Canada’s Leaders, 1948-70

• Louis St. Laurent (1 February 1882 – 25 July 1973):

– Took over leadership of the Liberal Party from Mackenzie King in 1948, and was Prime Minister from 1948-57

• Characteristics:– Known as a kind and gentle man who saw post-war Canada as a time to bring about

prosperity and unity.• Often compared to Wilfred Laurier (PM from 1896-1911)

• Under his government:– Canada’s oil industry boomed, as did Canada’s mining industries.– Initiated several projects such as the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Trans-Canada

highway, and a trans-Canada natural gas pipeline– Also responsible for the tremendous growth of American investment in the

Canadian Economy– 1948, encouraged Joey Smallwood from NFLD, to organize a petition demanding

that Confederation with CAN be included in the referendum about the status of NFLD

– Led to NFLD & Labrador becoming Canada’s tenth province, Joey Smallwood as it’s Premier

Canada’s Leaders, 1948-70• John Diefenbaker (September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979):

– 1957, Progressive Conservatives defeated the Liberal in federal election

– Known as “The Chief” due to his powerful speaker who reflected the concerns of the nation

• Characteristics:– Strongly believed in a united country, and to protect those who were less

fortunate• Under his Government:

– Raised pensions for the elderly and disabled, gave financial aid to farmers in the Prairies and to the Atlantic Provinces

– 1960, brought in the Canadian Bill of Rights; put all of the basic freedoms, i.e. freedom of speech, worship, and assembly

– Did not end up as part of CAN constitution

Canada’s Leaders, 1948-70

• Lester B. Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972):

– PM from 1963 through 1969• Won Nobel Peace Price 1957 (Suez Crisis)

• Characteristics:– Sought to improve English-French relationship, appointed a Royal

Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism– Discovered that French-Canadians did not receive the same benefits of

English Canadians outside of Quebec– Was a contributing factor towards separation movement

• Under his Government:– Introduced Canada Pension Plan and Medicare– Our Flag: Pearson felt that one more tie that needed to be cut from Britain

was our need for our own flag.• Following a vigorous debate, the single red

maple leaf design was accepted as Canada’s new flag in 1965.

Canada’s Leaders 1948-70

• Pierre Elliott Trudeau October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000):

– Became leader of Liberal and PM of Canada following Pearson’s resignation in 1968

• Characteristics:– Scholar and a lawyer, was blessed with charisma– Believed in a “just society” for all of Canada

• Under his Government:– Implemented the Official Languages Act of 1969 in an effort to

make Canada truly bilingual and bicultural; also make Quebec feel like a part of Canada

– Implemented income tax cuts and benefits for the poor and elderly

Canadian – American Relations

• 1950s-1960s CAN – USA relations were marked with uncertainty– On one hand, CAN supported American foreign policy by joining NATO

& NORAD and by participating in UN Peacekeeping. Our economies became interdependent.

– On the other hand, CAN became more independent of American policy by refusing to criticize communism in China and in Cuba

• PMs that stood up to USA:– Diefenbaker: “No” to nuclear weapons for NATO’s Bomarc missiles,

“No” to Cuban Missile Crisis– Pearson: Questioned Vietnam, refused to say no to

American Draft dodgers– Trudeau: Froze spending to help NATO

CAN Achievements: The Avro Arrow

• 1953, RCAF requested a new aircraft to meet defence needs in the Northern Hemisphere – in conjunction with Soviet fears– Supersonic long-range jet needed to be developed

• Made in Canada: Avro Arrow was built in Ontario– “Fastest and most sophisticated fighter

plane in the world”• But… due to cost over runs, by 1959

CAN gov’t decided that the production of the Avro Arrow would cease– The six completed Arrows and their blueprints etc. were to be

torched

Avro Arrow II: Why?

• Despite the widespread job losses – many joined NASA - Canadian Government decided to buy the Bomarc Missile from the United States instead of perusing the Avro Arrow

• There is heavy debate over the true reason why CAN did not follow through with the Arrow project– One reason, American Government put a “great deal of pressure

on the Canadian Government to get rid of the airplane”• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWuZtk8uPP0

– What was once old could be new again (both in it’s development & destruction…)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S74zf0YZX20

CAN Achievements: St. Lawrence Seaway

• Seen as one of the greatest achievements of the 1950s, the St. Lawrence Seaway would link the center of the continent via the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean

• Ocean going vessels could go as far as Thunder Bay in Canada and Duluth in the United States– Required tremendous cooperation between countries– CAN products could now move to world markets– Opened 1959

North American Defence System (NORAD)

• Created between Canada and United States in 1957– Included radar stations that were set up to detect Soviet planes

or missiles, giving warning to early warning of an attack• The Nuclear world:

– USA & Soviet Union had developed long-distance bombers that carried nuclear weapons

– Soviets had also developed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) that could launch from Soviet Union and arrive in Canada or USA in 30 minutes

• Three radar lines were developed in Canada’s north by 1957

For your investigation…

• Cuban Missile Crisis:– CAN response – we weren’t involved at the start – was this due to our

anti-nuclear stance or were we left in the dark?• Auto Pact (1965):

– CAN and USA signed the Automotive Products Agreement (Auto Pact) as both countries were largely interested in furthering the economic benefits from the Auto industry• An example of CAN – USA free trade

– Also led to higher ownership of Canadian economy by the USA• 90% of petroleum and automobile industries by 1960

• The Vietnam War:– PM Pearson asked USA to “rethink” their position on Vietnam– CAN was anti-American interference in world affairs, and were happy

to accept the draft dodgers