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Unit

3Canada: A Changing

SocietyCanada: A Changing

Society

When Canada entered the 20th century, the young

Dominion was only 33 years old. In the first 20

years of the new century, the country would see

great changes, some that would shake the world.

There were major advances in technology. Automobiles and

airplanes replaced horses and carriages as a means of getting

around. The telephone and wireless radio changed communi-

cations. Industries grew at an astonishing pace. People flocked

to factories in cities and towns looking for new opportunities.

New immigrants continued to pour into Canada.

Movements for social change were underway. There were

great inequalities between rich and poor, men and women,

workers and their bosses. New immigrants and Aboriginal

people also found themselves treated differently from others

in society. People were actively working to bring about

changes in the way they lived and worked.

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Unit

31871 -

Timeline

Focusing In!After studying this unit, you will be able to answer the following questions.1. What factors contributed to the major changes in Canadian society at the turn

of the 20th century?2. Who were some of the most important inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs?

What were their contributions?3. What was the Industrial Revolution and how did it affect Canada?4. What problems did new immigrants face?5. How did the Indian Act and government policies affect the lives of Aboriginal peoples?6. What problems did workers face? How did they bring about change?7. What social reforms were women fighting for? How successful were they?8. What changes in society are Canadians working for today?

222

1876 -

1884 -

1889 -

1897 -

1901 -

1908 -

1909 -

1914 -

1916 -

1918 -

1919 -

Ontario introduces compulsory elementary education

Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone Indian Act passes

Factory Act passes in Ontario

Report of the Royal Commission on the Relations of Labour andCapital is made

Klondike Gold Rush takes place in the Yukon

Marconi receives first transatlantic wireless message

Child Labour Act passes in Ontario

First airplane flight in British empire is made

World War I breaks out in Europe

Manitoba women are first to win right to vote

All women in Canada gain vote in federal elections World War I ends

Winnipeg General Strike takes place

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One of the most popular new inventionsat the turn of the 20th century was thebicycle. This is perhaps surprising to ustoday, but for people who relied onhorses and carriages to get around, thebicycle brought a new sense of freedomand mobility. After all, horses had to befed and housed. Bicycles didn’t. It wassuch a wonderfully simple idea—twowheels propelled by a pedal-poweredchain drive.

The bicycle craze swept Canada. Bythe turn of the century, one in every 12persons owned a “wheel.” Schools werestarted where people could learn thefine points of riding. Cycling clubs orga-nized tours, rallies, and races. Manywomen became cycling enthusiasts.Cycling changed women’s fashions.Now women could wear less restrictiveand more sensible clothing, such asdivided skirts. For people in the cities,the bicycle solved the problem of trans-portation. People could live fartherfrom their place of work and get to theirjobs more easily.

The bicycle helped to break downsocial barriers too. Here was a vehiclethe poor as well as the rich could afford.A cleaning woman might find herselfriding to work beside her bank man-ager. Bicycles also had an airof romance. Couples honey-mooned on them. On Sun-days, the roads were dustyfrom cyclists heading intothe countryside for picnics.

Chapter

15 At the Turn of the CenturyA New Invention

Reflecting1. Create a web diagram to show how a simple invention

such as the bicycle could change society. Considerchanges to work, leisure, fashions, transportation,attitudes, etc.

2. How has the use of the bicycle changed today? Suggestreasons for this.

223

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Unit 3 Canada: A Changing Society224

Life at the Turn of theCenturyIf you could step into a time machine and goback to Canada before 1901, what do you thinklife would be like? What might strike you mostwould be the inequalities between the rich andpoor in society. The rich were very rich. Taxeswere so low that they were left with most oftheir money to spend. It went on houses,horses, carriages, and luxuries.

Sir Henry Pellatt was a good example. In1910, Pellatt spent $2 million building his home,Casa Loma, in Toronto. Casa Loma contained30 bathrooms, 3 bowling alleys, 52 telephones,

and an indoor rifle range. The stables hadmahogany stalls and Persian rugs. Pellatt oncehad a custom set of false teeth made for hisfavourite horse.

However, most Canadians could not affordto live that way. The average Canadian still lit agas or kerosene lamp and cooked on a wood-burning stove. Without running water and elec-tricity, there were no washers, dryers, electricstoves, or refrigerators. People lived in modestlittle wood or brick houses. Often two or threegenerations lived under the same roof.

