PROHIBITION IN THE 20S AND 30S
The rise of illegal activities in Canada.
Recently we’ve been doing group presentations in class on various topics concerning the 1920s and 1930s in Canada. One group talked about social change and the one thing that really got me interested was Prohibition. I mean, I guess I find it kind of funny that the government or temperance groups thought that introducing anti-liquor legislation would actually stop the consumption of alcohol. In any case, Prohibition (both in Canada and in the US) was a huge topic of discussion and controversy in the 1920s and 30s. It arose out of good intentions, however it ended up causing much crime and corruption within Canada. Eventually, the government realized that Prohibition was an unrealistic goal and they repealed the anti-liquor legislation. But the question remains; was the institution of Prohibition an overall good decision or not?
PROHIBITION IN CANADA
Prohibitionist ideas were prevalent in Canada long before Prohibition on a national level was actually introduced. Temperance activists had been campaigning for generations to close down bars, saloons and taverns. They firmly believed that alcohol was obstructing economic success, social cohesion, and moral or religious purity. During the 19th century (even before Confederation), laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol were passed. For example, in the Province of Canada, the Dunkin Act of 1864 was passed, allowing any municipality to outlaw the sale of alcohol if they gained a majority vote. In 1878, the Canada Temperance Act extended the Dunkin Act to the whole Dominion. In 1898, the temperance movement was so strong that a national plebiscite was held on the issue. Though it received a majority vote (of 51.3%), Sir Wilfrid Laurier didn’t pass the law since he felt the majority wasn’t large enough. He also felt that Prohibition would sacrifice national unity by causing uproar in Quebec since 81.2% of Quebeckers had voted against it (“The People of Canada”, Bumsted). Thus, Prohibition was temporarily averted.
However, various provinces within Canada soon enacted anti-liquor legislation, PEI being the first to do so in 1901. During WWI, Prohibition was introduced on a federal level and all of the provinces (except Quebec) implemented Prohibition. Alcohol sales were only permitted for industrial, scientific, mechanical, artistic, and medical uses. At the time, Prohibition was generally seen as an act of patriotism and a social sacrifice needed in order to help with the war effort. It was also a major victory for temperance activists and various women’s groups (e.g. the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union). But what were the results of Prohibition?
AMERICAN PROHIBITION
Prohibition in Canada was fairly short-lived. By the mid-1920s most of the provinces had already repealed their Prohibition laws and by 1930 only PEI had Prohibition in place (PEI finally ended Prohibition in 1948). However, in the United States Prohibition was in effect from 1919 to 1933 and anti-liquor laws were much more strict than those in Canada. The manufacture, sale and transport of all alcohol were entirely forbidden. However, many Americans were willing to pay large sums of money in order to obtain illegal alcohol. This promise of easy money resulted in much of the criminal activity in Canada during the 20s and 30s. Therefore, in a way, Prohibition had gotten rid of some social ills but had also caused many others.
Bootlegging (the illegal sale of liquor) and rum-running (smuggling Canadian liquor into the US) reaped enormous profits. “Blind pigs” (locations where illegal liquor could be bought) appeared all across Canada and violence along the Canada-US border increased. The illegal liquor business taking place quickly attracted American mobsters who brought guns, gang warfare, and murder, with a good deal of the crime taking place in Canada. Corruption even occurred among some police, judges, doctors, and government officials. Evidence of this corruption was available when it was suspected that government officials, and maybe even a Cabinet minister, of the Liberal Party were involved in illegal liquor smuggling, sparking the King-Byng Affair of 1926.
Overall, American Prohibition had a huge impact on Canada and continued to influence Canadian criminal activity despite the fact that by the late 1920s most of Canada no longer had a policy of Prohibition. By the end of the Prohibition era, anti-liquor legislation seemed to have done more harm in North America than the “social evil” that its purpose was to eliminate. So, should Prohibition have been introduced in the first place?
WAS PROHIBITION REALLY A GOOD IDEA?
In some ways, Prohibition was successful. At the beginning it seemed to be achieving what Prohibitionists had hoped; there was less public drunkenness, domestic violence, and other associated crimes. Furthermore, industrial efficiency improved during the Prohibition era. However, I believe that enforcing Prohibition was never a good idea. It caused way more problems than it solved and in my opinion, the new problems created were much more serious than the former ones.
“THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS FOR OFFENCES ASSOCIATED WITH DRINK HAD DECLINED FROM 17,413 IN 1914 TO 5,413 IN 1921 AND DRUNKENNESS CASES HAD DECLINED FROM 16,590 IN 1915 TO 6,766 IN 1921.” — The Ontario Alliance for the Total Suppression of the Liquor Trade, 1922
On the whole, the drawbacks of Prohibition were very severe. It led to a dramatic increase in lawlessness as Canadians became involved in illegal liquor sales. As well, Prohibition in the US resulted in illegal “rum-running” and bootlegging in Canada. The rise in gang violence and government corruption were also negative side effects. Furthermore, we can simply look to the US to see what might have happened in Canada if Prohibition had lasted longer. The huge increase in organized crime, the widespread corruption of public officials, and alcoholic poisoning (due to badly-made, chemical-lanced bootleg liquor) plagued the US. In addition, the Canadian government lost a significant source of tax revenue when legal alcohol sales ceased, affecting other services. Lastly, some people argued that Prohibition had taken away the Canadian tradition of individual liberty.
Therefore, due to all of these reasons, I don’t believe that Prohibition should have been introduced in the first place. I especially don’t think that the success of Prohibition was ever truly promising because people tend to have a way of evading the law and getting what they want. With something as widely consumed as alcohol, it would be (and was) relatively easy to obtain, smuggle, and create illegally. Thus, I think it was fairly evident from the start that Prohibition would be a waste of time and would only cause more trouble.
WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT PROHIBITION?
Well, first of all Prohibition was a very prominent topic in the 1920s and 1930s and it represented the social reforms that were taking place at the time. It’s symbolic of the changes that took place as Canadians tried to improve their quality of life and adapt successfully into a new, post-war era. Secondly, various aspects of Prohibition played a significant role in Canadian society throughout the rest of the 20th century and its remnants still affect Canadians today. For example, the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) was established after the end of Ontario Prohibition to regulate the consumption of alcohol. Until 1958, people had to have a permit book (in which to record the liquor they bought) and until 1961, people had to have licences in order to purchase alcohol from the LCBO. As well, the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act, 1928, is still in function today and does not allow the import or export of liquor into any Canadian province. The only way to legally import or export liquor to or from Canadian provinces is through the provincial liquor boards. Originally, this law was meant to apprehend inter-provincial bootleggers, however, today its only purpose is a financial one. Through maintaining complete control over alcohol sales, provincial liquor boards can make profits off markups. Some people (like my dad) are frustrated by the liquor monopoly of the LCBO and the Beer Store in Ontario and the price markups they both have. However, others support the government control of liquor sales. In any case, the continued existence of the LCBO (and the other things mentioned above) bring into evidence how the after-effects of Prohibition have continued to have an impact on society even many decades after Prohibition took place. They demonstrate how we must know about past societal experiences in order to understand current laws governing the alcohol industry.
“YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND ANY NORTH AMERICAN LIQUOR LAWS UNLESS YOU TRACE THEM BACK TO PROHIBITION” — Wine lawyer, Mark Hicken
Understanding Prohibition and the societal changes that have occurred since then are also important for making calculated decisions about whether the after-effects of Prohibition should finally come to an end. Nowadays, many people believe that the monopoly the LCBO holds is locking up economic value, and suppressing innovation. They also say that the privatization of the liquor industry could bring Ontario over $200 million more per year. As a result, many people believe that the LCBO no longer is the optimum choice for this day and age. So I guess the next question is; should the LCBO be done away with?
Works Cited:
“Prohibition.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/prohibition/>.
“Prohibition in Canada.” Prohibition in Canada. N.p., 30 June 2005. Web. <http://www.faslink.org/prohibition timeline canada.htm>.
“Canada in the 1920's.” Canada in the 1920's. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.ascension.k12.nf.ca/curriculum/social/canhistory_1201/new_page_7.htm>.
“Canadian Alcohol Laws Officially ‘weird’.” The Full Maple. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://thefullmaple.com/2011/05/canadian-alcohol-laws-officially-weird/>.
Mayer, Andre. “Canada’s Weird Liquor Laws.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 13 May 2011. Web. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-s-weird-liquor-laws-1.1004724>.
“LCBO | Media Centre.” LCBO | Media Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.lcbo.com/aboutlcbo/media_centre/history.shtml>.
“LCBO Monopoly.” LCBO Monopoly. N.p., 24 Sept. 2011. Web. <http://www2.canada.com/windsorstar/news/editorial/story.html?id=ddcf77e5-339c-4fa2-98a9-04a26aa1e4d2>.
Written: Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
