The Diefenbaker Years

1957-1963

Political Trends 1945-1967

Mackenzie Kingretires

Louis St. Laurent becomes Prime Minister

John Diefenbaker becomes Prime Minister

Liberal Majorities

1948 1958

•Builds the Diefenbunker•Cancels the Avro Arrow•Passes Canadian Bill of Rights•Cdn $ = 99.5 US

Lester B. Pearson’s Liberals return to power

1963

ConservativeMajority Liberal Majorities

•Commission in Bilingualism and Biculturalism•New Flag•Trudeau joins the Liberals

•St. Lawrence Seaway•Closure to end pipeline debate

John Diefenbaker Leader of the Conservatives

From the Prairies

Minority government 1957

Majority government 1958-63

Canada in a recession – hard economic times

Appointed Ellen Fairclough-1st female cabinet minister

James Gladstone – 1st Aboriginal Senator

Video: Peoples History “ John Diefenbaker, Transcontinental pipeline”

Diefenbaker’s Lasting Contributions Bill of Rights

Freedom of speech, religion and of the press

Protection of the law without discrimination because of race, colour, religion, sex or national origin

Right of the individual to life, liberty, and security of the person

Limitations: Applied to federal law only Diefenbaker holding his Bill or Rights

I think!

Diefenbaker – disappointments Economic recession

Diefenbaker fixed our dollar at 92.5 cents

Made exports cheaper and imports more expensive

Canadians did not approve

Cancelled the Avro Arrow project $12 million cost per plane –

drain Canada’s military budget 15,000 people lost their jobs Resulted in the brain-drain

Diefenbaker - The Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962 Soviets built missile sites in Cuba

so they could launch a nuclear attack against the US

Kennedy demanded krushchev turn back the ships that were on their way to deliver the missiles

US formed a naval blockade around Cuba

Threatened to take military action if Krushchev didn’t comply

For 5 days Krushchev refused to call back his ships. The world stood on the brink of nuclear war

Diefenbaker - The Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962 - continued Kennedy requested Canada

immediately put its military on alert

Diefenbaker delayed for 2 days Angry that Kennedy had not

consulted him first Feared that being on military alert

might heighten tensions with the USSR

Demonstrate an act of independence from US foreign policy

Crisis ended 5 days later when Krushchev agreed to turn back his ships

Calvin and Hobbs on the Cuban Missile Crisis

Diefenbaker Continued BOMARC missiles

Used to stop surface-to-air missiles (to protect Canada from a possible Soviet attack)

Diefenbaker was indecisive about arming the missiles with nuclear warheads

Conservative party was split on the issue

Lester B. Pearson and most Canadians agreed that we needed the nuclear warheads

Diefenbaker forced to call an election over the issue – Pearson won a minority government

Video: Peoples History “The Shadow of Nuclear War”

Lester B. PearsonThe Diplomat

1963-1968

Lester B. Pearson - Career Diplomat Canadian ambassador

to the U.S.

Was involved in the formation of the United Nations

Oversaw Canada’s joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Suez Crisis, 1956

Nasser (President of Egypt) nationalized the Suez Canal Canal originally

controlled by Britain and France

Make the canal Egyptian Canal important for

shipping oil to Europe Br. and Fr. Bombed the

Canal Zone

Suez continued

USSR condemned Britain and France’s aggression and threatened nuclear strikes against Paris and London

US was angry – had not been consulted

Canada – trapped in the middle Could not support Britain (dies to empire not strong

enough) Needed to support US (needed to maintain western

alliance Possible show-down between 2 new superpowers - deadly

for all

Pearson and the UN

Pearson went to the UN and proposed sending in a UN peacekeeping mission

UN unanimously supported the idea

Peacekeepers remained in Egypt until 1967

Pearson won the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize

Video: Peoples History “On Guard for Thee”

Pearson’s Minority Government Liberals forced to work with

the NDP Universal healthcare plan Canada Pension Plan Royal Commission on the

Status of Women

Video Peoples History 1964-1976, “A

Question of Equality”

Canada’s new flag 1965

Video Peoples History 1964-1976, “Under a New Flag”

Shadows for the Future – French English Relations Concern over French English relations

Unity crisis in Canada

Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism Explore relationship between French and English Canadians Made recommendations

Federal civil service should be bilingual

Pearson PM till 1968. New liberal leader Pierre Elliot Trudeau

Video Peoples History 1964-1976, “Language Wars”