Saivenkat Jilla 3.3 Canadian History Timeline

1945

Gouzenko Affair

Soviet cypher clerk Igor Gouzenko defected from the Soviet Embassy and leaked documents proving the existence of a Soviet spy ring operating in Great Britain, the US and Canada. This leaked information prompted an international crisis and can be considered the beginning of the Cold War.

1945

1947

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)

Canada was looking to reduce its dependency on the United States and joined 22 other countries in signing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on October 30, 1947. This trade agreement aimed to minimize hurdles to international trade by eliminating or reducing quotas, tariffs, and subsidies while complying with significant regulations. The GATT was eventually succeeded by the World Trade Organization.

1947

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is formed

1949

The Asbestos Strike

NATO was originally a military alliance formed by Canada, the U.S., and 11 other Western European nations. It meant to deter Soviet expansionism, forbid the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe, and to encourage European political integration. The formation of NATO along with the Soviet Warsaw Pact laid the foundation for the military standoff between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The Asbestos Strike was a four-month labour dispute involving 5,000 asbestos miners in Asbestos, Quebec. It was the first indication that significant economic, social, and political changes were needed and were starting to be made in the post-war period. The strike was a turning point, helping lay the groundwork for the Quiet Revolution and forming ideals for Quebec to become its own sovereign nation.

1949

1951

Changes to the Indian Act contribute to the ‘sixties scoop’

The ‘sixties scoop’ began when amendments to the Indian Act gave the provinces jurisdiction over Indigenous child welfare. It led to the large-scale apprehending of the Indigenous children from their homes, often without the parents’ consent and the subsequent adoption into non-Indigenous families. This was done as reserves were impoverished and not well serviced and was not an isolated event driven by the idea of inferior Indigenous parenting, but an extension of policies in Canada aiming for the assimilation of Indigenous cultures and communities.

1951

1954

War in Vietnam

The Vietnam War created a war boom and record low unemployment rates in Canada. It put the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States, with Canada officially playing the role of neutral peacemaker, serving on two international truce commissions, and providing medical supplies and technical assistance. However, Canada secretly backed the American effort in Vietnam, as Canadian aid totalling $29 million from 1950–75.during the war went only to South Vietnam, and approximately 12,000 young Canadian men fought in the US armed forces in the war.

1954

1959

Peak of baby boom

Due to improving economic conditions and a related trend toward larger families, Canada's birth rate grew from the end of the Second World War until about 1965, peaking at 3.94 children per woman in 1959. As a result, there was a 20-year bulge in the population known as the baby boom (or baby boomers), whose demographic influence has and continues to shape the Canadian society and economy.

1959

1965

New Canadian Flag

The Government of Canada discussed the importance of Canada having its own flag after fighting under the Red Ensign during the two World Wars, and the union jack ended up being replaced by the maple leaf, a symbol of pride, courage, and loyalty. On January 28, 1965, the new maple leaf flag was made official by a decree from Queen Elizabeth II, and was later inaugurated on Parliament Hill. It is an elegant new emblem, instantly recognizable as the foremost symbol of Canada, its value, and the millions of citizens who make up the Canadian family.

1965

1966

Universal Healthcare

Before World War II, health care in Canada was, for the most part, privately delivered and funded. The first implementation of Universal Healthcare was in 1947 when the government of Saskatchewan introduced a province-wide, universal hospital care plan, and by 1950, both British Columbia and Alberta had followed suit. In 1966, Lester B. Pearson’s government passed the Medical Care Act, giving Canadians access to taxpayer-funded universal healthcare.

1966

1968

Canadian Radio-television and

Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

In 1968, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) was formed to regulate the Canadian broadcasting industry. It made sure that Canada’s cultural identity would be protected, especially from the growing influence of the United States in Canada. It would do this through stronger restrictions on foreign ownership of broadcast outlets and ensuring that substantial amounts of Canadian content (or content that Canadians played a part in creating) were broadcast, with a goal of the broadcasting system of Canada being the advocate and preserver of Canadian culture.

1968

1970

October Crisis

In October 1970, the FLQ, a militant Quebec separatist group, kidnapped British trade commissioner James Cross and the Quebec cabinet minister Pierre Laporte, resulting in Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau deploying the Armed Forces and invoking the War Measures Act, the first time it was used in peacetime. This led to the shut down of the city of Montreal and the arrests of many ‘suspects’ but did little to deter the kidnappers as Pierre Laporte was later murdered and James Cross was used as leverage to force the government to give the kidnappers a plane to Cuba. The worries that the people of Quebec had about their position and place within Canada were showcased in this crisis.

1970

1971

Canadian Development Corporation

Multiculturalism Becomes Official Canadian Policy

Created in 1971 through a special Act of Parliament, the Canadian Development Corporation (CDC) helped to widen the investment opportunities open to Canadians. It developed and maintained Canadian-controlled companies along with managing companies in the private sector. The CDC would also control foreign investment and manage the buying back of Canadian companies with money both from private citizens and the government.

Multiculturalism was intended as a solution to handle the growing cultural diversity in Canada. The policy allowed citizens to preserve their cultures yet still feel that they belong in Canada. It stressed the importance of mutual respect between ethnicities, which is something that exists in Canada today and is unique among nations.

1971

1980

Terry Fox Marathon of Hope

Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope in St. Johns, Newfoundland to raise money for cancer research. He covered an average of 42 kilometres each day but was forced to stop outside Thunder Bay, Ontario when cancer invaded his lungs. He died a national hero in 1981, and the legacy of his Marathon of Hope has continued to fundraise for cancer research, raising millions of dollars all over the world for the fight against cancer.

1980

1982

Canada’s constitution repatriated and includes a new Charter of Rights and Freedoms

With the constitution being repatriated and renamed to the Canada Act, Canada finally gains complete political independence from Great Britain. The new Constitution was accompanied by The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms to all Canadians. The Proclamation of the Constitution Act symbolizes Canada's journey from a colony to an independent nation and is a fundamental document that all Canadians cherish.

1982