From the
earliest days of homesteading in the Canadian West
there were high hopes that the new land could be improved upon
over the established societies of Europe and eastern North
America. The Canadian West was considered by many idealists to
be the last chance to build a new society. In fact,
when promoting settlement in the Canadian West, it was often
referred to as not just the last west but the "Last Best
West."
There have been numerous attempts to create this "improved" society. Reform movements such as the social gospel,
prohibition
and women's and farmers' movements were met with varying levels of success in the early half of the 20th century. Social
Credit theory, which denounced various pitfalls of the capitalist
system, was also embraced to some degree. After World
War II, many of the ideals of the welfare state, such as universal
healthcare, were also well received.
Today,
the Canadian West continues to change and respond to the changing
country and world. The population of the West is now
virtually as urbanized as that of central Canada and economic
affluence, especially in the case of Alberta, makes western voices
ring loudly in Ottawa. It is in some ways the dawning of a
"New West."
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This digital collection was
produced with financial assistance from Canada's Digital
Collections initiative, Industry Canada.
Heritage Community Foundation Presents
![Last Best West](javascript:DynaPop('Cover of promotional booklet "The Last Best West"','images/glenbow/lastbestwest_det.jpg',' Date <br>1908<br> ',2,2))
![Canada West Magazine](javascript:DynaPop('Front cover of "Canada West" magazine, 1927','images/glenbow/canadawest_det.jpg',' Issued by direction of Minister of Immigration and Colonization, Ottawa, Ontario.',2,2))
