CANADA'S ALL RIGHT: THE LIVES AND LOYALTIES OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES IN A TORONTO SUBURB, 1900–1945

Before World War II, many immigrant workers in North America lived in industrial and residential suburbs. The early history of a residential suburbo of Toronto, Ontario, shows that, initially, homes were modest and public services were absent. Men worked long hours, commuted far and built the family home. Women strove hard to keep house and raise a family in unserviced homes. Children helped out, and played in the accessible bush. Self‐provisioning was common, and early opportunities to acquire homes and establish businesses were good. Community‐building created a strong neighbourhood identity. At first, settlers felt loyal to Britain, compared their experience with the situation back home, and concluded that Canada was ‘all right. The Depression brought working‐class loyalities to the fore and prompted many to become more critical of the Canadian status quo. This story raises questions about the nature of the immigrant working‐class experience in North American cities in the early twentieth century.