Canada’s Leaders, 1948-70

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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