Canadian History: Post-War and Cold War Era (Lecture Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from the lecture notes.

Acadians of New Brunswick

Acadian population in New Brunswick; historically settled in the north; contrasted with English Canadians in the south who descended from Loyalists.

Baby Boom

Postwar surge in births (roughly 1946–1964) in Canada; about 1.5 million more babies and a rise of around 18% in birth rates.

Berlin Blockade

1948 Soviet attempt to cut off land, rail, and road access to West Berlin by the Western Allies.

Berlin Airlift

Massive Allied airlift delivering supplies to West Berlin; demonstrated Western resolve and undermined the blockade.

Supreme Court of Canada (1949)

Canada’s highest court established; the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the U.K. no longer had jurisdiction over Canadian affairs.

Suez Crisis

1956 international crisis; Canada pursued a neutral stance while Britain engaged in military action in Egypt.

Canada as a Middle Power

Canada’s role in international relations as a country with influence beyond its size, without being a superpower.

Flag of Canada (1965)

National flag adopted in 1965; white center with red borders and a red maple leaf; design inspired by the Royal Military College flag.

Igor Gouzenko

Soviet cipher clerk who defected in 1945 and exposed a large network of Soviet spies in Canada.

Soviet Spy Ring in Canada

Network of Soviet spies in Canadian civil service and government exposed by Gouzenko.

Equal Pay for Equal Work

Principle of paying the same wages for the same work, regardless of gender.

Welfare State

A country with a strong social safety net: minimum income, income security, and subsidized social services funded by the government.

Expo '67

Montreal’s 1967 World’s Fair celebrating Canada’s 100th birthday; showcased technology, design, arts, and culture.

Immigration after World War II

Postwar immigration surge; by 1960 over two million since 1945; refugees, war brides; Diefenbaker’s removal of racial barriers.

John Diefenbaker

Progressive Conservative Prime Minister (1957–63); led the 1958 landslide; 1962 minority government; 1963 defeat.

Lester B. Pearson

Liberal Prime Minister; minority governments in 1963 and 1965; allied with the NDP to pass initiatives; promoted social programming.

Louis St. Laurent

Liberal Prime Minister after Mackenzie King; won majorities (1949); helped reduce wartime and Depression debts.

McCarthyism

US anti-communist campaign led by Senator Joseph McCarthy; widespread accusations, blacklists, and political fear; Canada’s response was cautious.

Newfoundland Joins Confederation

Newfoundland joined Canada as a province (1949), expanding Canadian Confederation.

NORAD

North American Aerospace Defense Command; established 1958 as a joint US-Canada defense and radar network across North America.

Leduc Oil Field

1947 discovery near Leduc, south of Edmonton; sparked Alberta’s oil boom and pipeline development to refineries.

Post-War Economic Boom

Two decades after WWII of sustained prosperity driven by manufacturing, housing, and consumerism; immigration and veterans’ return supported growth.

Shifting Attitudes in Aboriginal Affairs

Rising public awareness in the 1940s–50s of Indigenous rights and contributions; UDHR influence prompted policy reevaluation.

James Gladstone

First Indigenous person appointed to the Canadian Senate (1958); Cree leader later known as a pioneer for Indigenous political involvement.

Canadian Bill of Rights (1960)

Canada’s first federal rights law protecting human rights; a step toward stronger protections (not a full charter).

Saskatchewan Bill of Rights (1947)

Province’s act protecting basic human rights and freedoms; the first of its kind in Canada.

Chinese Civil War

Conflict between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party; resumed after WWII, with Mao Zedong leading the Communist side.

High Arctic Relocation

Postwar movement of Indigenous peoples toward the High Arctic; part of federal policy, involving Nunavut’s northern regions and challenging living conditions.

Korean War

1950–1953 UN-led war in Korea; Canadian troops contributed, with limited direct combat compared to later conflicts.

Onset of the Cold War

Post-World War II era of geopolitical tension; Allied occupation of Germany and Berlin divided into sectors; push for denazification.

Quiet Revolution

1960s period of rapid modernization in Quebec, secularization, and reforms that redefined Quebec society and state power.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

UN declaration (1948) outlining fundamental human rights; influenced Canada’s development of national human rights protections.

Red Ensign (Provincial Flags)

Before 1965, Ontario and Manitoba used the Red Ensign as their provincial flag; later replaced with flags featuring provincial shields.