Chapter 9 IntroductionHochelaga 1500-1642Ville-Marie 1642-1665French Empire 1699-1763Small French Town 1665-1760Conquered City 1760-1800British Commercial Takeover 1800-1850Industrial City 1850-1896Canada's Metropolis 1896-1914North-American City 1914-1929Depression and War 1930-1945Modern City 1945-1960Québec's Metropolis 1960-1992ConclusionQuizEducational Resources

The First World War

A painful adjustment

The return of growth

A better life

   
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A painful adjustment  

The 1918 Armistice signalled the beginning of a painful period of adjustment: conversion to a peacetime economy, the return of demobilized soldiers, an alarming inflation rate and labour unrest. From 1920 to 1922, a serious economic crisis occurred, combined with a dramatic rise in unemployment. This was the context in which the Québec government adopted the Public Charities Act and the federal government nationalized the railways. The head offices of the two main railways, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National, remained in Montréal.

Post-war tensions could also be felt in municipal politics. The City’s numerous annexations had created a heavy fiscal burden that alarmed bankers. The Québec government placed Montréal under trusteeship from 1918 to 1921.


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