Interwar Period: Autonomy, Social Issues, Great Depression

The period following the Great War brought new challenges and opportunities to Canada. Returning war veterans demanded compensation for time spent serving their country overseas, unions struggled to maintain their newly gained powers, and western Canadian farmers suffered from reduced markets

A short-term economic depression soon gave way to improved prosperity that was mostly propelled by the mass production of the automobile and the radio. The "roaring twenties" had begun, and Canada's relationship with the United States faced new challenges as a result of closer economic ties between the two countries.

These same economic ties would help bring the Great Depression to Canada with devastating effects on the western farmer. It would also bring a return of war to build a common front against Hitler's totalitarianism.

Canada and the League of Nations

 "...the close of the war found the Imperial War Cabinet transformed into the British Empire delegation to the Peace Conference, a body over which Sir Robert Borden presided in the absence of the British prime minister. Even this advance in status did not entirely satisfy the Dominions. With Sir Robert Borden as leader, the Dominions demanded, and, after some demur, received, in view of their special war effort, separate representation as "belligerent Powers with special interests", having the same status as Belgium. The firmness with which the Dominions had pressed their case convinced the British government that they and India should likewise be given separate representation in the League of Nations , although the original drafts of the League Covenant by British and American experts had not contemplated such as arrangement." Read more...

The Winnipeg Strike

This strike affected Winnipeg for several days, effectively paralyzing the city. Many of the events that took place during this time had nationwide repercussions. Read more...

The King Byng Crisis.

The King-Byng crisis was a major campaign issue. Nevertheless, King and the Liberals returned to power with a clear majority. The new government sought to clarify the role of the Governor General. The Governor General, henceforth, was to be a representative of the monarchy only – not the British government. Read more...

Statute of Westminster

Whereas the delegates to His Majesty's Governments in the United Kingdom, the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, the Irish Free State and Newfoundland, at Imperial Conferences holden at Westminster in the years of our Lord nineteen hundred and twenty-six and nineteen hundred and thirty did concur in making the declarations and resolutions set forthin the Reports of the said Conference. Read more...

The CCF

The Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) grew out of several farm, labour and socialist associations and local clubs. In Alberta, the most influential of these groups was the United Farmers of Alberta (UFA). While the UFA formed the government in the province, members of the farm organization had become disenchanted with the political party. The UFA government's answer to the Great Depression was to curtail spending and raise taxes. The farm organization had a different plan. In 1932, they adopted a ten-point program mandating broad economic changes to relieve Canadians from poverty. They agreed that the UFA must cooperate with other people's organizations across Canada to achieve these reforms. Read more...