Responding to Racism and Discrimination in Canada: 1890-1914

Black Community Organizations

• Black people faced discrimination in late 1800s Canada, including segregated schools and limited opportunities.
• Black community responded by forming organizations like the Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes, offering opportunities denied elsewhere.
• Willie O'Ree was the first Black NHL player in 1958; however, representation remained low, with only 22 Black players out of 690 in 2013.

Black Churches and Railway Porters

• Black railway porters faced low wages, long hours, and poor treatment.
• Black workers were excluded from railway unions.
• Black churches protested the firing of Black porters, pressuring the government.
• Some workers were rehired, but without compensation; Black workers eventually formed their own union.

Italian Workers' Strikes

• Italian immigrants were recruited for temporary, low-paying jobs and faced discrimination.
• Strikes, sometimes violent, occurred due to harsh conditions and job insecurity.
• Newspaper focused on violence rather than worker grievances.
• Despite hardships, Italian workers formed communities and opened businesses.

Jewish Garment Workers' Protest

• Jewish immigrants in the garment industry faced anti-Semitism and challenging conditions.
• Jewish-led unions helped maintain cultural practices.
• Workers at Eaton Company went on strike over added tasks without pay and harsh conditions.
• The strike grew but lacked support; workers eventually gave up, and Eaton refused to rehire them.
• The strike raised awareness of sweatshops and introduced Jewish people to the labor movement.

First Nations and Assimilation

• Government policies aimed to assimilate First Nations people through the Indian Act, including reserves and residential schools.

Songhees' Resistance

• The Songhees people resisted government attempts to acquire their reserve land in Victoria, BC.
• The government offered cash payments for the land, which Songhees rejected.
• Government proposed removing First Nations status to divide and acquire the land.
• Chief Michael Cooper negotiated a deal for cash payments, a new reserve, and retained First Nations status.

Resistance to Residential Schools

• Residential schools aimed to assimilate First Nations children by removing them from families.
• Families initially resisted sending children, with low attendance in early years.
• Families protested policies like forced baptism and restricted visits.
• The government continued to open schools despite resistance, conditions worsened, and many students died.
• The last school closed in 1996; the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was formed to address the legacy.

Resisting the Potlatch Law

• The government banned potlatches, viewing them as wasteful, while First Nations saw them as vital for traditions and relationships.
• Duncan Campbell Scott justified the ban due to the new money system, while a Haida chief defended their right to practice their customs.
• Communities resisted by holding potlatches in secret; the ban was lifted in 1951.

Women Fighting for Change

• Women in the late 1800s faced restrictions.
• Increasing industrialization led women to seek work in cities.

Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)

• Provided safe, affordable housing and training schools for young women in cities.

Improving Social Status

• Groups like the Canadian Women's Suffrage Association and individuals like Lady Aberdeen worked to improve women's status.
• Lady Aberdeen founded the National Council of Women of Canada and the Victorian Order of Nurses to address healthcare shortages in rural areas.
• Women also served as nurses in the military, gaining rank and pay.

Domestic Sciences

• Adelaide Hoodless advocated for education in food safety, nutrition, and hygiene after her son's death.
• Women's Institutes were founded to educate women about domestic science.

Social Gospel Movement

• This Protestant movement aimed to address social problems like poverty.
• Organizations like the Canadian Woman's Christian Temperance Union supported the movement.
• The All People's Mission in Winnipeg provided services to poor immigrants.

Common Goals

• The social gospel, women's suffrage, and temperance movements shared goals of improving society.
• Social gospel supporters realized that women's suffrage could help them achieve their goals.
• The temperance movement aligned with the social gospel's emphasis on controlled living, with the goal of banning alcohol.

Working Together

• There were disputes among women's groups on the best approach.
• Lady Aberdeen aimed to unify women through the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC).
• Differing perspectives on issues like temperance created barriers to unity.

Supporting Black Women

• Most women's organizations were led by white women; Black women were often excluded.
• The YWCA provided housing for Black women, such as Ontario House.
• The Coloured Women's Club of Montréal, founded by wives of Black porters, fought poverty and discrimination within the Black community.

Participating in Sports

• Suffragettes encouraged women to participate in sports for health benefits.
• Middle-class women had more opportunities to participate in sports like rowing, skating, and golf.
• Some women participated in team sports like field hockey despite them not being considered "graceful."