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Coming soon

A history of

Parks Organized Recreation Both are (mostly) 20th century phenomena

Infant years in the Dominion of Canada

1867-1899

+ Infant Years of the Dominion of Canada (1867-1899):

Sports

+ Years of the Dominion of Canada (1867-1899): Infant

Parks

First private golf club in North America, established in 1873, Royal Montreal Golf Club. Oldest in N. America

Permission from Queen Victoria in 1884 to use Royal Started in Montreal (Mount Royal), moved to Dorval, then Ile Bizard (1959), where it is now Hosted Presidents Cup in 2007

The developments of the cross-Canada railway system and the efforts of the Canadian Pacific Railroad company led to the establishment of Rocky Mountain Park (Banff) in 1885. The Public Parks Act of Ontario was passed in 1883, providing for the establishment of a system of parks as well as the maintenance of existing parks

By the 1890s, municipal parks had become a part of many municipalities in Canada.

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Niagara Falls
Most

+ Infant Years of the Dominion of Canada (1867-1899)

The

land privately owned- entrepreneurial- all views privately owned by 1885 Ontario moved for federal protection of land (& federal money) Ontario moved alone (1885), bought & removed thousands of buildings on the lip of falls Created: Niagara Parks Commission
First provincially created park Stimulated provincial, not national, creation of parks American-Canadian cooperation

National Council on Women established in 1893 in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax
Promoted Encouraged

social welfare role of play community leaders to establish playgrounds and sand gardens

Aids

to help build the social and moral character of children

1880-1900 First Golden Age of Sport & Recreation

Significant changes:
Explosion in organization of sports and games. Rules standardized, sports invented, Olympics revitalized Increases in technology (inventions, medicine) Organized recreation (Ys, Scouts) Green space/parks standardized

20th Century

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Commercial agencies providing recreation

Playgrounds came first, then recreation

National

First responders to need for recreation in 1900s Canada were commercial agencies:

Council of Women efforts (Mabel Peters) helped establish first playgrounds

Saint John, NB in 1906- first playground program Regina, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal soon followed Social, health benefits touted, plus urban places to play needed

Beer gardens, bars, dance halls, amusement parks, stage shows

Need for playgrounds argued as basic public service- Mabel Peters led way for governments to become involved Playgrounds at schools began to be opened, used in summer

Lords Day Act: Part II

The

Eight hours for work

Lords Day Act proclaimed in 1907, leading, in part, to the establishment of the weekend
No working on Sundays, no buying or selling Henri Bourassa (newspaper publisher) fought against legislation, Quebec had fewer Sunday restrictions due to his efforts Newspapers "to be returned Tuesday Only officially repealed in 1985

More leisure time in Eastern Canada, as unions successfully fought long workday Western Canada had 9 hours daily, 9-1 on Saturday, until the 1920s.

How

does this compare to the first Lords Day Act in 1845? Part I took away leisure, Part II gave leisure

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Other leisure events

First Rec Employee

The trend towards urbanization creates a need to provide leisure services in municipalities In June of 1913, the first full-time staff member for the implementation of a public recreation program was hired by the Toronto Parks Department. Silas (S.H.) Armstrong: Chief supervisor of the playgrounds and recreation branch

The Ford Model-T automobile was introduced in 1908, enticing a freedom never experienced before- north and south of the border.

In 1909, Earl Grey donated a trophy, the Grey Cup, for the Canadian Football Championship, thus helping to establish a Canadian identity to the American game.

Early 20th Century events

Early 20th Century Leisure Themes

Technology Automobility Fight

Wars

WWI, 1914-1918 WWII, 1939-1945

Roaring twenties Stock market crash (1929) and Depression (1930s) Each impacted leisure & recreation

for free time leisure time

Organized

Change in workforce & demographics Play and erosion of work ethic, commercial pleasure, loss of formality in dress, entertaining Depression caused support for physical recreation

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Early 20th century leisure themes

Technology
Enabled

Early 20th century leisure themes

Fight

for free time

mass commercial leisure Film (1900-20s), radio (1920-30s), television (1940-50s) Decline of recreation around church, bar for almost all by 1920s Freed pleasure seeker from timetables Vacationers, picnickers, tourists

Mechanization Increased

& intensification of work influence of unions Popular demand for personal leisure Acceptance/growth of paid holidays Jobless free time of depression
Organized

Automobility
Affordability

leisure time

Municipalities

played increasing roles in organizing leisure Recreation movement in Canada/US Leisure as education- liberal arts, science, crafts, as response to mass commercial leisure