The “Great” Canadian Dream

Immigration and the Settling of the West

Canada’s Immigration Policies 1869 - 1910

Canada’s first immigration act was established in 1869 as an “open door” policy Very few restrictions on who could enter Canada

Only rejected criminals & people who couldn’t support themselves

Act set limits to avoid overcrowding on ships, and set up rules to report onboard sickness

Immigration Act of 1906, by Frank Oliver Defined the meaning of the term immigrant and barred

many from entering Canada

Increased governments power to deport (especially those with illness)

Increased the amount of “landing money” required to have when they arrived

Amendment of 1908 “Continuous Journey”

Had to travel to Canada without stopping from their country of origin (no ships offered this service from India so those immigrants were stopped)

Immigration Act of 1910 Gave authority to exclude immigrants belonging to any race

unsuited to the climate or requirements of Canada

The “Last Best West”

Nearly all immigration between 1867-1890’s in North America was to the US. Nobody wanted to come to the barren, unpopulated land of

Canada.

Those who did come to Canada usually left for the US because of lack of work, or the harsh climate.

Between 1896-1911, the Canadian government encouraged people to come and settle in the West. During these years the prairie population increased

dramatically, and Clifford Sifton become the new Minister of the Interior in charge of immigration.

The “Last Best West” was the slogan used to attract people to Canada West to settle down as homesteaders and settlers.

With the end of the depression, there was a demand for wheat around the world.

Sifton was a westerner, and was dedicated to populating the prairies.

Sifton brought controversy when he encourage immigrants from the grasslands of eastern and central Europe.

They understood dryland farming methods.

Sifton had created an open-door policy, and he defended it.

Sifton stated that “a stalwart peasant in a sheep skin coat, born of the soil, whose forefathers had been farmers for ten generations, … is good quality.”

The settlers who come to the prairies were a much more diverse group as a result of Sifton’s open-door policy.

Ukrainians, Russians, Czechs, Hungarians, Poles, Rumanians, Austrians, etc.

British Settlers still made up 1/3 of all the immigrants.

Many actually failed as farmers because of having no background in it.

Many of the American settlers who come north of the border Assimilated into Canadian culture easily.

They made great farmers, and were quite successful at it.

The “Push-Pull” Factors of Immigration

Between 1891-1921 the population of Canada almost doubled. 60% of the immigrant who come to Canada settled in the West.

Canadian immigration succeeded because of “push-pull” factors. 1. A need to leave one’s homeland (push).

2. The lure of opportunity in another country (pull).

Americans, British, Europeans, and Asians come as a result of the pull factor.

Poor eastern and central Europeans come as a result of the push factor.

The pull factor still did play a part.

Ukrainians come because of repeated crop failure, starvation, and over population.

Push-pull factor often worked together, and not always independent of each other. i.e. Doukhobors, a group of Russians who come to escape

military service because it was against their religion, and they were in search of free land.

1899, 7000 had settled in Saskatchewan.

Adjusting to Life on the Prairies

Once arriving on the prairies, homesteaders had to prepare for their new lives.

First was raising $500 to buy a plough, a wagon, horses, and a milk cow.

Many worked in the lumber industry, railway, mining camps, or other peoples farms to raise the money they needed to start.

Many lived in primitive conditions on their new homesteads.

Comfort was not a concern.

Mud covered sod houses was the norm.

Known as “soddie”.

Made from thatched roofs, open windows covered with sacks, sod like bricks, and a wood frame.

Usually they were infested with flies and fleas, and smelt during the hot prairies summers with leaks during the rainy season.

Adjusting was tough. Winters were cold, and the diet of the

homesteaders was very monotonous. Natural disasters like hail, drought , and

grasshopper infestation made things difficult.

Most immigrants to the prairies succeeded despite the conditions.

After a few years the soddies would be replaced with a more substantial home, and with more settlers come better roads and infrastructure to get to the towns and markets.

Newcomers in the Cities

Between 1898-1914, the population of the prairies increased by approx. 1.5 million. The increase effected the entire country.

1/3 of all the immigrants that landed in Canada during this time frame chose the cities as their place to settle.

The developments in industry encouraged rural Canadians to move to the cites to live a more urban lifestyle. Montreal and Toronto doubled in size.

1914, the urban population was almost 50% of the total population. Only four cities in Canada had populations that exceeded

100,000 Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver.

Many immigrants coming to the cities could speak little English.

Many were pushed into unsafe, low-paying factory jobs.

A lot of the immigrants lived in ghettos. Lots lived in crowded two

room buildings with little heat, fresh air, or water.

Disease was common because of the poor living conditions.

Most people found work as unskilled labourers. Pay was $10-$15 a week, working 10-12 hour

days, and six days a week.

The working conditions were usually poor.

Job security did not exist.

Most incomes were spent on housing and food. People did not have a lot of extra money to spend

Lots of families had children that worked to help out, which in turn resulted in no education for them and neglect from the parents because of the long working hours.

At this time the government did not feel responsible for the poor, or any type of social welfare programs.

The poor relied on each other, and charitable organizations for help.