Canada: A People's History

Canada comes of age in the anguish of World War II, with soldiers on the beaches at Dieppe and women in the industrial work force back home. The country's military role and the domestic social and political consequences of the war are traced through poignant stories of Canadians on both sides of the Atlantic. The horrific global conflict steals the innocence of a generation... but brings hope for a new future.

The end of World War II signals the end of fifteen years of social, political and economic upheaval. The post-war baby boom and government economic and social policies give rise to unprecedented prosperity and growth for Canadian communities. Television becomes a powerful new tool with social and political consequences. But in the midst of plenty, growing fears of the Cold War and nuclear conflict create an unsettled atmosphere. Political leaders - including Diefenbaker, Smallwood, Duplessis create excitement and controversy. Saskatchewan's premier Tommy Douglas begins the fight for Medicare while Canada finds itself increasingly absorbed into the American military, economic and cultural orbit.

The Sixties and Seventies are an era of ferment on every level: politics, culture and personal life. Quebec's Quiet Revolution and youth movements across North America challenge the status quo. Some events bring the country together: a new flag is introduced and Canada shines in the world's spotlight with Expo '67; while others threaten considerable upheaval: growing calls for Quebec sovereignty, the 1970 FLQ/War Measures Act crisis, and an energy shortage pits East against West. A charismatic law professor is elected Liberal leader, then Prime Minister; Trudeaumania changes the face of Canadian politics.

The world order and economic boom that had taken shape after World War II starts to unravel, and a new era of uncertainty begins. Free trade, globalization, and regionalism converge with the rise of feminism, aboriginal claims, growing multiculturalism and the explosion of computer technology. Canada's economic, social and political environment are affected. Canada's new Charter begins to have an impact. Debate around Canadian unity intensifies with the Quebec referendum of 1980, repatriation of the Constitution and the Meech Lake Accord.