The Catalyst that Changed Canadian Women’s Lives

As the definition of what was women’s work evolved, so too did the perception of women in society. Canada began to see a different picture of women: they were no longer stay at home mothers but breadwinners. Their husbands had gone off to war so they had to support their families and go to work. As a result, women started being viewed as independent members of society. This change can be seen in period fashion magazines: bras replaced the corsets and hoops of the 19th century, and skirts became shorter. Sometimes pants were even worn! Short “bobbed” hair came into vogue and women started smoking in public. Along with changes in fashion came changes in social expectations and the growth of sports. Ladies started going out with men without a chaperone. The Edmonton Grads Female Basketball team, founded in 1915, became world champions 16 times and won 502 out of the 522 games they played, one of the most remarkable achievements in Canadian sports history. These changes marked a huge difference in the perception of Canadian women.