Summary
Highlights
Prohibition generally refers to banning the production, import, and transportation of a product or service. In the 1920s, this applied to alcohol across North America, including most of Canada by that time, where provinces began outlawing alcohol sales during World War I.
Various groups supported prohibition. Many Canadians believed alcohol destroyed lives, leading to domestic violence and financial hardship. Women's groups, gaining political influence with the right to vote, strongly campaigned against liquor. The Temperance Movement, a religious opposition to drinking, also played a significant role. Teetotalers, who advocated complete abstinence, and farmers, concerned about city vices invading rural life, also supported the ban. Employers and business leaders backed prohibition to ensure a more alert and productive workforce, preventing employees from coming to work drunk or hungover.
Prohibition led to a decrease in public drunkenness and domestic violence. However, it also fostered illegal activities. Speakeasies, secret bars, emerged for people to purchase alcohol. Bootlegging, the homemade production of liquor, became common but carried dangers due to unregulated and untested alcohol. The differing legal statuses of alcohol in Canada and the U.S. across periods created opportunities for smugglers like William McCoy to bring alcohol across the border. Organized crime, epitomized by figures like Al Capone, thrived due to the enormous profits from bootlegging, leading to bribery, violence, and increased gang activity.
Prohibition ultimately created more problems than it solved. By the end of the 1920s, public opinion shifted towards moderated drinking over an outright ban. Ontario repealed its prohibition law in 1927, followed by other provinces. While alcohol became legal again, it was heavily regulated, creating a government monopoly. In Ontario, this led to the establishment of the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario), which initially operated like a pharmacy, strictly controlling sales. Even today, the LCBO retains a paternalistic approach with social responsibility initiatives, serving as a remnant of the prohibition era.