Canada's Defining Moments
By: Umar Patel
Introduction
Canada has gone through many situations throughout history to mold their reputation as a country today. Wars, Market Crash etc. There have been ups and downs from the past and present. Here are some defining moments that really stood out from the rest and contributed to make Canada the great country it is today.
Vimy Ridge - World War 1
There were many battles Canada fought through World War 1 and 2. All of them were important but Vimy Ridge was the most iconic for Canada in my opinion.
Vimy Ridge Continued...
The battle of Vimy Ridge started at 5:30 on April 9, 1917 to April 12,1917. Four divisions of Canadian Corps were working together for the first time against the Germans in France. The Germans were defeated through the great plan known as the Creeping Barrage. The plan was to hurl shells ahead of advancing soldiers, so that the Germans were forced to stay back, letting the Canadians get closer to them. 100,000 Canadian soldiers fought in this battle and 3,598 did not return home. Vimy Ridge is a hill, located in Northern France close to Paris.
Vimy Ridge
Located in Northern France.
Creeping Barrage Plan
The plan that stopped the Germans from invading Northern France was designed by Canadians.
Why is this a defining moment?
Vimy Ridge is a defining moment because of the reputation Canada got. It showed that we were a strong and capable force. It was surprising that it was Canadian soldiers that stopped the invasion of Northern France. We were seen as a dark horse and a go to option. it was the birth of Canada and we were seen as an independent nation.
Vimy Ridge Memorial
This is a memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian soldiers who defended Northern France from the Germans in 1917.
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Stock Market Crash - 1929
After the first world war Canada's economy was not the strongest. Canada had to pay $164 million per year to pay off their debt from the war. Soldiers came home to no job and had no money. European countries were not buying Canadian products because they also had no money. By 1920, the economy was making a rise. Wheat prices started to rise, helping farmers. The pulp and paper industry started to rise and became the 2nd largest industry in Canada after agriculture. Hydroelectric power production had started in Ontario and Quebec. Oil was discovered in Alberta in 1924, this gave Canadians more jobs and also made the economy rise back up. Along with all of this the United States began to invest money in Canadian industries and the U.S have loans to European industries which lead them to buy Canadian products again. These new inventions and rises in prices helped boost back the economy.
Inventions
Cars
Ford Model T invented in 1920. It was cheap and well made giving new people an experience to the automobile industry.
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Hair dryers, shavers etc were invented and demanded which gave the economy a boost and also created jobs.
When it goes downhill...
As the economy was continuously rising day by day people had enough money to spend on necessities. People were getting rich by playing the stock market. People could afford to buy the new inventions like the automobile, radio etc. People with less money would buy with credit which got popular in the 1920's. With credit not balanced, people were buying and not paying for products at the time. Money did not balance and everything crashed. The stocks had started to fall from about October 4, 1929 and from then on it got worse and worse. The morning of October 24, 1929 also known as "Black Thursday" was the day when stock prices started to collapse. But on October 29, 1929 also known as "Black Tuesday" was the worst day in the drop of stocks.
Why is this a defining moment?
The economic boom led to the Great Depression. The great depression was a really tough time for Canadians where food, money etc were hard to get. It left a big impact on our history and left Canadian shocked.
1929 Stock Market Crash
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Trudeau Era - 1971
Pierre Trudeau introduced the Multiculturalism Policy in Canada. This policy was a celebration of racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds, bringing people together. It was the first policy of its time and brought changes towards Canada's culture and reputation. It was also being brought into America but action was first took by Canada. It has made changes back then and still is to this date. On October 8, 1971, Pierre Trudeau introduced the Multiculturalism Policy in the House of Commons (Parliament). It was a law passed in 1988, that aimed to provide and enhance multiculturalism in Canada. Immigration was now allowed meaning people from all over the world could immigrate to Canada. English and French were established as the main languages so the French would not feel left out. Religion could also be practiced openly.
Pierre Trudeau: Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Why is this a defining moment?
The policy has impacted Canada positively and also gives Canada a great reputation. Canada has a diverse society from people all over the world, if anyone wanted to immigrate to Canada, there are people from similar countries as them. People were allowed to celebrate, practice etc. Which also made them proud to be a Canadian. New languages, cultures were introduced. Production and innovation in Canada also went up.
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Syrian Refugees - 2016
Canada has been accepting Syrian refugees from the past month. Over 14,329 refugees have settled in Canada. This is not the first time Canada has accepted refugees. In 1980 60,000 Indochinese people found a new home in Canada. They have been called to Canada because of the harsh conditions over there. Their land is currently used as a war zone. This is saving lives of innocent children and giving them a peaceful childhood.
Syrian refugees in Canada
Why is this a defining moment?
There was a lot of attention on this topic. First, it gives Canada more multiculturalism. Second, over 215,000 Syrians were killed last year due to the terrorism which is ongoing. Meaning we are saving lives. Thirdly, two weeks after we first accepted refugees. We were named the 2nd best country of 2015. Germany who came first also accepts a lot of refugees. Knowing that we are the 2nd best country in the world, more people might also want to immigrate to Canada or countries would want to make beneficial agreement with us.
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Conclusion
As a country we have done many beneficial things in the past and are still currently, moving forward to make ourselves the best. It's slow progression but we have been giving ourselves the name as a representational country.