1918-1939 Was A Period Of Progress In Canada

Although certain events caused regression in society such as restrictive immigration policies like the Chinese Immigration Act, the years of 1918-1939 were a period of progress in Canada as there were permanent changes. These changes advanced society, such as developing medicine and health science, women getting recognition in society, and several transportation and communication technological advances. The developments that were made during this time still impact our society today.

Firstly, the period of 1918-1939 was a time of progress in Canada due to women getting more recognition in society and social roles. In the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, the Canadian team won 15 medals, and six women got more points collectively than any other nation.

For example, in 1921, Insulin was discovered at the University of Toronto, by Frederick Banting and Charles Best. Insulin was a treatment for those suffering with diabetes. Although Insulin couldn’t save patients from diabetes completely, it gave patients a few more years to live as indicated by Leonard Thompson. He was the first patient to receive a dose of insulin, and this resulted in his high blood glucose levels dropping to normal levels (American Diabetes Association, 2019). Their great discovery led them to win the Nobel Prize in medicine. Moreover, Penicillin, a group of antibiotics, was discovered during this time, specifically in the 1928s by Alexander Fleming (ACS, 2023). Although the first dose of penicillin was used in 1941 by Albert Alexander, it was still a life-changing discovery as it changed the lives of many - even after the period of 1918s1939s (Wood, 2010). The discovery of penicillin allowed a lot of life-threatening diseases to be treated, such as bronchitis, tonsillitis, and pneumonia. Penicillin is known to save millions of lives. Indeed, in just World War Two, the death rate because of bacterial pneumonia would go from 18% to 1%, because of the invention of penicillin. (The Oxford Scientist, 2020). This shows that conditions for overall public health improved - because of both the discovery of Insulin and Penicillin. The fact that

For example, the invention of automobiles advanced in this period. By the late 1918s, 50% of the Canadian population had access to automobiles. The popularity of such automobiles translated to the creation of better roads to make it more efficient for people to travel (Bondy and Mattys 63). Furthermore, radios had become more popular. The use of the radio expanded the popularity of news, pop culture, and entertainment. It also provided more job opportunities (Bondy and Mattys 63). Also, telephone lines became popular to own during the 1918s. These were joint throughout the neighbourhood and it became easy to listen into conversations (Bondy and Mattys 63). These inventions made it easier for citizens in Canada to live an efficient life. Each of these inventions contributed to advancements in the communication and transportation technology sector today. Automobiles made transportation easier, especially for those who had to travel long distances daily, and radios acted as a form of entertainment and for those to showcase their interests. Telephones caused those from far distances to communicate and were popular as it was a new and continuously advancing type of technology. Therefore, the outstanding progress made during the periods of 1918 - 1939 in Canada serves as a reminder that societal advances - whether in recognition of women's rights,