1950s Canada: Politics and Public Affairs

by Nelson Wiseman

Overview

While the 1950s in Canada were years of social conformity, it was also a time of political, economic, and technological change. Against a background of growing prosperity, federal and provincial politics became increasingly competitive, intergovernmental relations became more contentious, and Canada’s presence in the world expanded. The life expectancy of Canadians increased as the social pathologies of poverty, crime, and racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination were in retreat.

1950s Canada illuminates the fault lines around which Canadian politics and public affairs have revolved. Chronicling the themes and events of Canadian politics and public affairs during the 1950s, Nelson Wiseman reviews social, economic, and cultural developments during each year of the decade, focusing on developments in federal politics, intergovernmental relations, provincial affairs, and Canada’s role in the world. The book examines Canada’s subordinate relationship first with Britain and then the United States, the interplay between Quebec’s distinct society and the rest of Canada, and the regional tensions between the inner Canada of Ontario and Quebec and the outer Canada of the Atlantic and western provinces. Through this record of major events in the politics of the decade, 1950s Canada sheds light on the rapid altering of the fabric of Canadian life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781487551018
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	11/09/2022
Pages:	290
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Nelson Wiseman is a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Reflections on Studying Canada of the 1950s
2. 1950
3. 1951
4. 1952
5. 1953
6. 1954
7. 1955
8. 1956
9. 1957
10. 1958
11. 1959
12. Conclusion: Politics and Public Affairs in the 1950s
13. Appendices

What People are Saying About This

Don Desserud

"Anyone interested in understanding the broader context of how Canadian politics evolves over time will be delighted by this impressively researched and engagingly written study of Canada in the 1950s. This is a real page-turner."

Livianna Tossutti

"An indispensable review of defining events and forces that shaped Canada in the 1950s, a pivotal decade in the country's history. Written by one of the foremost experts in Canadian government, this meticulous retrospective places contemporary debates about domestic political institutions, natural resource development, social and demographic policy, and international relations in historical context. Essential for anyone who is interested in continuity and change in Canadian politics, economy, and society."

Robert Bothwell

"Nelson Wiseman's 1950s Canada is a first stop for anyone researching the decade. It's both a well-founded reference work and a chronological guide through the decade, and it gives a real sense of how Canadians of the period saw their own time."

Daniel Béland

"For many casual observers, the 1950s may not sound as exciting as the 1940s and the 1960s, two decades known to have reshaped Canada. Yet, the 1950s are very much worth studying, something that becomes obvious after reading Nelson Wiseman's excellent book. Focusing on politics and public affairs, this clearly written and well-researched book features a chronological approach that makes it an indispensable guide to the 1950s in Canada."

Editorial Reviews

"An indispensable review of defining events and forces that shaped Canada in the 1950s, a pivotal decade in the country's history. Written by one of the foremost experts in Canadian government, this meticulous retrospective places contemporary debates about domestic political institutions, natural resource development, social and demographic policy, and international relations in historical context. Essential for anyone who is interested in continuity and change in Canadian politics, economy, and society."

—Livianna Tossutti, Associate Professor of Political Science, Brock University

"Nelson Wiseman’s 1950s Canada is a first stop for anyone researching the decade. It’s both a well-founded reference work and a chronological guide through the decade, and it gives a real sense of how Canadians of the period saw their own time."

—Robert Bothwell, Professor of International Relations, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto

"For many casual observers, the 1950s may not sound as exciting as the 1940s and the 1960s, two decades known to have reshaped Canada. Yet, the 1950s are very much worth studying, something that becomes obvious after reading Nelson Wiseman’s excellent book. Focusing on politics and public affairs, this clearly written and well-researched book features a chronological approach that makes it an indispensable guide to the 1950s in Canada."

—Daniel Béland, Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, McGill University

"Anyone interested in understanding the broader context of how Canadian politics evolves over time will be delighted by this impressively researched and engagingly written study of Canada in the 1950s. This is a real page-turner."

—Don Desserud, Professor of Political Science, University of Prince Edward Island

From the Publisher