2. Social & Political Change In the post-Confederation years, territorial expansion, immigration, and industrialization had resulted in many changes in Canada. As conditions in Canada changed, people's expectations about the kind of country they wanted also changed. Canadians demanded reforms, or improvements, that began to shape the identity of the nation.

3. The Manitoba Schools Question The Manitoba Schools Question was part of a long-standing religious, cultural and political controversy that knew no local limits. The issue was so controversial that it became a matter of national importance in 1894 and was a major issue in the election of 1896. It was a French –English conflict as well as a Catholic-Protestant conflict.

4. THE QUESTION: Would there continue to be a dual society in Manitoba with both English and French languages and institutions as outlined in the Manitoba Act of 1870, or would the English Canadian way of life prevail?

5. By 1890, a large influx of English settlers destroyed the racial balance The late 1880’s brought a feeling among the majority that separate Church-run schools should be replaced with a system of public schools:  Would encourage democratic spirit and foster unity  French Catholics schools were a privilege and the province could simply not afford to support 2 separate school systems  The public debates began: Protestants called for the abolition of the separate schools and the French-English battle moved from Ontario and Quebec into Manitoba. In August, 1889 Dalton McCarthy introduced his anti Catholic and to French campaign to Manitoba in Portage la Prairie, supported by Attorney General Joseph Martin who said that Manitoba should discontinue separate schools and the privilege of the French language

6. In 1890, legislation was passed to establish a single, secular education system. Separate schools would no longer get government support. The Roman Catholics appealed to Macdonald to help, but he refused to intervene because it was a provincial matter. The French then appealed to the courts saying that the Manitoba Schools Act contradicted the Manitoba Act, but the Privy Council ruled against them. The Catholics appealed once again under Section 93 of the BNA Act, requesting that the Federal Government pass remedial legislation.

7. Public financial support for separate schools was denied, but the right of Roman Catholics to religious instruction was recognized.  In areas where the number of Catholic students was large (10 in a rural area, 40 in a town), a Catholic teacher could be hired and religious instruction was permitted for the last half hour of each day. Also, any school that had more than 10 French speaking (or any other language besides English) could have instruction in their native tongue when requested by the parents. This compromise was known as the Laurier-Greenway Agreement.

8. In subsequent years, some schools provided instruction in Polish, German, and Ukrainian, as well as French. The compromise lasted until the start of the First World War, when suspicion of recent immigrants, especially those from eastern Europe, grew stronger. In 1916, the Manitoba government abolished the provision that allowed instruction in languages other than English.

9. Why do you think the Manitoba Schools Question was so important to French Canadians in Québec and elsewhere in the country?

10. WESTERN DISCONTENT

11. At the turn of the century, Canadian farmers were advocating for change. Farmers paid shipping costs, or freight rates, to the railroad that took their products to market.  The railroad would not supply cars onto which grain could be loaded directly, and so farmers had no choice—they had to pay for loading platforms and elevator storage. Because the federal government would not allow any other railroads in the West to build south of CPR lines, a policy known as disallowance, there was no competition for the CPR. This meant it was a monopoly; it could charge what it wanted for shipping. Shipping costs were high in the Atlantic and western provinces—at least twice as high as in central Canada.

12. Farmers, especially those in the West, who were far from the major manufacturing center in central Canada, were also suffering from the tariffs. Many farmers joined together in farmer-owned cooperatives to pool their costs and purchase expensive equipment.

13. Why might western Canadian farmers have begun to feel alienated from the established political parties?

14. Rise of Unions in Canada Increased industrialization at the turn of the 19 th century saw many Canadians move from the fields to factory work.  Most employees had to work ten or more hours a day, six days a week, for little pay. Women and children were also hired and were paid even less. Working conditions were often unhealthy and unsafe.  For example, most factories had poor lighting and heating and dangerous equipment with few or no safety features. Workers were not paid if they were sick or got hurt on the job.

15. Many workers across the country joined trade unions, which are organizations formed by workers to advance their mutual interests. Legalized in Canada in 1872, unions experienced some successes.  For example, during the First World War, when labour was in demand, wages went up by about 18 percent. But there was growing labour unrest when the end of the war brought high unemployment, high prices, and increased living expenses.

16. Winnipeg General Strike On May 15, 1919, members of the Building and Metal Trade Councils in Winnipeg went on strike. They demanded a minimum wage, a forty-eight-hour work week, and collective bargaining, which is the right to bargain as a group for an agreement on working conditions. Thousands of supporters from the private and public sectors joined them on strike. A smaller general strike in Winnipeg in 1918 had resulted in some success for the workers, but this strike would be different.

17. With 27 000 workers off the job, almost all city services were disrupted, including mail, telephone, streetcars, and even the police and fire departments. A group called the Citizens' Committee of 1000 formed to work against the strikers. The committee included wealthy Winnipeg businesspeople, professionals, and government leaders. The committee completely rejected worker demands and blamed the strike on the political influence of a few European immigrants with communist views. Newspapers spread fears of a violent communist revolution like the one that had occurred in Russia just two years earlier.

19. Sympathy strikes were held in many towns and cities across the West. The federal and provincial governments were alarmed and feared the unrest would spread. The federal government passed legislation permitting, among other things, the government to deport foreigners suspected of revolt against the government. Ten strike organizers were arrested in an effort to intimidate the movement.

20. After two weeks of demonstrations, growing tensions and violence led the mayor to ban marches. On June 21, after the Royal North-West Mounted Police tried to stop a march through Winnipeg streets, a riot broke out. Two men were killed. Dozens more were injured by "special" police armed with baseball bats who had been brought in by the government to end the strike. Army trucks carrying machine guns began patrolling the streets. Fearing more violence, organizers ended the strike on June 26.

21. Mounted Police patrol Main Street after the demonstration of 21 June 1919

22. Dozens of strikers were arrested and deported. Several of the strike leaders were tried and went to jail. Many workers lost their jobs due to their participation in the strike. Those who returned to work found the strike had not improved working conditions.

23. The Winnipeg General Strike had a profound effect on the labour movement in Canada. In the 1920s, some workers became more politically radical, but most workers were demoralized and retreated from the labour movement. It took decades before legislation was enacted to allow collective bargaining and to recognize workers' rights. Winnipeg Free Press: Winnipeg General StrikeWinnipeg General Strike Video: Bloody Sunday (43:50)Bloody Sunday

24. Suffrage Movement In the early twentieth century, many Canadian women organized and lobbied tirelessly for women's rights, including equality in the workplace and suffrage, which is the right to vote. They talked, they argued, they presented petitions, and finally they were successful. Video: Nellie McClungNellie McClung

25. In 1881, Manitoba grew in size to include the land occupied by new immigrants. The federal government tried to extend Manitoba’s boundaries eastward as well, but Ontario resisted. The boundaries were extended northward in 1912.