Baby+Boom!

 The Baby Boom
Between 1946 and 1966, more than 400,000 babies were born each year, with a peak of 479,000 in 1959. This was an enormous jump from previous decades. It is also higher than birth rates experienced in the early years of 21st century, where Canada's population is approximately twice as large. Canadian Fertility Rate Compared to the US

The "Baby Boom" refers to the approximately 20-year period following the end of the Second World War when the Canadian birth-rate soared. This birth-rate drastically changed the face of Canadian society. A number of factors created the conditions for this boom. Couples had delayed having children due to the war, and the affluent conditions after the war provided good environments in which to raise children. Returning veterans benefited from government programs that encouraged them to go to school, buy houses, get married, and begin raising families. The postwar economic prosperity coupled with rising optimism further intensified the trend. Psychologically and emotionally, many Canadians simply wanted a return to normality, and arguably the best way to achieve this was to buy a house and start a family. The thousands of war brides and young immigrants arriving from overseas added to the trend. The boomer generation enjoyed the fruits of success planted by their parents. Economically and socially, the generation born in the years following 1945 enjoyed a higher quality of life than previous generations. Numerous memoirs and personal accounts paint a picture of this period as an idyllic time in which to grow up //(Put a QUOTE here or at beginning of section)//. But increased affluence also led to changing values and expectations. The welfare state and baby boom had a reciprocal relationship: a population increase led to calls for improved social conditions, while these improvements created a society more conducive to population growth. The cultural influence of the baby boomers would reach its peak in the 1960s, as the generation attained adulthood. 1950s Subdivision; Toronto Archives

But in the wake of the war, the numerous families filled the newly-created suburbs as thousands of them chose to locate away from bustling downtown cores. Rows of identical houses full of new appliances and young children (virtually none of whom were from minority groups) filled the suburbs. But, at the time, few lamented the lack of diversity. Suburbia was the symbol of middle-class success. The country was transformed into a youth-centred society as both businesses and governments sought to address this growing demographic. The boom caused the sudden construction of hundreds of new schools and the hiring of thousands of teachers.