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History Post-confederation (1867-)

A Propensity to Protect

Butter, Margarine and the Rise of Urban Culture in Canada

by (author) W.H. Heick

Publisher
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Initial publish date
Jan 2006
Category
Post-Confederation (1867-), Social History, Agriculture & Food
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780889207813
    Publish Date
    Jan 2006
    List Price
    $85
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781554584857
    Publish Date
    Sep 2013
    List Price
    $44.99
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780889209947
    Publish Date
    May 1991
    List Price
    $85.00

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Description

For Canada the last century was one of great social and economic change: an increasingly urban population witnessed shifts from an agricultural to a mixed economy and from moderate to greater wealth. Heick chronicles how changing attitudes toward butter and margarine reflected the nature of that society. He demonstrates how the ban on the manufacture, importation, and sale of margarine was instigated in 1986 at the behest of the nascent, yet influential diary industry, particularly in Ontario. This ban was based on the premise that margarine was not a pure food. Despite the lifting of the ban in 1918–23, margarine would only appear as a permanent fixture of the Canadian food spectrum after World War II. The author contends that post-World War II urbanization, and a desire to enjoy a more prosperous life after wartime stringencies, were instrumental in this change. It was increasingly difficult for the Canadian diary industry to meet the nation’s growing dairy requirements. Margarine was no longer viewed as impure; in fact it was now recognized as being a wholesome food and substitute for butter.

Heick’s important study of the Canadian butter/margarine competition brings to light how the lengthy debate manifested itself in political, economic and social milieux.

About the author

W.H. Heick was born in the United States and came to Canada in 1947. His academic degrees are from the University of Western Ontario, Queen’s University, and Duke University. Previous research interests have been Canadian federalism and Arthur Lower as historian.

W.H. Heick's profile page

Editorial Reviews

''Offers some interesting stories about Canadian responses to margarine and provides insight into the struggle for the loyalties of consumers and governments.''

Ontario History

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