Wednesday October 21st

We continued today with the post-war Canada, focusing on the Winnipeg General Strike, Prohibition, and the Economy.

There was a note copied about the Winnipeg General Strike:

Winnipeg General Strike

-one of the most influential strikes in Canadian history
-platform for future labour reforms
-causes: -cost of living rising due to post-war inflation
-contracts, wages, and working conditions were dismal and labour regulations non-existent
-March 1919, labour delegates across Canada went to Calgary to propose and negotiate the idea of One Big Union (plan to organize all working men and women)

-Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council (WTLC) reached standoff right after this
-general strike called May 1919, more than 30 000 unionized and non-unionized workers walked off
-six weeks long, won support across Canada

-Prime Minister Borden feared conflict would grip the nation
-fear that "Eastern European socialists" were spreading and assisting
-laws of Immigrant Act were changed...merely suspicion could allow police to arrest without bail, easier to deport British-born citizens as well with the changes
-government had forces go and arrest many without bail, patrolled streets
-June 21st, "Bloody Saturday" because of the pandemonium that occurred...2 died, 20+ injured

-WTLC called off strike on June 26th
-terrible defeat for organized labour
-30 years for Federal government to recognized union and collective bargaining

2 articles about Prohibition were read and students came up with a Pros & Cons chart about this idea. After, we looked briefly at the economy of Canada and its uprise leading into the 1920s.

We continued with our "1920's Slang Game"...two more days until a winner is declared!