Working conditions were no better for mostpeople. In cities, factories were depressing

places. Hours were long. Wages werelow. The work was often dangerous.

The wealthy often lived in large man-sions in areas of towns and cities wellaway from factories and workers.Theirhomes were richly decorated. Familytreasures and photographs covered thetables. Heavy laces were draped overtables and chairs. Rich brocades hungfrom ceiling to floor at the windowsand doors.

The poor, especially immigrants,often faced a difficult life in cityslums. Parents and four or morechildren might be jammed into asingle room. In winter, homeswere often cold and drafty. Insummer, they could be unbear-ably hot. Few workers couldafford to buy their homes.Theypaid rent and many had to take inboarders to help pay expenses.

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Chapter 15: At the Turn of the Century 225

In the country, farm life was also hard. Theprofit made on farm products was low. Fewfarmers were very well off.

At the bottom of the economic ladder werethe recent immigrants. They were forced to live

and work in terrible conditions. Many werecrowded into basement or attic rooms in theoldest parts of towns and cities. But changeswere coming that would affect the lives of allgroups in society.

The children of wealthy families were well dressed and had the latest toys.Thechildren of the poor were often poverty’ssaddest victims. Many children had to goout to work at an early age and help support the family. A law was introduced in 1885 to stop boys under 12 years oldfrom working. However, some parents falsified documents and sent younger children to work.

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CultureLink

Picture GalleryChanging Lifestyles

At the turn of the century, horses pulledploughs on farms, delivery wagons intowns and cities, and even streetcars.But with the arrival of electricity,electric streetcars made their debut in Canadian cities.The first were run in Windsor, Ontario in 1886. SoonVancouver,Winnipeg, Montréal,Hamilton, and Toronto all had electrictrams.

The Eaton’s store in Toronto was one of the first department stores in Canada. Its catalogue wasa collection of the latest fashions, machinery, and gadgets. People could buy electric washingmachines, sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, and even electric hearing aids. Goods could beshipped across the country to even the remotest farming villages. People in city and country alikecould have the latest gadgets.

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1. Imagine you are a worker in a smallCanadian town at the turn of the century.Describe how each one of the changesshown in these photos would affect yourdaily life.

2. How might these changes affect you if youwere living on a farm in the countryside?

More people were getting telephones.Alexander Graham Bell had developed theidea for the telephone while living inBrantford, Ontario. Later, he successfully sentthe first long distance telephone call. In 1876,he started the Bell Telephone Company. Soontelephone wires crisscrossed the countrysideconnecting cities and towns. Now peoplecould communicate with friends and familyover long distances. Businesses thrived as cus-tomers ordered goods from stores by phone.

Some advances were being made inhealth care. But good medical carewas not available to all Canadians.Only the wealthy could afford topay the expenses.Working peopleoften relied on home remedies. Inrural areas a doctor was often toofar away to be of much help.

A new form of entertainment was coming onthe scene—moving pictures.The first films weresilent and in black and white. Dialogue wasshown on the screen as captions.A pianist oftenadded music and sound effects. Movies were sopopular that Ernest Ouimet opened one of theworld’s first movie theatres in Montréal in 1906.

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EducationAt the turn of the century wealthy childrencould look forward to an education. Children offarming or working class families, however,often had to leave school (if they went toschool at all) to work on the farms or in facto-ries. Farming families could not do without theextra hands, especially at harvest time. Workingclass families in towns and cities needed theextra income, even if it was small.

Nevertheless, people began to realize theimportance of education. In 1871, Ontariopassed a law saying all children must get atleast an elementary school education. By theturn of the century, all children aged between 7and 12 in all provinces except Québec wererequired to go to school. This had an effect onthe literacy rate. The literacy rate is the per-centage of people who can read and write. By 1901, 83% of Canadians over the age of

five could both read and write. YoungerCanadians were more often literate than theirgrandparents.

Most classroom time was spent learning thethree R’s (reading, writing, and arithmetic),along with history and geography. Studentsmemorized grammar rules, recited historydates, and practised handwriting and arithmetictables. They spent a lot of time reading aloudand competing in spelling bees.

HealthHouses for workers in towns and cities wereoften built hastily and cheaply. There were nobuilding codes to make sure homes were safe,clean, and well constructed. Homes did nothave bathrooms with running water and flushtoilets like they do today. Only wealthy peopletook baths. Toilets were outdoor pits, basicallyjust holes dug in the ground.

