The National Policy is arguably one of the most successful economic and political strategy created by Sir John A. Macdonald’s Conservative Party. This strategy galvanized the levying of higher tariffs on goods entering from foreign markets which protected central Canadian manufacturers from the intense American market. This policy also restored the confidence of Canadians in the development of local industries. The extra funds generated by this protectionist policy, therefore, aided the dream of constructing a transcontinental railway across Canada and helped Canadians to regain confidence in the economy after the devastating Depression in the 1870s and failed reciprocity agreements with the United States. While the National Policy did not directly benefit the all of the provinces, it helped Canada expand westward, created more local industries and ultimately fostered the growth of a stronger economy. …show more content…
Many new industries included tableware, cutlery, and clock making. Also, developments in the agricultural and mining industries strengthened the young Canadian economy. Before the National Policy was enacted, the Canadian economy was dominated by mostly American-owned companies, such as Singer, Edison, Gillette, International Harvester, and Westinghouse. While these foreign companies created jobs, it outcompeted the local Canadian-owned companies. Also, foreign markets tend to exploit the value of resources which weakens the local economy. After the implementation of the National Policy in 1878, there was a doubling of the numbers of labourers in Ontario and Quebec. As a result, the wages in this region were doubled. This was highly favoured as the four years of economic depression caused a scarcity of jobs and a decline in the development of Canada. With the Canadian economy slowly dominated by local industries, this, in turn, forged a stronger
The conservatives introduced the unemployment relief act, giving the provinces $20 million for work-creation programs. This, however, did not aid economy much. Also, Bennett tried to raise tariffs in order to protect Canadian industries and get into the world market. He raised the tariffs by an average of more than 50 percent, which did protect some businesses, but it actually caused more harm than good. These tariffs made other nations set up trade barriers against Canada. He introduced the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act in 1935, which helped farmers build irrigation systems and reservoirs, but by this time, because of drought, poverty, and locusts, most families had already left their farms to go to other places. Finally, he created a national network of work camps for unemployed single men who needed work and shelter. These work camps allowed men to work for them (roads, clearing land, digging ditches, etc) for a pay of 20 cents a day. They were also given a place to stay and food to eat, but the food was terrible and the bunks were often bug infested. In spite of these conditions, 170 000 men spent time in these camps, which reflects the desperation that some of these people had.i
own growth but from its participation as a member of the Empire of nations of the
Furthermore, Canada remaining under the archaic British North America Act and not drafting its own constitution meant that the composition of the nation and the government was in the hands of the British Parliament, which denies the Canadians the luxury of dictating the structure and make-up of their own country. Now, one may say that Canada weakened its economic ties with Britain and was therefore no longer economically dependent on them, but the fact of the matter is that all we did was shift our dependence onto another nation, the United States. By 1926, America’s yearly investment in the Canadian economy had risen up to $3400 million (as opposed to $2000 million in 1920) mainly in the exporting of Canadian resources to the United States. In addition to that, American companies built “branch plants”, which were made to avoid having to pay trade tariffs, making this a pretty one-sided trade
Finally, Canada was very roaring politically in the 20s because of growing governmental responsibility and changes in policies. The establishment of prohibition- laws that prohibited the making and selling of intoxicating drinks. Prohibition was enforced because at the time, alcohol blamed for many social problems . After the enforcement of prohibition, the crime rates and arrests for public drunkenness decreased and industrial efficiency improved . Also, the Old Age Pensions Act was introduced in 1927, offering a pension to qualified seniors. The passing of the act marked the beginning to nationwide benefits for the elderly . Seniors could look forward to living longer, and workers who supported aging parents had an easier time saving for their own old age. Child labour also decreased after most Canadian
Canada is currently sitting at a population of over 30 million people and is ranked 11th in the world in terms of exports (Canada: Economic Freedom, 2017). The economy in the country seems to be thriving very well with many skilled workers and plenty of jobs for most individuals in the civilian labor force. For the most part, Canada has always done pretty well in terms of having a successful economy. Starting in the early 50s Canada was thriving primarily off of the waterways unlike today the country thrives off selling petroleum, cars, and other things other countries need and want. Although this shift from a farm based economy too much more industrialization did not happen until after the Great War, it wasn't until the 1920s until Canada
In Canada’s government responded in control of labor in quest of collective bargaining and huge wages which counted the rising popularity in legitimate demands of organized labor in order to access guaranteed collective bargaining. Collective bargaining brought conflicts in Canada as unions incited for strikes just after war. Governments committed itself in adopting monetary and fiscal policies to maintain consumer demand. This prolonged growth duration
Canada in the 1930s was in a state of economic depression and the people, notably living in the west, were finding it difficult to secure a source of income. R.B. Bennett was elected as Prime Minister by Canadians in 1930 on the basis that he would end unemployment, but by 1932 his government was seemingly overwhelmed by the persistence of the Depression and was becoming
These actions caused a record economic growth and produced one of the lowest unemployment rates in U.S. history. Although foreign trade was negatively affecting the nation, Reagan kept his free trade stance and signed an agreement with Canada, along with endorsing trade legislation that opened foreign markets to American products. Even though some politicians disagreed with these decisions, by sticking with his original plans, Reagan helped bring the nation out of economic downfall.
