Canadian History: Negative Impacts of Government Policies on Families

This history essay examines the intervention of the Canadian government in the lives of its citizens during the 19th and 20th centuries. The essay argues that while the government aimed to improve the lifestyle and education of Canadians through various policies, these initiatives often resulted in significant negative consequences for individuals and families. The essay focuses on specific examples such as compulsory education, introduced in Ontario in 1871, and the 60's Scoop, where Indigenous children were removed from their families. It explores the economic pressures on families, the impact on Indigenous communities, and the implementation of eugenics laws, highlighting the lasting harm caused by these policies. The essay emphasizes the unintended consequences of these well-intentioned laws, which created lasting damage to Canadian families.

Running Head: HISTORY 0
History
Student Details:

HISTORY 1
Canadian government has always tried to uplift Canadian citizens during 19th and 20th
Century. However, there were many policies that resulted in failure because they harmed the
interest of Canadian citizens rather than uplifting their lives. The thesis will argue that the
laws introduced by the Canadian government for betterment of lifestyle and education
of Canadian citizens have substantial negative impact on their well-being. A key
argument is that these laws which were implemented with good intentions caused many
negative impacts on individuals which caused some Everlasting harm to Canadian families
due to decisions such as 60's scoop and compulsory education that was forced on Canadian
children and their future.
Compulsory education was introduced in Ontario in 1871; it was focused on improving
education of Canadian students. I believe that the government felt the need of this law to
create good educated and skilled future generation for Canada which would also uplift
innovation and economy of Canada. These policies increased burden on parents who were not
learning to live a better life in urban cities. Children used to help parents by contributing in
household work and some used to work to support their families financially. Poor families
would have suffered a lot as parents now have to work less hours, earn less, and sacrifice
their learning time to monitor children and to do household work which would also cause
imbalance in families’ professional and personal life.
The government also increased age of working in mines through series of amendments in the
Mine's Act of Nova Scotia which raised minimum age required to work in mines from 10 to
16 in order to prevent exploitation of children. These children were paid poorly and used to
work in poor conditions. I think the government believed that providing education will not
only prevent these children from being exploited but also education will develop their
necessary skills. Stopping children from working increased economic pressure on parents;
people living in urban areas faced many challenges because urban areas were expensive to
live.
Canadian government also focussed on health of Canadian families. 60's scoop and Eugenics
law are example where Canadian government focussed on building healthy Canadian
families. 60's scoop was practiced during 1950s to 1980s, indigenous children were taken
away from their parents and set up for adoption by white families or were send to foster care
child welfare system. I think government was worried about indigenous family because most
of the indigenous families suffered poverty and high death rates. The government would have

HISTORY 2
sent these children to a better place where they could have lived a better life. Around 20,000
children were taken away from their families. I wonder how many of these children would
have actually lived a "normal" life as they went to a totally new culture, environment and
language. It would be difficult for them to blend with their new families with all those Indian
memories. Most of these children would have faced bullying, and many of them would have
felt inferior towards their new white family. Some children would have remembered their
parents and some would not but I'm sure every mother would have remembered her child till
her last breath. It is really hard for a mother to live life after her child it's taken away from her
without her consent. No one could understand the pain except separated parents, children and
siblings.
Canadian government was also focused on the health of Canadian families during 1950s to
1980s. Canadian government introduced the Eugenics law which controlled reproductive
qualities of good and defective Canadian citizens. It was believed that controlled breeding in
humans will produce a better human race. After plants and animals, this theory was applied in
human race based on which only good citizens allowed meeting where defectives were
sterilized. I believe that the government and citizens were worried about transmission of
mental illness in the future generation. I think government believed that defectives could not
become godparents also they may transmit bad genes to their children. On the basis of IQ,
many children were taken away from their home to provincial training school without any
choice where they lived a jail-like life for years. These people were sterilized without telling.
This practice give them permanent physical and mental harm and I am sure this practice also
affected their current families who knew that their child needs love, care and support instead
of the life which they are forced to live. I am sure that many affected people would have
faced problem in their marital life as everyone wants a family, maybe they have faced
rejection because of their incompetency to give birth to a child. People have also got
permanent anxiety and depression because of what happened with them.