Introduction

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a different time and place? What would your life be like without television, CDs, cars, computers, and all the other technological conveniences you use and rely on every day?

We are going to ask you to step back in time and see what life was like for people living in this province in the late 1890s to the 1920s. There were dramatic changes for the people of Ontario, resulting from Confederation, the building of transcontinental railways and the continued influx of new immigrants to the province and country. This was a period of economic growth pushed on by new technology. The possibilities of success for Canadians were so great that the twentieth century was thought to be "Canada's century".

This WebQuest will give you and your classmates an opportunity to examine how various people of the time were affected by the new economic, industrial, and social demands of the period. The "turn of the century" was a time of optimism but not all people shared in the benefits of industrialization.

There are two key questions for you to consider as you work through this activity. How were the lives of the people of Ontario changed during this period of time in Canadian history? How do the various kinds of primary sources help you draw your conclusions?

Click on Task to begin your WebQuest