1. Major Canadian Events 1945-1967 S. Todd

2. Coming Home After WWII, nearly 1 million veterans came home to Canada To ease the transition back into society, the Canadian government passed special legislation that allowed them to have their old jobs back Veterans and war widows were given hiring preference and given free university/trade education tuition

3. Coming Home 1 in 5 veterans returned home with a war bride and sometimes children Canada also accepted 165 000 immigrants but King claimed he had the right to only admit “desirable future citizens” Discriminated against Italians, Greeks, Portuguese, and Jews

5. Suburbia Post-WWII was an exciting time for many Canadians who were able to move to a new and bigger home and a better lifestyle Long term mortgages became available Land was cheaper on the outskirts of cities so homes went up in the countryside -think “American dream”

6. Suburbia After WWI, the Great Depression, and WWII, Canadians wanted a normal family life with material possessions Cities began to run out of space, so cities began growing “up” (i.e. high rises) Suburbs focused on traditional values such as a stay-at-home mother Women, who made up one third of the workforce during the war, were let go to create jobs for returning vets

8. Suburbia Magazines said working mothers were the cause of “delinquent children” Fashion: long, full, skirts, narrow waists, high heels, red lips and cheeks Many women felt isolated in the suburbs and wanted to develop to full potential By mid-sixties, many were looking for a different way of life

10. The Age of the Automobile Father was the breadwinner In the 1950s, Canadians fell in love with the automobile (3.5 million of them were sold!) Cars were longer and fancier with chrome, fins, and fancy tail lights

12. The Age of the Automobile Downtown traffic jams became a reality Caused the birth of drive-in restaurants, drive-in theatres, tourism, and major highways Represented progress, technology, security, and freedom

14. The Baby Boom Refers to the increase in birth rate in the postwar period During the Depression and war, people put off having families After the war, a booming economy and government family allowances made it possible to start/expand families Marriage rate increased and people married younger

16. The Baby Boom 1959: Canada’s birth rate was highest in the world! 6.7 million Canadian children born between 1946 and 1961! People born around 1947 to 1966 are considered “Baby Boomers” Baby boom echo: society “feels” baby boomers moving through life stages

17. The Baby Boom Because baby boomers were the first generation to spend longer in school, they had more leisure time and money to spend The term “teenager” was coined Penny loafers, poodle skirts, cardigans, crinolines, hula hoops…

19. The Baby Boom Youth rebellion was especially evident in rock ‘n’ roll When Elvis Presley swiveled his hips, adults were outraged and banned camera shots below the waist! Together with new music came the Monster Mash, the Twist, the Mashed Potato

21. Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock YouTube link: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=jailho use+rock&FORM=VIRE7#view=detail&mid= 784ADC869CE638035B79784ADC869CE6 38035B79

22. The Culture and Character of the Era Teens brought a new type of culture to Canada; a style of behaviour that defined them as a group This was coined “pop culture” Consumerism was on the rise - again Eg. ball point pens, photocopiers, Polaroid cameras, cake mixes, typewriters, Kleenex

23. The Culture and Character of the Era Canadians were very conservative at this time – in 1948 women could be fined for wearing shorts! From 1945-1967, the Leafs and Canadiens each won nine Stanley Cups Aside from sports, most heroes and heroines were not “homegrown” People became fascinated with Hollywood (Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe)

25. Culture and Government A special body called the Massey Commission was appointed in 1949 to investigate the state of Canadian culture It denounced pop culture as an “American Evil” Massey recommended that Canada concentrate on developing a culture that was protected from American influence

27. Culture and Government Federal government spent a lot of money trying to create a valuable Canadian culture (Stratford Festival Theatre, National Ballet, National Film Board) Also advised that television be used for national communication rather than entertainment 1960: 90% of Canadian homes had TV

28. The Television Revolution TV had as much of an impact on Canadian society as the automobile had Families began to spend more time together in front of the TV but less time talking TV dinners were eaten off TV tables Canadians were primarily watching American TV programs like Lassie, Howdy Doodie, the Mickey Mouse Club, and I Love Lucy

29. 1950s TV Shows I Love Lucy (under AA TV Shows, 1951) Leave it to Beaver (under AA TV Shows, 1957)