Canadian History Study Guide

North-West Resistance

an armed uprising led by the Métis and Louis Riel in Saskatchewan against government neglect and broken land promises. The resistance, fueled by years of Métis dispossession, ended in defeat at Batoche. Riel's execution deepened divisions between English-Protestant Ontario and French-Catholic Quebec, highlighting Canada's prioritization of settler expansion over Indigenous rights.

Clifford Sifton

Canada’s Minister of the Interior (1896–1905) under Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier. He led a massive immigration push to “fill the Prairies”, targeting Eastern Europeans like Ukrainians and Mennonites, whom he saw as “sturdy” settlers well-suited to farming and harsh rural life. Sifton's promotional campaigns were wildly successful, transforming Western Canada’s population and economy—but his policies also reflected racial preferences and contributed to Indigenous dispossession. He resigned in 1905 amid political backlash.

J.J. Kelso

Founder of the Toronto Humane Society in 1887, providing drinking fountains for horses. Started to shift focus to children in 1888, then created the Children’s Aid Society in 1891, leading to the Child Protection Act in 1893, focusing on a better life for children

Ross Rifle Crisis

(1916) centered around the failure of the Ross rifle, used by Canadian soldiers during World War I. The rifle was prone to jamming in the trenches, leading to significant casualties and widespread dissatisfaction among soldiers. The crisis led to the Canadian government abandoning the Ross rifle in favor of the more reliable Lee-Enfield rifle. Raised concerns about government reliability and trust

On-to-Ottawa Trek

(1935) was a protest by unemployed workers travelling from Vancouver to Ottawa, demanding better conditions and wages. About 1,000 men boarded freight trains to voice their grievances. The trek ended with a violent confrontation in Regina, contributing to the government's defeat and the closure of relief camps by 1936.

Japanese Canadian internment

During World War II, about 22,000 Japanese-Canadians were forcibly relocated to internment camps, primarily along the west coast of British Columbia. Driven by wartime fear of espionage, the Canadian government confiscated property and businesses, subjecting families to harsh conditions. The internment remains a dark chapter in Canadian history, with a formal apology and compensation issued in 1988.

Gouzenko Affair

(1945) began when Soviet embassy clerk Igor Gouzenko defected in Ottawa, revealing a Soviet spy ring in Canada. This exposed over 20 Canadians as Soviet agents and triggered Canada’s first peacetime security crisis. The government used emergency powers to detain suspects, raising civil liberties concerns. The affair marked Canada’s entry into the Cold War, undermined its self-image, and set the tone for future domestic surveillance practices.

The Suez Canal

(1956) occurred after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, prompting Britain, France, and Israel to launch a military intervention. As Cold War tensions escalated, Canada—under Lester B. Pearson—refused to support Britain, instead proposing the first UN peacekeeping force to de-escalate the conflict. Pearson’s diplomacy earned him the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize and marked Canada’s emergence as a peacekeeping nation, showing independence from British foreign policy.

Quiet Revolution

(1960-1970) transformed Quebec's society, replacing the church’s dominance with secular state institutions. Led by figures like Jean Lesage, it modernized education, economy, and culture, particularly empowering Francophones. The era reshaped Quebec’s identity and laid the groundwork for separatism and language protections.

McDonald Commission

(1977–1981) was a public inquiry into illegal activities by the RCMP Security Service. Led by Justice David McDonald, the commission revealed widespread abuses and recommended separating intelligence from policing. Its findings led to the creation of CSIS in 1984, establishing stricter legal frameworks, judicial oversight, and accountability for Canadian intelligence operations—marking a turning point in protecting civil liberties.

Red River Resistance & Métis Displacement (1869–1870)

• Louis Riel leads resistance against land surveys & Anglo expansion.

• Creation of Manitoba (1870): Promised Métis land and rights, but only 15% land distributed.

• Riel flees, Thomas Scott executed → Ontario outrage, Quebec support.

North-West Resistance (1885)

• Riel returns, leads Batoche resistance.

• Battle of Duck Lake, Batoche: Métis initially win, then lose to superior Canadian forces.

• Riel executed: Symbolized deep Anglo-French/Protestant-Catholic tensions and disregard for Indigenous rights.

Industrialization & Urbanization (1885–1900s)

• Growth of cities like Montreal, Toronto.

• Rise of factory work: Hierarchical, dangerous conditions, child labour.

• Ontario Factories Act (1884): Early safety/labour reforms.

• Unionization: Knights of Labour, craft/national unions grow.

Immigration & Settlement (1896–1914)

• Sifton Years: Promoted Eastern European immigration; filled prairies.

• Oliver Years: Shift to restriction, racialized immigration (Chinese Head Tax, Continuous Journey Rule).

• Komagata Maru Incident (1914): Symbol of racist immigration policy.

Child-Saving Movement (1880–1920s)

• Shift from economic utility to innocence of children.

• Institutionalization & juvenile immigration: Over 100,000 children sent from Britain.

• J.J. Kelso: Founded Children’s Aid Society; Child Protection Act (1893).

• Residential Schools & Indigenous Day Schools: Forced assimilation, harsh conditions.

WWI & Homefront (1914–1918)

• Canada automatically enters war.

• Ross Rifle Crisis: Faulty weapon scandal.

• Victory at Vimy Ridge (1917): Boosted national identity.

• Conscription Crisis (1917): Split between English/Quebec—mass protests in Quebec.

Post-WWI (1918–1929)

• Economic shift: Inflation, recession, then urban growth.

• Winnipeg General Strike (1919): Largest labour action; state repression.

• Women gain federal suffrage (1918).

• Prohibition (Ontario Temperance Act 1916) → LCBO created (1927).

The Great Depression (1930s)

• Unemployment 30%+; gov’t initially refuses aid.

• Dust Bowl devastates Prairies.

• Relief camps: Harsh conditions for single men.

• On-to-Ottawa Trek (1935): Protest crushed in Regina Riot.

Post-WWII Reconstruction (1945–1960)

• Veteran reintegration: Education & housing support.

• Women pushed out of jobs post-war despite major war effort.

• Gouzenko Affair (1945): Sparks Cold War paranoia.

• Pearson wins Nobel Peace Prize (1957) for Suez Crisis peacekeeping.

The Quiet Revolution (1960–1970)

• Duplessis Era (1936–1959): Church-dominated, rural-focused, censorship.

• Quiet Revolution (1960s): Secularization, state control over education, Hydro-Québec nationalism.

• Rise of separatism: FLQ terrorism, October Crisis (1970)—Trudeau invokes War Measures Act.

• Long-term effects: Modern Quebec identity, federal tension over language and autonomy.