One of such events that affected Canada economically is the Drought in the Dust Bowl. The Prairies became the worst place to live in Canada because the price of wheat has dropped from $1.60 per bushel to $.38 per bushel and because of that many farmers abandoned their farms to look for other jobs. Drought returned in 1933 and was five years long with limited amount rainfall which also caused the topsoil to turn into dust and caused dust storms due to too powerful winds. Because of the right conditions thousands and thousands of grasshoppers were born and damaged 80% of crops that remained. It was bad for Canada because it just lost the people who produced on of its primary products wheat and now the Canada has no choice but to buy wheat from other countries and those can price it for whatever they want because Canada is in need. Secondly, the Stock Market Crashed on October 29, 1929 “Black Tuesday.” Many people invested large amounts of money into the stock market because as the value of the stock increased the more money they made when they sold it and to many it became like an easy way to make money. For example, Canadian Marconi, a radio company should have sold at $1 but sold for $28 because the market value inflated. Canada was affected by this because when the Stock Market crashed people who invested hugely into stocks lost large amounts of because they sold them for a fraction of the what they purchased it. People took
In Canada, an important economic transformation accelerated as Britain was wholly supplanted by the United States as Canada's main economic partner. By the middle of the decade, economic development started to soar in Europe and the Roaring
Canadian prosperity during the 1920s was based on weak foundations; industries started to overproduce and supply exceeded demand. Additionally, the stock markets were tangled in the same unstable practices as the United States; when the Wall Street Crash occurred, the effects spread over the border to Canada, which initially led to the Great Depression. Federal governments were hesitant to respond to the catastrophe caused by the Depression. There were boundless losses of jobs which completely changed the country by triggering the start of social welfare and causing a variation of political movements. Bennett proposed a New Deal in an attempt to solve the problems of the Depression but barely any of the measures taken had been passed. The
The construction of the CPR also provided many benefits for consumers in Canada at the time of being built, as well as after for many years to come. Receiving goods was made much easier through the use of the CPR to deliver products to the eastern part of Canada. This was mostly just a convenience for consumers rather than really benefitting them financially. As a result of easier transportation to the eastern Canada, the price of food and goods was far less coming from the west because of the low shipment costs issued by the CPR, which was a financial benefit for the consumers of Canada. The standard of living in turn was increased by the lower costs of items needed for the standard every-day life of citizens living in Canada. This was mostly apparent in the lower to middle class division in that time, where obvious gains were apparent, so the new immigrants and poor began to lift out of poverty at a substantial rate. Another benefit that consumers had was that they were not required to pay tariffs on the CPR; only the clients of the railway were required to pay fares to the financiers, which was another convenience for consumers. To put it simply, Canada’s consumers weren’t drastically affected by the construction of the
Canada till this day relies heavily on raw materials as well as farm exports. During the Great Depression, the entire Canadian infrastructure was completely ruined due to the lack of these high demand materials, combined with a Prairies drought which crippled the farm industry during this period. The four most western provinces, which depended most significantly on primary product exports, were hit the hardest. Living conditions were deadly, with the drought combining with lack of supplies left thousands of families almost hopeless and very frightened. Effects of the depression were strongly aggravated by its unequal impact distributed throughout the country. This was due to many benefactors but mainly misguided government policy. With different provinces being hit harder than others, this lead to drastic agricultural shifts which permanently changed the way the government handled the crisis. During the depression, the provincial and municipal governments had already been in great debt following a development of infrastructure and education during the 1920s.This brought the war against the Great depression into the hands of the federal government in hopes to better the economy. During the start of the depression, Mackenzie King
By the 1840s, Canada’s economy was still largely agrarian, even though the two key ingredients for industrialization—an available labour force and a transportation infrastructure—were in place.
Canada’s economy was once solely reliant on the exportation of raw materials, such as furs and timber, to Great Britain and Western Europe. Aside from this exportation of raw materials, Canada was largely agricultural in nature. By the time of Confederation, fifty-percent of labour remained agriculturally based (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008). Changes occurred around 1900; the industrial era replaced the once mainly agricultural and small-scale local production of times past by way of new technologies in the form of electricity, steam powered engines, railways, water wheels, etc. These tools allowed for the re-organization of work from piecework and compensation, based on individual output, to one of large manufacturing plants, high-production, specialized workers, and hourly pay. This industrial era has now morphed into one of new technologies and new careers; careers based in services. The dominance of a service-based economy is prevalent as around 75% of all employment in Canada was in services circa 2005(HRSDC,