IB Higher History: Canada

• St Laurent


  Canadian politician of the Liberal Party, Prime Minister of Canada from 1948-57, proud French-Canadian
• World War II had boosted manufacturing's share of an expansion in demand, as the value of manufactured goods increased from $8 billion in 1946 to $20 billion in 1955
• Important resources in Canada

  • Aluminum
  • Oil
  • Agriculture
  • Lumber
  • Mining
• The US and Canada were able to create an agreement pertaining to the Canadian route moving through the United States, so the US portion of the seaway would be paid by them
• Canada negotiated the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) agreement, which pledged to share command in terms of the defence of the air space of North America
• Canada became one of the founders of NATO, which became Canada's first peacetime military alliance
• St Laurent lifted the ban on cultural events such as potlatches (a communal feast) in 1951
• Legislation was passed to define and support the 'status of Indians' in Canada under the revised Indian Act
• Transportation became difficult, even though pipelines were built in Alberta (though they did nothing for grains and minerals)
• The Indian Act only dehumanised people who were classified as "Indians", as so many revisions needed to be made
• The investment of money raised questions about Canada's economic independence that would plague successive governments through to 1980
• Canada became too dependent on the US for security
• The Liberal Party was the dominant force in Canadian politics for 22 years
• Canadian people's support for Liberals declined in 1957 due to Canada not backing Britain in the Suez Crisis, Liberals becoming more autocratic, and the pipeline debate where Liberals overruled traditional parliamentary procedure
• The Conservatives turned nationalist sentiment to their own advantage in the wake of the Pipeline Debate
• John Diefenbaker built a reputation on his skill for public speaking and used smart slogans such as 'A new Canada. A Canada of the North!'
• Donald Creighton: 'Diefenbaker seemed to 'combine the inspiring vision of the prophet, the burning sincerity of the evangelist, and the annihilating attack of a prosecuting counsel determined on the conviction of a monstrous criminal.''
• Diefenbaker's government soon proved 'less an alternative to the Liberals than an epilogue' according to Robert Bothwell
• Diefenbaker tried to run his government with iron discipline but it became clear that he and his government lacked the experience necessary to deal with the issues Canada faced
• Diefenbaker's policies appeared confused and impractical
• NORAD


  An integrated air-defence system under the joint control of both Canada and the US
• Diefenbaker introduced tax cuts and a programme to build road and rail links in northern Canada
• Diefenbaker's Agricultural Stabilisation Act 1958 established a minimum price for certain goods regardless of market value, and offered credit and insurance to farmers
• Diefenbaker's 1961 Agricultural Act aimed to modernise farm housing, improve farming techniques, and provide trees for infertile land
• A drought in China and the USA's refusal to trade with the communist country gave Canada a lifeline, as net farm income in Canada went up threefold in three years due to Canadian grain sales to China
• Diefenbaker wanted to increase people's spending whereas Coyne (governor of the bank) wanted people to stop spending and live within their means, leading to the Exchange Crisis
• Diefenbaker devalued the Canadian dollar to 92.5 cents in 1962, causing investors to withdraw their money and drain the country's gold reserves
• Diefenbaker incorrectly announced that the Arrow fighter plane was outdated technology, leading to 14,000 job losses for skilled workers
• Diefenbaker declared that Canada was a nuclear free zone, however he had just allowed the US to place two squadrons of Bomarc anti-aircraft missiles on Canadian soil
• Lester Pearson became Prime Minister of Canada as the leader of the Liberal Party in 1963
• The Liberals won the 1963 Election but were unable to win an overall majority in parliament
• The Atlantic Development Agency provided funds and grants for schools, adult education and land purchase in poorer regions, and gave grants to companies settling in the development areas
• The Auto Pact 1965 removed import taxes on trucks, cars and vehicle parts moving between Canada and USA, creating a 'one-industry' free-trade area and increasing production and investment in the Canadian automobile industry
• Steel mills were constructed in Quebec, the Montreal and Toronto subways were expanded, and the Nova Scotia heavy water plant for atomic energy was built under Pearson
• Newfoundland, central Ontario and rural Quebec faced economic problems under Pearson
• Union membership grew dramatically in the 1960s and Civil Servants were given the right to strike under Pearson
• Pearson's National Health Insurance Scheme 1957 extended coverage from acute hospital stays and diagnostic treatments to include doctor services, with universality of coverage, a comprehensive definition of services, and public administration
• The Canadian Pension Plan established a mandatory investment fund, which pooled the money deducted from wages to provide a minimum standard of living, and was a portable scheme that could be moved from one province to another
• Pearson introduced the Maple Leaf Flag in 1965 as a way to promote unity in Canada and break away from British influences and identities
• There were concerns that Quebec wanted greater independence - even breaking from Canada altogether, and no strong sense of national unity under Pearson