1. Climate at the Turn of the 20th Century
Culture and Politics

2. Culture Most people lived on farms or in small towns
The minority of middle class people set the standards for morals and manners
Victorian period
Right, wrong and evil were clear for morals- no debate
Families took care of themselves without the government
Families had to attend church regularly

3. Women’s Movement
Women were not considered people under the law unless they committed a crime- BNA Act of 1867
Had few rights over property and their children. Divorce was rare.
Woman’s salary was considered to be her husband’s money
Suffragettes fought to get women the right to vote
Nelly McClung- died in Victoria

4. Canada is still a British Nation
Canada had it’s own government but were not independent from Britain
Prime Minister was Wilfred Laurier
Britain dealt with all the international disputes and often not in the best interests of Canada
Sun doesn’t set on the British Empire

5. Alaska Boundary Dispute, 1903
During the gold rush Canada and the US disagreed as to where the boundaries were between BC and Alaska (Alaska Panhandle)
Canada and the US decided to let the officials vote on it- 3 US judges, 2 Canadian and 1 British
British voted on the side of the Americans
Canada lost the Panhandle

6. Significance
Canada realized that they needed to have control over their own foreign affairs
Didn’t happen until 1931 with the Statute of Westminster

7. French Canada French didn’t want to be part of the British Empire
Considered themselves to be Canadien rather than British subjects
Supported independence from Britain- nationalists
Ideas started about French separating from Canada
Believed that their rights wouldn’t be protected

8. Creation of Alberta and Saskatchewan
Created in 1905
Catch was that they were not given control of their resources- cash payments instead
Growing population in the region due to immigration
Immigrants weren’t used to a democratic system so this solved the problem

9. Immigration Immigrants- people come to a country
Emigrants- people leave a country
Pull factors- things that made people want to move to Canada
Push factors- Things that made people want to move from their home country
Clifford Sifton- Open door policy for the west

10. Why Canada?
Lots of natural resources- pulp and paper exports, fishing and the Klondike Gold Rush
Opening of the West- ads all over the world to farm in Canada for cheap
National Policy- Created in the 1870s by John A. MacDonald- protected industries by imposing tariffs on cheaper imported goods. The opposite of free trade.
Canadian Pacific Railway- linked the East and the West and new towns developed along the railways

11. Discrimination
Many different ethnic groups and cultures were living in Canada however, many were discriminated against
Especially anyone who was East Indian, Black or Asian
Ex. From the US, Canada only accepted white farmers. No actual law but there were careful procedures

12. Chinese Immigration
Chinese were originally brought in for the gold rush then were recruited to build the Canadian Pacific Railway
When the railway was completed the Canadian government passed a bill for a Head tax that kept increasing. Gov collected $23 million
Chinese people couldn’t bring their families over
1923- Chinese Immigration Act- excluded Chinese from entering Canada
Victoria has the oldest Chinatown in Canada

13. Continuous Journey Regulation
Immigration Act amended in 1906
Immigrants had to arrive in Canada from the country in which they were natives or citizens of, with a ticket purchased in that country.
Catch was that since no shipping company provided direct trips from India to Canada. It indirectly banned Indian immigration.

14. Komagata Maru
1914, With 400 people on board it anchored in Burrard Inlet in Vancouver
Mostly poor East Indians on board lead by Gurdit Singh
Sat in the harbour for weeks. Deprived of food and water by Canadian authorities
Forced to turn back after two months
Locals cheered on the dock as the ship was escorted out

15. Further Reading
Komagata Maru: ru.htm
Chinese Canadian struggle in BC: 3/

16. Questions
Imagine you could go back to the Canada of What attitudes would you fine most difficult to deal with? Why?
Describe the situation of women in Canada in the years before World War I.
Explain why Canadiens did not share any enthusiasm for Canada’s ties to Britain. Do you think their objections were justified? Why?