Canada at the Turn of the Century: The Impact of Industrialization 1890s-1920s

There were dramatic changes for the people of Ontario from the 1890s to the 1920s. The opening of the Canadian West, the tapping of northern Ontario’s forests and mines, the harnessing of Niagara for cheap hydroelectric power and the continued influx of new immigrants ushered in a period of economic growth pushed on by new technology. Canada’s involvement in World War I had a major impact on the province. Its people made huge contributions and sacrifices, and its factories were kept busy.

You and your classmates will act as historians and use primary sources to learn more about living in these times. Diaries, drawings, maps, newspapers, and business and government records are some of the eyewitness reports that you will examine as your main source for information and analysis.

You will begin your quest by completing a series of introductory activities, concluding by visiting primary source stations. You then will be assigned a role in a class WebQuest, where you will use primary sources to research your role and make reports.

The primary sources, presented in digital format, are facsimiles of original documents in the collections of the Archives of Ontario, the City of Toronto Archives and the Toronto Public Library.

Click on Introductory Activities to begin your Ontario History Quest.