James Cross was released by his kidnappers and the murderers were found. This marked the end of the October Crisis. ★​ Terrorism stopped but separatism became more determined by the end of the crisis 8)​ What was the issue concerning the instruction of English in Quebec? ★​ 1974 Bourassa made French Quebec’s official language ★​ Access to English schools was only limited to those born in Quebec from English families. ★​ Everyone else (including immigrants) were forced to attend French schools where English lessons were greatly reduced/phased out. 9)​ Why was a referendum called in 1980? In 1976, Levesque and the separatist Parti Quebecois (PQ) were elected as the gov. in the province of Quebec. He declared that the Parti Quebecois would soon call a referendum vote to allow citizens to decide Quebec’s future. ​ Before calling the referendum, the PQ managed government and the economy very well by improving labour laws, raising minimum wages, and introducing maternity benefits and no fault insurance  ​ They also passed Bill 101 → declaring the French would be the dominant language in Quebec in all areas of life ○​ All signs, public and private had to be in French and all but a minority would be force to learn french ​ These measures were designed to attract votes in favour of separation The referendum was called in 1980 to allow the Quebecois to vote for sovereignty associations with Canada 10)​ List in point form two contributions of Pierre Trudeau. Trudeau (federalist) lost the 1979 election to Joe Clark of the conservatives. Clark did not interfere with the referendum process causing increased support for separatism. Clark was then voted out of office on a vote of non confidence allowing Trudeau to win the 1980 election. Contributions: ★​ Trudeau took an active role on the federalist side of the campaign, making three speeches turning the tide of the campaign. May 20, 1980 60% of Quebecois voted no to sovereignty association, setting back the PQ. ★​ To win the 1980 referendum, Trudeau began renewing Canada’s constitution. ★​ Met with First Ministers to strike a compromise. 11)​ What happened regarding Canadian constitutional renewal? After the federalist win in the 1980 referendum, Trudeau started the process of renewing Canada’s constitution ​ He petitioned the British Parliament to patriate the BNA Act (Canada’s constitution at the time which was held by Britain) and add in an Amending Formula (which governed how future constitutional change would be made) and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms ​ Most provinces objected to Trudeau’s plans, as it would impose the Federal gov. laws onto the provinces ​ Trudeau met with the First Ministers to strike a compromise and to receive support for the new constitution → Had trouble making a consensus ○​ The ministers were woken up after midnight to reach a last-minute compromise, after Trudeau threatened to put the issue to a vote ○​ Levesque was left out and did not find about the agreement until the morning 12)​ Was Quebec content with the outcome?  Quebec felt betrayed as the constitution was meant to be a way to meet Quebec’s needs, instead of having the constitution being forced upon them. ★​ Quebec wasn’t present when Queen and Ministers signed the constitution ★​ Flags were lowered to half in Quebec ★​ Protests held in Montreal 13)​ What did Brian Mulroney propose at the retreat at Meech Lake? Mulroney desired to reconcile with Quebec. In April 1987 Mulroney and 10 provincial leaders met at Meech Lake in Quebec to develop a constitutional agreement to let Quebec feel welcomed in Canada. Five aspects of Meech Lake: ★​ Quebec was recognized as a distinct society ★​ 3/9 supreme court judges would be from Quebec ★​ Amend the constitution so all 10 provinces must agree ★​ Provinces could opt out of federal programs and receive Federal money to start their own equivalent program ★​ Quebec would have control over its own immigration policy All provinces would have equal power. Mulroney stated all provinces legislatures must ratify the agreement by June 23, 1990 Quebec was first to ratify the Accord 14)​ What was the problem with the Meech Lake Accord? ★​ Manitoba and Newfoundland governments were not in favour of the accord, so ratification was doomed. ★​ Canadians were also mad Quebec would be identified as its own society ★​ Many Canadians felt Meech was a ploy to make Quebec happy ★​ Many groups felt left out, their concerns not taken into account Charlottetown Conference ★​ Left out groups taken into account ★​ Bourassa was pressured by Quebec nationalists. Bourassa promised a referendum on independence if a new agreement was not reached by 1992. ★​ August 1992, ten premiers, territorial leaders and leaders of 4 major Aboriginal groups met with Federal government in Charlottetown ★​ Proposal included: ○​ Aboriginal self government ○​ Reform Senate ○​ Social Charter  ○​ Canada Clause All