Schools in rural areas were usually just one-room. Pupils might range in age from 6 to 16 orolder.The teacher worked with one or two students at a time while the others studied bythemselves. Older students often tutored younger ones. City classrooms were usually groupedby grades.There were one or two grades in the same class. Compare this schoolroom withyour own.

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Drinking water came unpurified from riversand lakes. Often people threw their garbageand dumped their sewage into the same riversand lakes. Water from wells or large bucketsput out to catch rain was cleaner. But even thiswater was often contaminated by garbage andoutdoor pit toilets nearby. People tossed theirslop out of doors and there were no sewers totake away the dirty water. Boards of healthcalled for sanitary inspection of buildings andcleaner water supplies, but change was slow.

Streets and houses were often infested withrats and lice. The filthy conditions contributedto much sickness and a high death rate.Diseases such as typhoid, diptheria, and cholerawere common. Many children died from child-hood illnesses because of poor diet and lack ofmedical attention. In 1870, nearly half of the 47 000 deaths in Canada were children under 5years old. Nearly 14 000 died in their first year.Many of the medicines and treatments we havetoday had not yet been invented. Gradually peo-ple paid attention to more sanitary conditionsand training for doctors at medical schoolsimproved. A program to immunize childrenagainst diseases was introduced.

Aboriginal PeoplesAt the beginning of the 20th century, Aboriginalpeoples were also facing serious social problems.Their traditional way of life was disappearing.Many had been forced to move onto reserves.Diseases such as smallpox and tuberculosisdrastically reduced their population. Manyfaced poverty and ill health.

The Indian Act, introduced in 1876, wasdesigned to eventually assimilate or absorbAboriginal peoples into Canadian society.Duncan Campbell Scott, Superintendant ofIndian Affairs from 1913 to 1932, put it this way:

The happiest future for the Indian race isabsorption into the general population, andthis is the object of the policy of our gov-ernment. The great forces of intermarriageand education will finally overcome the lin-gering traces of native custom and tradition.

But Aboriginal peoples were not easilyassimilated. They did not want to give upbeliefs and practices that had been part of theircultures for centuries. As government agentsgrew impatient, greater restrictions wereplaced on Aboriginal peoples. Traditional cere-monies such as the potlatch on the West Coastwere banned. Aboriginal children were takenfrom their families and sent to live in specialresidential schools run by missionaries.Aboriginal children were not allowed to speaktheir own languages or follow their culturalpractices at these schools. Rules were strictand punishment was severe. Teachers wereoften poorly trained. Few children received agood education and many were ill-treated. The schools broke the connection betweenchildren, parents, and their cultures. Many traditional Aboriginal ways were lost or forgotten. Today Aboriginal communities arestill working to revive these traditions. Theyhope to heal the damage done during this difficult period in their history.

Aboriginal children were separated from theirfamilies, communities, and culture when theywere placed in residential schools. Residentialschools were not phased out until the 1960s.In 1998, the Canadian government made aformal apology to Aboriginal peoples for thetreatment they received in residential schools.

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In the first two decades of the 20th century,the nature of Canada’s population changedtremendously. Examine these charts, graphs,and statistics for a picture of these changes.

Population Growth

1. What happened to the population ofCanada from 1861 to 1911?

2. Which decade (ten-year period) showsthe greatest increase in the total popula-tion of Canada?

3. What was happening tothe population in westernCanada between 1871and 1911?

4. Which decade shows thegreatest growth in popu-lation in Manitoba?Suggest reasons for this.

5. What was the total pop-ulation growth in thefour provinces between1901 and 1911? Whatwere the reasons for this?

Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta BritishColumbia

1871 25 228 n.a. n.a. 36 2471881 62 260 n.a. n.a. 49 4591891 152 506 n.a. n.a. 98 1731901 255 211 91 279 73 022 178 6571911 461 394 493 432 374 295 392 480

n.a. = not availableSource: Dominion Bureau of Statistics

Snapshot: A Changing Population

Population of the Four Western Provinces, 1871-1911

GENERAL POPULATION OF CANADABY CENSUS DATES, 1861–1911

Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics

1861

1871

1881

1891

1901

1911

3 229 633

3 689 257

4 324 810

4 833 239

5 371 315

7 206 643

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Immigration

Urbanization

6. Based on the pictograph, decidewhether the following statementsare true or false. Rewrite any falsestatements to make them true.a) In 1871, most Canadians were

farmers.b) In 1901, most Canadians lived in

cities.c) In the decade 1891-1901, there

was a greater increase in the number of urban dwellers than of farmers.

d) This chart tells you why people moved to the cities.

