The Fabulous 50’s, February 13, 2017

Posted on by

Moderator:  Mike Ash
Registration Fee:  $20
Time:  5 weeks, Monday, 10:00 AM to Noon, February 13 to March 20 (excl. Feb. 20th)
Location:  Pine Dale Motor Inn
Format:  Presentation and Discussion

“The post war years were a golden time in the Canadian economy …”¹  What was it about this time period that made Canada the best place to grow up for the boomer generation? As the immediate fall out of the WWII subsided, everything was upbeat and opportunities for jobs and a better standard of living grew. The cold war was warming up but we had a vision of a brighter and prosperous future for all Canadians, particularly the new generation of youth. Let’s explore this decade (+/- a few years) with a little research and by drawing on our own rich experience to discover the events and conditions that shaped us.

¹CanadaHistory.com

The50s-family-carPossible Topics to Explore

  • The cold war
  • Immigration – DP’s and the Immigration Act of 1952
  • Rebuilding Europe – good for Canadian business
  • The Korean War
  • The civil rights movement
  • The oil industry in Alberta develops
  • The impact of American culture, particularly pop music
  • The housing boom and the new invention – suburbs
  • Consumerism takes hold
  • Newfoundland joins Canada
  • The baby boom
  • From the war new technology emerges
  • National Hospital Insurance introduced 1957
  • The Avro Arrow is cancelled
  • The ascendance of the Liberal agenda
  • The quiet revolution in Quebec and the FLQ
  • NORAD is created
  • The Canadian Bill or Rights, 1960
  • Television changes culture
  • Cars for everyone
  • Canada as peacekeeper
  • The St. Lawrence Seaway is built
  • The seeds of the Vietnam war are sown
  • Canada Council for the Arts started
  • Personal, characteristic experiences from the 50’s
The50s-50 The50s-TV