Canada and the World
Current Events with a Canadian Perspective
Last update
02 May 2012
Social Issues
Abuse of Mental Patients in Victorian England
In the 1840s, a scandal erupted involving
the highest levels of government over the
treatment of inmates at an insane asylum
Accidents Cost Canadians almost $20 Billion a Year
A report puts a dollar figure on the human tragedy
of accidents many of which are preventable
Statistics to shock and amaze (well, not really)
that show what Canada would look like
if it had a population of 100 people
Charitable Fundraising a Problem Business
Charities are work hard at persuading people to
support their causes, sometimes they hire
outside businesses to boost their incomes
Child Labour in Victorian Times
In Victorian England many children as young as
five began working in mines and factories in
the most appalling conditions imaginable
Development of Social Programs
A hundred-
very little to say about the plight of the poor,
almost the only help available came from charities
Life Expectancy Rising in Rich Nations
Those who live in developed countries are now
living twice as long as their forebears in the
mid-
The newspaper business has been suffering
for several years; the economic recession is
causing some to close their doors permanently
One of the most influential science advisors to
the U.S. government says the human
population now exceeds the planet’s carrying capacity
Quality of Life Declining in Canada
Researchers are finding ways of assessing how well or
poorly people live by looking beyond economic indicators
The wealthy in North America are doing very well;
the middle class and the poor not so much
The mountains of private debt that have been
built up over the past couple of decades
threaten the stability of the economy
Social Reform Crusader William Thomas Stead
A journalist raised in Victorian England
became a crusader for social reform, peace,
and for the rights of the underdog
Thomas Coram’s Home for Abandoned Children
Social conditions in 18th century Britain left
many vulnerable people, particularly children,
in desperate need of help