7. Refer to the table.Which cities were growingat the turn of the century? Which city expe-rienced the greatest growth between 1881and 1901?

8. Suggest some reasons for the growth oftowns and cities.

URBAN AND RURAL POPULATION OF CANADA, 1871 TO 1911

Rural Urban

1871

1881

1891

1901

1911

one symbol represents400 000 people

Growth of Selected Towns and CitiesMontréal Toronto Vancouver

1881 155 238 96 196 n.a.1891 219 616 181 215 13 7091901 267 730 208 040 42 340

Québec City Saint John

1871 59 699 41 3251901 68 840 40 711

Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics n.a. = not available

GreatBritain84.0%

SOURCE OF IMMIGRANTS, 1871

Total Immigrants to Canada 594 027

UnitedStates10.9%

Europe4.9%

Other 0.2%

SOURCE OF IMMIGRANTS, 1901-1911

Total Immigrants to Canada 1 681 041

BritishEmpire40.2%*

UnitedStates31.8%

Rest ofEurope19.2%

Asia2.3%

Northern Europe 3.8%Russia 2.3%

*The majority came from the United Kingdom

9. From where did most immigrants come in 1871?10. How did this percentage change in the period 1901

to 1911? Which other parts of the world began tosend immigrants to Canada during this period?

11. What was the increase in the total number ofimmigrants to Canada from 1871 to 1911?

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IndustrialRevolutionOne of the greatestchanges at the turn ofthe 20th century wasthe development ofnew industries andmachines. The worldwas going through an Industrial

Revolution. By 1900the miracle of elec-tricity brought asource of power thatwas cheaper thanburning coal to makesteam. Soon electricgenerating stationswere built and powerlines spread across townsand cities.

With more efficientsources of power, factoriescould produce goods faster,in greater quantities, andmore cheaply than everbefore. Inventors developed new machines toincrease production even more. Entrepreneurs

started new businesses to sell the goods. In Canada, factories pumped out clothing,

shoes, canned foods, tools, and farm imple-ments. The boom in railway building created ademand for steel and iron. Steel foundries andmining expanded to meet the demand. Railwayyards in Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, andMontréal turned out hundreds of locomotivesand thousands of railway cars.

Manufacturing and hydroelectric power inCanada were concentrated in Ontario andQuébec. This area became known as Canada’sindustrial heartland. The Maritimes devel-oped steel and textile industries using theirown supply of coal. However, industrializationin the Maritimes was hampered by poor accessto markets. Winnipeg became the major centreof manufacturing in the West.

A Global EconomyWith the Industrial Revolution, the world wasalso becoming more interconnected. Newindustries needed raw materials from many dif-ferent parts of the world. Automobile factoriesin Canada, for example, got the iron ore tomake steel from mines in North America. Butthe rubber for tires might come from planta-tions in Brazil and Malaysia. The leather for theseats might come from ranches in Argentina orAustralia.

Railways and faster ocean-going steamshipsmade it possible to transport these goods andraw materials around the world. Trade amongnations was increasing. Canada sent vast quan-tities of wheat from the prairies to Europe.Products from mines and forests were alsoshipped across the oceans. A new global

economy was emerging.

E.B. Eddy’s Manufacturing and Lumbering Company in Québec wasone of the many new industries that developed in Canada at the turnof the century.What products did this company manufacture?

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In 1897, the last great gold rush in North America began in the Klondike region of the Yukon.During the winter of 1897, 22 000 people were checked through the Chilkoot Pass by theNorth-West Mounted Police.Within two years, Dawson City became the largest Canadian citywest of Winnipeg. Its music halls, saloons, hotels, stores, and shacks reflected the wild andheady days of the gold rush. By 1903, the boom was over, but the Yukon was no longer asremote and unknown as it had been.The Yukon became a territory of Canada in 1898.

In 1901 at St. John’s,Newfoundland,Guglielmo Marconireceived the first trans-atlantic wireless radiomessage from a station in Cornwall, England.Thiswas a revolutionary stepin communications. Itmeant that cables did nothave to be laid along theocean floor or acrosscontinents for messagesto be sent.

