Census Families: 1921-2006

Significant events that have played a part in the development and changes to families:

Time Period / Event
1921 / Implementation of child labour laws
Mandatory schooling until age 16
Increased migration to urban areas
-each caused a decrease in the size of families in households
WWI / Effects of WWI left houses without fathers/brothers/sons/uncles and husbands
1930s
Great Depression / Fewer people having large families
Marriages rates fell
Lone parent families at an all-time high (not surpassed until 1996)
WWII / Women working factories-temporarily-new independent experience
Post WWII / Higher divorce rates
Higher remarriage rates
War widows married again
1946-1965
Baby Boom / More married people/ younger married people/younger families/ average number of children: 3.9 per household as of 1959
1961 / Birth control introduced (but not legalized until 1969)
1968 / Divorce Act expanded to allow for ‘no-fault’ divorce after a three year separation.
Made it easier to divorce.
1969 / Contraception legalized
1971 / Fertility was at a replacement level: this is the last recorded year for this to date: 2.1 children was the average per household.
Divorce more common.
1981 / Common-law couples are included in the Census for the first time.
1986 / Divorce Act expands further: no fault divorce could be obtained after a period of one year separation.
1987 / Record divorce rate
1995 / One in ten couples was a step family. At least one child was from a previous relationship.
About 2.1 million people cared for senior family members with physical or health issues.
2001 / Employment Insurance Act: extended period of parental leave.
2004 / Compassionate Care Benefits: gave time to tend to gravely ill family members.
2005 / Same-sex couples became legally recognized
2006 / Same sex couples were included in the Stats Canada Census for the first time.