The 1950s

In this decade suburbia clouded over with the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 and Canadian soldiers were once again being shipped overseas. Also the ongoing Cold War was sending a chill through our collective peace of mind. In 1951 Canada passed the Old Age Security Act and in the same year the first the first video recorder was invented. St. Louis Laurent, a Liberal, was prime minister for the first half of the decade and the Tory, Diefenbaker, moved into 24 Sussex for the second half. Dief’s brashness was reflective of a new boldness as we saw the rise of rock’n roll on the music scene signaling the start of a counter culture movement. The 50’s also saw the first plastic money with the introduction of the Diner’s Club Card. The first two TV stations in 1952 (CBFT in Montreal and CBLT in Toronto) reached 10% of the people. By 1959, 48 stations were reaching 75%. Quick to chase a new media opportunity, advertising revenues on television rose by 1,400% in just 7 years.