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TechLink A Shrinking World

Airplanes

The first airplane waslaunched off the ground in

1903. In that year at KittyBeach, North Carolina, theAmerican brothers Orville andWilbur Wright proved that amachine heavier than air couldfly. The flight lasted just 12 sec-onds, but it marked the begin-ning of the Air Age. In Canada,inventors were also experiment-ing with flying machines. In1907 at Baddeck, Nova Scotia,Alexander Graham Bell foundedthe Aerial Experiment Assoc-

iation (AEA). One of its mem-bers, J.A.D. McCurdy, made thefirst airplane flight in the British

empire in the Silver Dart in1909. The Silver Dart was considered one of the mostadvanced aircraft of its day.

McCurdy and CaseyBaldwin tried to demonstratethe value of aircraft for militarypurposes. Unfortunately, theSilver Dart crash-landed duringthe flight trials. Governmentmilitary officials rejected theidea of using airplanes in war-fare. Ironically, the airplaneplayed an important role duringWorld War I and J.A.D. McCurdybecame the director of govern-ment aircraft production duringWorld War II.

Silver DartTechFactsMaximum speed: 69 km/hWing span: 15 mLength: 12 mRange: 640 mConstruction:

made of steel tube, bam-boo, friction tape, wire,wood, and covered withrubberized silk balloon-cloth. No brakes.

The Silver Dart madeover 46 successfulflights, some coveringas much as 32 km.It was an importantpioneer in Canadianaviation history.

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AutomobilesAutomobiles were just beginning to be pro-duced at the turn of the 20th century. HenryFord founded the Detroit Automobile Companyin 1899, nine years after Daimler started hiscompany in Germany.

At first, automobiles were the “rich man’stoy.” Average Canadians could not afford thenew “horseless carriages.” But in the 1920swith the invention of the assembly line andmass production, prices of cars dropped. Morepeople could afford the automobile. The 20thcentury became the “Age of the Automobile.”

McLaughlin automobiles were made withBuick engines bought from the UnitedStates and McLaughlin-built bodies. By1914, McLaughlin was selling 1000 cars ayear in Canada.

Timeline of Canadian Automobile History

1867 First steam-powered horseless car-riage in Canada is produced in Québec

1893 An electric car is made by the DixonCarriage Company in Toronto; it goesup to 20 km/h on a one-hour batterycharge

1897 First Canadian internal combustionengine car is made in Québec byGeorge Ross

1907 Canada’s first service station opens inVancouver

1908 Oshawa, Ontario carriage makerSamuel McLaughlin produces 200automobiles in CanadaPrince Edward Island bans automo-biles in the interests of public safety

1913 There are 50 678 passenger cars inCanada

1918 Samuel McLaughlin sells theMcLaughlin Motor Company toGeneral Motors of Canada

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oNetsurferNetsurferVisit the National

Aviation Museum at

www.nmstc.ca/.

1. You are a radio reporter sent tocover the first flight of the SilverDart, the Silver Dart’s military trials, or the unveiling of a newMcLaughlin model car.Write youreyewitness report and record it onaudiotape. Include your views onthe impact this new invention willhave.

2. Create a model of the Silver Dart ora McLaughlin automobile. Includedetailed notes on its unique designand capabilities. For more informa-tion, visit the web site listed in theNetsurfer below or contact theCanadian Automobile Museum inOshawa, Ontario.

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ProfilesElijah McCoy

Elijah McCoy was born in 1844 inColchester, Ontario. His parents wereescaped slaves who fled from Kentuckyto Canada by theUnderground Railroad.Early in life, Elijahshowed an interest in theway mechanical devicesworked. His parents senthim to study in Scotland.He became a mastermechanic and engineer.He later settled inDetroit, but being Black,he was not allowed a jobin his profession.

McCoy went to workfor the Michigan CentralRailroad. His job was to walk the lengthof trains oiling axles and other movingparts. McCoy soon realized this jobcould be done more efficiently. He

developed a lubricating cup that wouldautomatically drip oil onto moving partswhile the train was still in operation.

McCoy gained instantfame for his invention.He started the ElijahMcCoy ManufacturingCompany in Detroit.Other companies copiedhim, but their productsnever worked as well.Engineers began askingfor “the real McCoy.” Westill use this phrase todayto mean “the real thing” or “a quality product or service.”

Throughout his lifeMcCoy invented, patented, and soldmore than 50 devices and machine parts,including the ironing board and the lawnsprinkler.

