War Brides and the

Baby Boom

“War Brides”

Following World War II, nearly 48000 British and European women left everything they knew behind to come to Canada as the wives of Canadian servicemen

93% were British, understandable since the Canadians were posted to Britain for most of the war

Marriage

It wasn’t easy to get married

Permission from the commanding officer was required

Many of the girls’ parents feared, quite rightly, they’d never see their daughters again.

Coupons from ration books were pooled to acquire wedding clothes and enough food for a reception

Even so, weddings during the war were simple affairs.

Brides carried silver horseshoes, made from paper, for good luck

Waving goodbye to all that is familiar…

A leap of faith

Baby Boom: causes Several hundred

thousand Canadians returned home after serving in the war effort

Many of these men married and started families right away; others increased the families they already had.

The Canadian government encouraged immigration from Britain and Europe. Most immigrants

were young and in the process of starting or adding to families.

The combination of the returning servicemen and the increase in immigration caused the birth rate to go up significantly.

What’s in a name?

This huge increase in the birth rate has been dubbed the “Baby Boom”

The children born during this period are called baby boomers

Baby Boom: impact

This change in the demographic had a huge impact on the Canadian economy

During the 1950s, Canada was transformed into youth-centred society.

Production of toys, child-care products, and bicycles expanded rapidly to keep up the demand.

New schools began to pop up all over, in an effort to accommodate all the new students who required space

But classes were still overcrowded and teachers in demand.

Baby Boom

Every time the baby boomers entered a different age group, that age group became the focus of social and economic decision-making in Canada.

For example, the1960s saw Canadian Universities prepare for increased enrolment

A second generation or 'echo boom' was created when the baby boomers had children of their own

As the baby boomers start to retire in large numbers, more attention is being placed on health care for seniors and the stability of pension funds

Baby Boom: ripple effect

Turn to page 205 in the text. Look at the population pyramids for 1951-2006 Identify the age group that the baby boomers

would be in. What percentage of the population do they account for?

List 3 needs for each, that would impact the economy. (What new consumer items and social programs are needed?)