political parties supported it, proposal was given to citizens to accept or reject plan, with only 4 provinces voting yes (NB, PEI, NFLD, ON), causing a defeat Problems with Charlottetown: ★​ Perceived as a “Quebec Document” ★​ Ppl saw provinces and PM acting without citizens input ★​ Left out groups→ Natives, Women, Western Canada (Triple E senate) Quebec rage exploded after Meech, causing separatism support to an all time high of 65% Canada Clause: 1)​ Aboriginal peoples are fundamental to Canada 2)​ Quebec is a distinct society 3)​ Commitment to official language minorities 4)​ Equality of Provinces (Clyde Wells – NFLD) 5)​ Social Charter (Bob Rae – ON) 15)​ What followed the 1995 Referendum? In 1994, the Parti Quebecois regained power in Quebec ensuring that there would be another referendum ​ The PQ and Jacques Parizea felt that Quebec would vote for Sovereignty → Although Canada was almost lost, federalism won the day ​ Quebec to this day has not signed onto the 1982 Constitution 16)​ Why did Newfoundland join Canada? Upon Confederation in 1867, Newfoundland refused to join Canada opting to instead to maintain closer ties to Britain as a colony ​ Newfoundlanders were convinced that their prosperity lay with Britain and the Atlantic. They petitioned Britain to be named a strategic outpost to protect its separateness ○​ Due to fish exports, Newfoundland was a rich island therefore Newfoundlanders felt that there was no real need to join Canada ○​ In 1885, as the price of fish declined, Newfoundland approached Canada to enter Confederation → PM Macenzie Bowell refused their request bc the concessions desired by the Newfoundlanders would create inequity among the provinces ​ Following the Depression and WW2, Newfoundlanders began to realize that union w/ Canada would best lead them to economic stability (Newfoundlanders were earning ⅓ less than the average Canadian)  ​ A delegation led by Joey Smallwood (the last father of confederation) who was a labour leader and broadcaster, promoted the idea of Confederation to the reluctant Newfoundlander ○​ They thought they were betraying Britain but they could not ignore their economic realities ​ In 1948, 2 refernda were held → It was the second referendum that had Newfoundland entering Confederation with a slim 52% victory ​ Economic considerations and an increasing American influence swayed the vote ​ On April 1, 1949, Newfoundland became Canada’s 10th province MATCHING WORKSHEET A.​ This individual formed the Parti Quebecois (PQ) - RENE LEVESQUE B.​ Canadians of this province struggle to maintain their language, religion, and their identity - QUEBEC C.​ Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act - OCTOBER 16, 1970 D.​ made Canada a bilingual nation - THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT E.​ Quebecers adopted this slogan following the Quiet Revolution in the 1960s - MAITRES CHEZ NOUS (MASTERS IN OUR OWN HOUSE) F.​ The FLQ made this demand when negotiating the release of the kidnapped politicians - THE RELEASE OF IMPRISONED MEMBERS OF THE FLQ G.​ The educational system was taken away from the Roman Catholic Church, and the government nationalized hydro-utilities - THE QUIET REVOLUTION H.​ After the Crisis, terrorism stopped, but this became more determined - SEPARATISM I.​ Levesque is elected Premier of Quebec - 1976 J.​ In 1963, this extreme group was created with the goal of achieving independence for Quebec, through any means necessary - FRONT DE LIBERATION DU QUEBEC (FLQ) K.​ Quebec was left out and felt betrayed - NEGOTIATIONS INVOLVING THE CONSTITUTION L.​ increased the powers of the federal government to do everything deemed necessary for the security, defense, peace, order and welfare of Canada" - THE WAR MEASURES ACT M.​ all signs had to be French, and the majority of the population would be forced to learn French - BILL 101 N.​ Brain Mulroney's failed attempt to reconcile Quebec with the rest of Canada - THE MEECH LAKE ACCORD O.​ The FLQ kidnapped British Trade Commissioner James Cross and Quebec Minister of Labour and Immigration, Pierre Laporte. Also terrorize through bombs - THE OCTOBER CRISIS P.​ Quebec's standard of living 10% lower than average Canadian - THE 1950s Q.​ a vote by the population on an issue - REFERENDUM R.​ found dead in the trunk of a car - PIERRE LAPORTE S.​ 49.4% of Quebec voted for sovereignty - 1995 REFERENDUM T.​ 60% of Quebecers voted no to sovereignty association - 1980 REFERENDUM U.​ elected PM in 1968 - PIERRE TRUDEAU V.​ the opposite of a separatist - FEDERALIST W.​ Pierre Trudeau - PATRIATED THE BNA ACT, AND ADDED AN AMENDING FORMULA AND THE CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS X.​ 1974 - BOURASSA GOVERNMENT MAKES FRENCH QUEBEC’S SOLE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE, AND LIMITS ACCESS TO ENGLISH SCHOOLS Y.​ In the 1993 election, they won 54 seats and became the Official Opposition - BLOC QUEBECOIS