Timothy Eaton was 20 years old when hearrived in Canada in 1854 from Ireland.He had very little money, but lots ofambition and a willingness to work hard.In 1869, he borrowed some money andopened his own small store in Toronto. Itwas the beginning of a retail revolutionin Canada.

TimothyEaton intro-duced twoimportant newideas in retailing.He offered rock bot-tom prices with “one fairprice for all.” This eliminated the time-consuming practice of clerk and

Timothy Eaton

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customer haggling over the price. Theprice on the tag was fixed, take it orleave it. Eaton also had the motto of“goods satisfactory or moneyrefunded.” If customers were unhappywith purchases, the store wouldrefund their money. Before long,Eaton won the confidence and sup-port of his customers. The popularity

of his store meant that he soon out-grew his first location. In 1883, hemoved to a much larger new store,Toronto’s first department store. By1890, his store had 450 employees and60 departments. By the time of hisdeath in 1907, Timothy Eaton hadearned a place in Canadian history asa great entrepreneur.

Mary Pickford was one of the firstgreat film stars in history. She was

also a shrewd businesswoman and motion-picture producer in anera when few womenhad career opportuni-ties outside teachingor nursing.

Mary Pickford wasborn as Gladys MarieSmith in Toronto in1893. Her father wasan alcoholic and diedafter abandoning thefamily while awaylooking for work. Tohelp make money for

the family, Mary, her younger sisterLottie, and her younger brother Jackfound work acting on the stage. Marywas a tremendous success. When shemade it to Broadway, she changedher name to Mary Pickford. In 1909,she launched her movie career withtwo silent films. She was a talentedactor who could handle both dra-matic and comedic roles.

In 1917, she was receiving a salary of $350 000 per film. No otherstar was commanding such money.

In 1919 she co-founded the famousstudio, United Artists, with DouglasFairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, and D.W.Griffith. Over the next 20 years, shestarred in and produced many suc-cessful films. She won an academyaward in 1929 for Coquette. In 1933she retired from acting and spenttime promoting several different char-ities. Mary Pickford died in 1979 atthe age of 87.

1. Suppose you have an idea for anew invention or business. Ingroups, discuss what you think youwould have to do to make youridea a success.Why might this beeven more difficult in the early1900s?

2. Research the lives and careers ofother famous entrepreneurs orinventors of the early 20th century.Create history cards that demon-strate their contribution to thedevelopment of Canada and theworld. Some people you mightconsider are Jake Englehart, JosephFlavelle, Reginald Fessenden, andAbraham Gesner.

Mary Pickford

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UrbanizationThe Industrial Revolution alsohad an effect on towns andcities. Before Confederation, the British North Americancolonies were largely made upof farms and villages. With thedevelopment of new farmmachinery, fewer workers wereneeded on the farms. Manyyoung people flocked to citiesand towns looking for work inthe new factories. Homesteadswere usually passed on to theeldest son, so many youngersons and women also moved to the cities looking for newopportunities.

Towns and cities in Canadawere growing at an astonishingrate. Between 1901 and 1911,Canada’s urban population increased by 62%.Urbanization, the movement of people totowns and cities, changed the face of Canada at the turn of the 20th century.

ImmigrationIn 1896, Clifford Sifton had introduced an“open door” immigration policy to fill the Westwith settlers. Between 1896 and 1911, Canadaexperienced the greatest wave of immigrationin its history. Almost 2 million people arrived inCanada. While many flocked to establish home-steads in the West, others moved to the grow-ing towns and cities in western and easternCanada such as Toronto, Montréal, andWinnipeg. The flood of immigrants contributedto Canada’s growing population and workforce.New immigrants often took on the most dan-gerous, dirty, or difficult jobs that otherCanadians did not want to do. They helped tosupport the growth of new industries and busi-nesses in Canada at the turn of the century.

Many immigrants did not find the land ofnew opportunities and prosperity they werehoping for. Homes and working conditions in

cities and towns were hopelessly inadequatefor them. They also faced poor treatment byCanadians who were not happy about Sifton’s“open door” immigration policy. Many English-speaking Canadians only wanted settlers ofBritish background in order to keep strong tieswith Britain. They were concerned about thegrowing number of foreigners in their midst. Itwas said that non-English speaking peoplewould have trouble being assimilated orabsorbed into the Canadian way of life. FrenchCanadians feared that foreigners would lessentheir chances for French language rights andseparate schools in the West.

