1. Post War: Changing Society & Identity

2. Focus of Post War: Cold War & International Involvement In the last part of the course, we looked at Canada’s involvement in international events and organizations after the end of the Second World War – e.g., Cold War, Korean War, Suez Crisis, Cuban Missile Crisis, Persian Gulf War, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Rwanda, peacekeeping, United Nations, NATO, NORAD

3. Focus of Post War: Changing Society and Identity In this part of the course, we turn our attention to the Canadian home front and the social changes that were occurring in Canada in years following the Second World War

4. Returning Veterans Conditions facing soldiers returning home after WWII were more favourable than those that confronted veterans of the First World War Government passed laws – veterans who wanted their old jobs back could get them Years of war service could be counted as years on the job

5. Veterans and war widows were given hiring preference for government jobs Free tuition and living allowances for those who wanted to go to university or a trade school Veterans’ Land Act – preferential mortgage rates for veterans

6. Immigration Post war period saw an increase in immigration to Canada Immigrants included war brides who had married Canadian servicemen

7. 165, 000 displaced persons (DPs) were also accepted 2.5 million immigrants arrived in Canada between 1945 and 1967

8. Growth of Suburbs Housing developments grew in areas outside of cities People commuted between home and work

9. Traditional family and conservative values Male breadwinner Women’s roles primarily to be wives and mothers Fashion and consumer items reflected this ideology

10. Baby Boom Increase in the number of babies born between 1946 and 1960 Peaked in 1959 – average family had 3-4 children 6.7 million children born between 1946 and 1961

11. Age of Automobile Car ownership became more widespread Cars changed neighbourhoods – demise of the corner store and birth of the shopping mall

12. Television and Consumer Culture By the late 1950s, most Canadians, if they did not own a tv, had access to one TV spawned a consumer culture – broadcasting appealing images of products and creating in turn a demand for a diversity of items

13. Teen Culture Those born in the baby boom would stay in school longer than their parents did 1950s would see the invention of the teenager

14. Teens had money and more leisure time than previous generations – businesses were ready to cater to their needs Clothing, hair styles, rock n’ roll music, American Bandstand and dances

15. Canada the Good Conservative social values – influence of Christianity No Sunday shopping Censorship of movies and books Prohibition in some towns “Proper” women did not go to bars/pubs unescorted

16. Hockey and Athletics Hockey was a popular spectator sport Montreal Canadiens enjoyed a fierce rivalry with the Toronto Maple Leafs

17. Other Canadian athletes made names for themselves: Barbara Ann Scott – Olympic Gold medal in skating in 1948

18. In mid-1950s, Marilyn Bell became first person to swim across Lake Ontario and youngest person to successfully swim the English Channel In 1957, she swam the Strait of Juan de Fuca