Prosperity at Home – The 1950s
CANADIAN LIFE IN THE 1950s
Demography is the study of the characteristics of human populations, such as size and
growth. In the assignment, students will examine some of the demography of Canada in
the 1950s. The dramatic shift in population during this time period was called the Baby
Boom.
In the period after the
Second World War,
Canada experienced
economic growth. For
the first time, a large
number of consumers
could afford to
purchase television sets.
In 1952, the first two
Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation (CBC)
television stations (in
Toronto and Montreal)
went on the air, with
three hours of
programming per day.
New cars and new
houses were also in
high demand during the
1950s.
Subdivisions and suburban living became
much more popular as people wanted to
move out of the cities with their
expanding families. Living in the
downtown area of a city was no longer
appealing – people wanted more room, a
yard, a driveway. This was to be found in
the suburbs. With the massive growth in
new housing developments, there was
also
unprecedented
economic growth
in the country.
Coming out of the
war, Canada (and
the United State)
still had all of
their cities and
infrastructure
intact, which
allowed these
nations to
become the
producers for the
rest of the world.
Europe needed
natural resources and supplies to rebuild, and Canada was just the country to provide
what was needed. With ample jobs and housing available, the population soared.
Immigration also expanded in the years
following World War II. Because Europe
had been so devastated because of the
fighting, people simply wanted out – and
they came to Canada and the United
States. North America certainly seemed
like the place to be starting in the 1950s.
The growth of Canadian culture, housing,
population, wealth and attraction helped
to make Canada an increasing power on
the world stage and established a very
comfortable life for people in the country.
CANADIAN POLITICS IN THE 1950s
With the retirement of Mackenzie King in 1948, Louis St.
Laurent became Prime Minister, and he and the Liberal Party
won elections in 1949 and 1953.
St. Laurent’s government spent money on large public works
projects such as the Trans-Canada Highway, the St. Lawrence
Seaway, and the Trans-Canada Pipeline. Often, large amounts
of American money poured into Canada to help finance these
and other projects.
St. Lawrence Seaway
Trans-Canada Highway
When the Opposition in Parliament
objected to large loans for a pipeline from
Alberta to Central Canada, the St. Laurent
government cut off Parliamentary debate.
The so-called “pipeline debate” was bad
news for the Liberal Party.
The Progressive Conservative Party under
leader John Diefenbaker painted the
Liberals as arrogant. They had been in
power since 1935, and the man known as
“Dief the Chief” said it was time for a
change. The voters agreed and
Diefenbaker became Prime Minister after
winning the 1957 election.
Trans-Canada Pipeline
Canada – A People’s History Questions
Refus Global (Chapter 4)
1. Where did the artistic community flock following World War II?
2. What was abstract expressionism breaking away from?
3. What did the asbestos miners want? What did they do to get this?
Affluence for Most (Chapter 7)
4. How many Italians came to Toronto between 1950 and 1965?
5. What are a few things that helped to fuel the growing housing boom? Where
were some of the problems with this boom?
6. In 1956, what milestone was reached?
7. What was the reaction of the various levels of government to married working
women?
8. What happened on September 6, 1952?
9. Where did most TV shows in Canada come from?
First Tremors (Chapter 9)
10. What was the most popular car in Canada in the 1950s?
11. What do people start to do for the first time?
12. About how many babies were born in 1959?
13. What happened to Maurice Richard? Why was there outrage in Quebec?
14. What was the reaction to Elvis? What happened to the girls in Quebec?