In 1910, Canada’s immigration policy becamemore restrictive and selective. Immigration officers could turn away members of groupswho were considered “less desirable.” Theseincluded Asians, Blacks, Jews, East Asians,southern Europeans, and Americans. Despitethese restrictions, Canada had become a moremulticultural nation by 1912. In that year,almost one-fifth of the population was neitherFrench nor British in origin.

Toronto was a growing city in 1911.What evidence can yousee of the many changes that were taking place in the early20th century?

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Today Canada has one of the most open immi-gration policies in the world. Immigrants from

nations all over the world have settled inCanada. Our immigration policy focuses on

bringing families together and attracting peo-ple who can contribute to the country throughtheir particular education, training, and expe-

rience. Canada also has a strong record ofwelcoming refugees. Refugees are people whoare persecuted because of their race, religion,nationality, political opinions, or social group

in their home countries. Canada accepts

Fast Forward

Immigration Today

Canada’s immigration policy during the Laurier years was particu-larly discriminatory against Asians. Laws were passed to keepChinese people out of Canada. Union workers were afraid thatthe Chinese would take away their jobs.A head tax had to bepaid by each Chinese person wishing to enter Canada. In 1900,this head tax was $100.In 1903, it was raised to$500.This was a stag-gering amount of moneyat this time. In BritishColumbia, anti-Asianriots were also directedagainst Japanese immi-grants. Immigrants fromJapan were restricted to400 persons per year.Not until the 1950swere Canadians fromAsia allowed to vote infederal elections.

Immigration Policy

between 20 000 and 30 000 refugees each year.In 1999, 5000 refugees were welcomed fromwar-torn Kosovo in the Balkans of Europe. Some aspects of our immigration policy are still controversial. In 1995, the government

required all immigrants to pay $975 when theyapply to come to Canada. Some people calledthis a head tax. The government said the tax

was meant to help pay the costs of language andskills training and other services that help

immigrants settle in.To find out more about Canada’s immigration,

visit the web site of Citizenship and ImmigrationCanada at http://cicnet.ci.gc.ca/.

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Often, we think that history has to be writtendown. But did you know that to communicatehistory, you can use a wide variety of differentmedia? Just think about museums. How many different ways do museums use to present astory from the past?

Imagine you are museum curators. A cura-tor selects, organizes, and presents items for an

exhibition.The wonderful aspect of museumexhibitions is that they present items you cantouch, see, feel, hear, and sometimes even taste.Your project is to create an exhibition on life atthe turn of the 20th century.The web diagrambelow gives you some ideas on aspects you canexplore.

Skill Building: Creating Multi-Media Presentations

Recreationand Leisure

Work andHome Life

Statistics(population, etc.)

Transportation

Family Life Education

Fashion Communication

Roles of People Food

Literature Art and Music

LIFE ATTHE TURN OF

THE TWENTIETHCENTURY

Industry andTechnology(tools andmachines)

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When and Where?1. As a class, discuss where and when you willpresent your exhibition.You may decide to setup your exhibition in your classroom on a par-ticular day. Decide where stations can be set up.An important part of a museum exhibition isknowing how to make the best use of the spaceyou are given.You may also want to createposters to invite other students in your schoolor parents to your exhibition.

Plan Your Exhibition Station2. Divide into groups. Have each group coverone main topic outlined in the web diagram. Inyour groups, discuss how your topic could bedivided into sub-topics. For example, transporta-tion might be divided into land (automobiles,streetcars, etc.), air, and sea.

3. Next, consider what media you can use tobest present each aspect of your topic. Somemedia will suit some topics better than others.

For example, if your topic is “Food,” you maywant to include actual samples, recipes, price lists,and perhaps a video showing how a particularfood was made. If your topic is “Transportation,”you would probably want to include models,diagrams, audiovisual demonstrations, etc.

Also remember that your presentation needsto include variety (e.g., use different media),impact (e.g., use colour, graphics, large print, cleartitles, etc.), and clear explanations (e.g., card cap-tions, voice-overs on videos, etc).You want yourvisitors to go away feeling that they got a clearpicture of what your topic says about early 20thcentury life.

4. When you have decided on the elements inyour presentation, discuss how best to displaythem. Remember the space you have to workwith.What can be mounted on the wall? Whatcan be placed on a table? If your display willinclude an audio or visual recording, whereshould the equipment be placed? Is there a par-ticular order in which you want visitors to go

through your presentation? A sketch diagram ofwhere you want to place items might be helpful.

