Title: Car Culture, Consumerism, and Suburbanization in Postwar Canada Introduction: • Most Canadians drive or have spent a significant amount of time in a car • Car accidents are a leading cause of death, especially for young people • Canadian society in the postwar era was characterized by a growing car culture, consumerism, and suburbanization The Rise of Car Culture: • In the 1950s, more Canadians died in car accidents than in the 2000s • Cars were often too powerful and lacked safety features • Driver education was emphasized, and safety features only became central to car concerns in the late 1960s • Car culture was a central part of postwar suburbanization and consumerism The Ideal of Suburbanization: • The North American Dream of family, the family car, traditional gender roles, prosperity, security, and a home in the suburbs was the new norm • This ideal was conservative and characterized by rigid gender roles and a focus on consumerism and suburbanization • However, it was also an age of poverty, conflict over work and family, and insecurity about the direction of Canadian society The Baby Boom: • Population growth in the 1950s and 1960s was fueled by the baby boom and newfound economic security

History • The mid-1940s to mid-1960s saw a huge increase in family fertility • Canada became a child-centered world, and child-focused products became popular • The baby boom had a huge impact on Canadian society, changing outlooks on housing, schooling, and childhood. • Canada's immigration policy continued to be selective, favoring immigrants from Western Europe and the British Commonwealth, while still being discriminatory based on race. • Despite policy preferences, many immigrants in this period were from central and southern Europe, changing the texture and makeup of the country dramatically, with communities settling in urban centers in concentrated areas. • Immense population growth fueled the postwar economic boom, helped along by economic security provided by the welfare state and Keynesian policies, pent up consumer demand, and low interest rates during the postwar period. • The postwar labour compromise led to labour peace, higher wages, and economic security, with union membership growing dramatically, ultimately creating a new middle class in both Canada and the United States. • The newfound consumerism of this new class was defined by their consumption of items such as cars, TVs, and appliances, with the automobile being the most desired item that came to define the North American ideal in the 1950s. Subject: The 1950s and 1960s in Canada The 1950s and 1960s in Canada were marked by significant changes in the country's economy, society, and culture. The period was characterized by:

1. The rise of suburban car culture and construction of highways. • Huge indoor malls were built to draw customers from miles away, and highways were constructed to connect suburbs to cities. • Highways also created a boom in northern recreational areas.

2. The clash between the ideal of the traditional family and Canadian reality. • The traditional family ideal was characterized by domestic bliss, traditional gender roles, consumerism, and conformity. • Canadian reality was different due to the presence of women in the workforce, discrimination, a large immigrant population, and indigenous people.

History 3. Uneven distribution of wealth and poverty. • The 1950s' ideal was limited by class, with some unionized blue-collar workers doing well economically. • However, many Canadians remained poor, and rural and isolated farming and fishing communities remained in terrible poverty throughout the period. • Governments moved to clear slums in cities and provide better housing, which fit the developing car culture and society's emphasis on middle-class suburban living. 4. Fears regarding Americanization and mass culture. • The 1951 Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences (the Massey Commission) argued for more government support of Canadian culture. • The commission expressed elitist fears regarding the effects of mass culture on the population. Overall, the 1950s and 1960s in Canada were a time of significant change, growth, and development, but also of tension between the ideal and the reality.