1980-1999: Devastating Disasters In Canada

The period between 1980- 1999 was bad for Canada. Many people in Canada experienced unemployment. Devastating disasters ended in death and loss of resources. HIV and other diseases were discovered and spread throughout the country. HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, this virus also leads to obtaining AIDS. Job losses were common in Canada. New technology reduced the need for human labour causing tens of thousands of Canadians working in the manufacturing industries to be laid off. 1 Now thousands of people had no way to provide for themselves or their families. Canadians in the manufacturing business struggled to survive, but they were not the only ones who faced difficult times. The Canadian cod fish population grew
scarce. The Mulroney government decided the population would be best preserved if fishing cod was banned, this lead to the unemployment of 25 000 workers in the fishing industry. 2 Without income people could not spend much money, weakening the Canadian economy. These fisherman were swimming in dangerous waters, but even worse events were to come. The Canadian economy was rapidly going downhill.
Fish factories closed in the east part of Canada, and there was an oil rig disaster draining the economy and darkening the mood. 3 Canadian everywhere were suffering not only loss of jobs but grieving the ones who lost their lives in the oil disaster. This event destroyed families with grief, but this was only a taste of the tragedy Canada was going to experience. Working underground is not the safest thing to do, this was proven when tragedy hit the Canadian mines. A coal mine disaster in Nova Scotia ended in the death of 26 people, darkening Canada’s already fallen spirits. 4 People were not only losing their jobs but they were losing their family and friends. The doctors could not save the people who died in the coal mine, however they could have prevented another horrible mistake.
Health research was not as advanced as it was now, and new diseases kept popping up causing mayhem among the people. The Red Cross scandal which involved the organization putting HIV infected blood in patients caused commotion and distrust all over Canada. 5 Mistakes were made and people died because of it. The Red Cross faced much criticism because of this unfortunate event, however the Canadian government was faced with unrest when an important issue came
up.
The aboriginal people were treated unfairly and faced much mockery, but a time came when they decided to take their stand. Disagreement between the Canadian government and the aboriginal people over land rights caused armed conflicts, and created tension across the country. 6 The Canadian government and the aboriginals were both very stubborn, creating unrest. As the battle was going on between the two opposing sides, single mothers were also facing hardships.
The views of an ideal family soon were lost in the changing ways of society. The divorce rates were high and may unmarried women were having children, causing family poverty to spring up as an urgent issue. 7 Without the much needed support single mothers were having difficulty providing for not only themselves but their kids as well. Changes were raging across Canada and not all of them were good ones. Canada experience many hardships and tension in the 1980’s-1999. The economy was weakening as the unemployment rate was increasing. Medical mistakes were made, and conflict was ongoing between various people groups in Canada. The 1980s- 1990s was definitely not a golden time in Canada’s future, but even though horrible things happened to Canada and its citizens it shaped the way Canada is today, and without those conflicts and disasters Canada would be a much different country.