Create It!5. Now, assign tasks. Each group member mayneed to collect the information, materials, andresources to create one element of your display.

6. Once everyone has finished his or her task,collect all of your items and mount your display.Take the time to evaluate it once it is set up. Isthere anything you should move? Is everythingclearly labelled? Do you need to add anything?Does your display meet the key requirements ofa good exhibition?

Go On Tour7. Finally, tour all of the other exhibition stations.Ask questions. Keep notes on the following:• something new I learned which really

surprised me• something that was presented in a very

creative way• a presentation that was especially fun • the most interesting items that I could see,

touch, feel, hear, and taste

VarietyOrganization

Information

Clarity

Impact

Some Different Mediamodels paintingsaudiotapes advertisementsphotographs artifactsvideos postersCD ROMs costumesdiagrams chartssamples dramatizationsnews reports memoirs

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ActivitiesUnderstanding Concepts

1. Add the following new terms to your Factfile.

literacy rate entrepreneur urbanizationassimilate industrial heartland head taxresidential school global economy curatorIndustrial Revolution Aerial Experiment

Association (AEA)

2. Contrast the lifestyles of the rich and poor in Canada at the turn of the 20thcentury using an organizer. In one column, list words which describe living conditions of the wealthy. In a second column, list words which describe livingconditions of the poor. Do you think the same extremes exist today? Why doyou feel this way?

3. Use a chart like the one below to summarize some of the key similarities anddifferences between life in 1900 and life today.

Life in 1900 Life Today

Home LifeWork LifeTransportationCommunicationEducationIndustryLeisure

Digging Deeper

4. INVESTIGATE/CREATE Investigate common household products and appliances,fashions, furniture, and even farm tools of the early 20th century. In groups, cre-ate a catalogue of these items including pictures and brief descriptions.

5. WRITE/CREATE Imagine you are a member of a Board of Health in a Canadiancity at the turn of the century.You have toured a number of the city neigh-bourhoods and made notes on changes you feel have to be made to improveconditions. Create a series of posters or bulletins that you would post to makepeople aware of health problems and what they can do to improve the situation.

6. THINK/APPLY Globalization is the idea that the world and all its people arebecoming one large community with interconnected needs and services.How did each of the following changes at the turn of the 20th century con-tribute to globalization? Create a web diagram to illustrate your ideas.

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a) the automobileb) the telephonec) the wireless radio

7. ROLE PLAY/VIEWPOINTS The question of immigration and how immigrantsshould fit in to their new country was a topic of debate in the early 20th cen-tury.Three main viewpoints were:

a) assimilation: new immigrants should abandon their cultural traditions andtake on the values and traditions of the English-Canadian majority

b) melting pot: new immigrants should cut their ties with their original home-lands and blend to form a new and uniquely Canadian identity

c) cultural mosaic: new immigrants should preserve their cultures as importantparts of Canada’s overall social make-up which tolerates differences

Which viewpoint was the dominant one at the turn of the 20th century?Which is the dominant viewpoint today?

Role play a debate in which you have people who take each of these pointsof view. Set the debate at the turn of the 20th century.The supporter of assim-ilation could be Clifford Sifton.Also include an Aboriginal person.ThoughAboriginal people were not immigrants in Canada, government policies at theturn of the 20th century were aimed at assimilating them.

Following the conversation, consider this question: If you set the debatetoday in the early 21st century, how might your discussion have been different?

8. RESEARCH/MEDIA The Klondike Gold Rush was an exciting time in Canadianhistory. Many legends, poems, and songs have been written about this period.Historic photographs recorded the experiences of miners and prospectors. Dosome research to create a scrapbook, bulletin board display, or web site tellingthe story of the Klondike days for people today.

Making New Connections

9. VIEW/COMPARE Choose one of the photographs in this chapter and try tofind a corresponding modern photograph. For example, if you choose the pho-tograph of the country schoolroom, find a photograph of a rural schoolroomtoday. Display the photos and add a written description comparing them.

10. INTERVIEW Interview new immigrants to Canada about their attitudestowards their new home and to Canada’s immigration policies today. Prepare alist of questions you would like to ask beforehand. Record your interviews onaudiotape. Compare opinions and report on your most interesting findings tothe class.

d) the airplanee) the Industrial Revolutionf) immigration

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Documents

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