ANALYZING THEMES AND ISSUESMS. WHITFIELD

Comparing Canada in 1914 and today in 2015

1914 2015

Population: 7,206,643Largest cities:

Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver

52% of population under 25

4.3% of population over 65

437, 347 more men than women

Population, 30,749,600

Largest cities in Canada: Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa

29% of population under 25

15% of population are over 65

Geography

1914 Census 2011

52% of population was British

28.5% of population was French

5.5% of population was German

1.8% of population was Austro-Hungarian

19.81% is English15.42% is French14.35% is Scottish9.75% is German.96% of Hungarian

Canadian Military

1914 Not really a military

nation Fought in the Boer War in

South Africa, 1899-1901. No professional army Navy consisted of two old

cruiser ships Militia had 3,110 men ;

684 horses 74,606 ‘citizen soldiers’-

civilians who had some training and 16,630 of their horses

2015 IN Europe: Operation Reassurance with

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) to do counter-terrorism patrols until June 2016

International operations, Ukraine | Operation UNIFIER-providing security

In the Middle East- Operation IMPACT is the CAF– the multinational military coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the Republic of Iraq and in Syria.

Continental operations, Northwest Territories | Operation NUNAKPUT-asserting sovereignty over Canada’s northernmost regions, and to maximize effectiveness in response to safety and security issues in the North.

Continental operations, Saskatchewan | Operation LENTUS 15-02- Royal Canadian Air Force is supporting fire-fighting efforts in Saskatchewan to fight forest fires.

Soldiers’ wages Colonel $7.20/day Lieutetant $2.60/day Private $1.10/day

Military Spending: $11,151,398.63

Spent on militia and defence

$237,770,499.60 (converted to 2014

dollars) 8.8% of budget

expenditure

Canadian Armed Forces: 68,000, plus 27,000 

reservists, 5000 Rangers, and 19,000 supplementary reserves, bringing the total force to approximately 119,000.

Royal Canadian Air Force: 14,500 Regular Force and 2,600Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 2,500 civilians.

Royal Canadian Navy:  8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by 5,300 civilians

Wages and Salaries

Steam Railway Conductor: $102.18 ($2,178.69-2014)

Telegraph operator: $68.64 ($1,463.54-2014)

Farm Labourer (Male) $35.55 ($758-2014)

Farm Labourer $18.81 ($401.07-2014)

*wages per month

Minimum wage is $10.20

$3,947 average monthly wage in Canada

Costs of living

RENT in 1914: $20.15/ $429.64 (converted to 2014 dollars)

FUEL AND LIGHTING in 1914$8.20/ $174.84

Rent 1 bedroom apartment-between $1000-$1500 depending on size and location

Food costs

BREAD- (1 loaf)- 6¢$1.28 (converted to

2014 dollars)MILK (6 qts.)- 53¢/

$11.30EGGS (1 dozen)-

34¢/$7.25SIRLOIN STEAK

(2lb.)- 49¢/ $10.45

Loaf of bread: $2.77Milk (1litre): $2.10Eggs (1 doz): $3.34

The economy

1914All about

production from forestry and agriculture (grain) to manufacturing (had doubled in a decade due to investments in hundreds of branch plants in the USA)

2015Labour force by

occupation: Agriculture 2%Manufacturing 13%Construction 6%Services 76%Other 3%

Market-oriented and globalized economy

Lots of imports and exports

Industries

MANUFACTURING*$1,381,547,225/ $29,457,396,764(converted to 2014

dollars)AGRICULTURE (field

crops) $638,580,300/ $13,615,830,803

Industries

FOREST PRODUCTS$176,672,000/ $3,767,006,373MINING$128,475,499/$2,739,358,945

Major industries:

Foreign investments

1/3 of British foreign investment came to Canada

British money invested in Canada

$1,280,286,475was invested from

1905 to the end of April, 1911.

$27,298,311,619(converted to 2014

dollars)

Major investments from China in excess of $90 million USD

Telephones and telecommunications

1914Classic telephone was

still newFirst coast-to-coast

call made in 1915521,144 Telephones

in Canada1 for every 15.5

Canadians

2015Cellular technology is

wide-spread28,429, 308 cell

phone users in Canada

Sending mail by the post

SNAIL MAILINGCanadians loved

sending post-mail.Canadians mailed...737,638,000 in 1914

Cost to mail a letter in 1914- 2-3 cents

Snail mail is almost non-existant; replaced by electronic mail in a variety of formats

85 cents to mail a letter

Railroad travel

661,412,099 Train trips

Today about 4.4 million travellers ride the rail with CN, CP and Via each year, while another 50 million commute on Southern Ontario's GO train. 

Source: “What life in Canada was like before the First World War.” Globe and Mail, Eds. RICK CASH, MURAT YUKSELIR

AND JERRY JOHNSON http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/what-life-in-canada-

was-like-before-the-first-world-war/article19342310/