Modernism and Postwar Reconstruction

The years after the Second World War (1939-1945) brought immense change to North American life. From the mid-1940s to the early 1970s, the postwar period witnessed significant transformation.[1] Veterans returned home from service, and birth rates, which had dropped during the Great Depression, rose again.[2] Economic growth revived as wartime rationing ended. Private affluence increased, retail practices evolved, and the desire for better living conditions fueled suburban expansion, made possible by the car.[3] The era was one of constant flux, and in Canada, it was further influenced by Modernism and postwar reconstruction.[4]

Following World War II, Canada pushed for revitalization through Modernism and postwar reconstruction. Modernism, a mid-twentieth-century movement, was a style and ideology in architecture and the arts that broke with traditional forms.[5] Architectural historian Harold Kalman defines 'modern' as a term used to describe “what was perceived as belonging to the present or the recent past.”[6] Architects and designers of the Modern Movement emphasized innovation, prioritizing new styles and ideas over historical practices. 

Building on these foundations, postwar reconstruction became central to Canada. Architectural historians Rhodri Windsor Liscombe and Michelangelo Sabatino define postwar reconstruction as a process of updating and renewing national policy, ambition, society, and the built environment.[7] In this spirit of revitalization, architects addressed planning and housing shortages, policymakers advanced new national priorities, and communities saw the creation of a uniquely Canadian culture.[8] By the 1950s, the project of postwar reconstruction had firmly established Modernism, dramatically altering the visual landscape of Canadian cities.[9]

In Canada, postwar reconstruction brought a new vision of architecture and design rooted in the Modern Movement: The International Style. This modern architecture, which spread across North America after the Second World War, favoured uniformity, austerity, and good design.[10] As a result, Canadian modernist design reshaped postwar life. National and commercial media promoted a modernist lifestyle and encouraged the consumption of new goods and services.[11] While this modernist mindset took hold, architects focused on building well-designed houses to respond to public, government, and private-market demands for housing. As suburbs rapidly expanded, modernist designers applied their principles to these new communities, affecting how Canadians lived outside city centres.  

By the 1950s, Canadian architects, designers, and planners had broadly embraced Modernism, winning national competitions for modernist projects.[12] These achievements raised the status of architectural practice and supported preparations for the upcoming 1967 Centennial Celebrations. Meanwhile, as Canadian city centres transformed—a process that began in the late 19th century—public projects turned to Modernism to enhance the cityscape. Notable constructions include Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Railway Hotel (1955–58) and Toronto’s Toronto Dominion Centre (1963–67). Thus, growth in both urban and suburban areas helped ensure the wider adoption of modernist principles. [13]

As Canadian families increasingly settled in suburban municipalities, postwar architects and designers focused on planning modern, car-centred communities on the city outskirts.[14] As cars became more popular and accessible, no longer seen as luxury items, families grew wealthier and eager to leave the city centre. This move contrasted with traditional urban living, where the community centre had formed the heart of city life.[15] The drive for suburban housing introduced new concerns about shifting retail environments and consumption practices.[16] With these changes, a key question emerged: if the urban community centre was central in city life, what would become the focal point in the suburbs? This question frames the discussion of how suburban centres evolved to reflect changing priorities and lifestyles. 

[1] Marie-Josée Therrien and France Vanlaethem, “Modern Architecture in Canada 1940-1967,” in Back from Utopia: The Challenge of the Modern Movement, eds. Hubert-Jan Henket and Hilde Heynen (Rotterdam: 010 Publishers, 2002), 126. 

[2] James Powell, “Temples of Commerce,” The Historical Society of Ottawa, accessed October 17, 2025. https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/publications/ottawa-stories/important-public-and-private-buildings-in-the-city/temples-of-commerce. 

[3] Marie-Josée Therrien, “Shopping Malls in Post-war Ontario,” Docomomo Journal 38 (2008): 39, https://doi.org/10.52200/docomomo.38. 

[4] Rhodri Windsor Liscombe and Michelangelo Sabatino, “Modernism and Reconstruction, 1945- 67,” in Canada: Modern Architectures in History (London: Reaktion Books, 2016), 111-169.

[5] Harold Kalman, “Modern Architecture and Beyond,” in A History of Canadian Architecture (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1994), 779.

[6] Kalman, “Modern Architecture and Beyond,” 779.

[7] Liscombe and Sabatino, “Modernism and Reconstruction, 1945-67,” 111.

[8] Therrien and Vanlaethem, “Modern Architecture in Canada 1940-1967,” 128, 130-132.

[9] Kalman, “Modern Architecture and Beyond,” 779.

[10] Marie- Josée Therrien, “Changing Trends in the Canadian ‘Mallscape’ of the 1950s and 1960s,” Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada 36, no. 2 (2011): 17, 23, http://hdl.handle.net/10222/65285. 

[11] Liscombe and Sabatino, “Modernism and Reconstruction, 1945-67,” 111-113.

[12] Therrien and Vanlaethem, “Modern Architecture in Canada 1940-1967,” 132-135.

[13] Powell, “Temples of Commerce,” https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/publications/ottawa-stories/important-public-and-private-buildings-in-the-city/temples-of-commerce. 

[14] Therrien, “Shopping Malls in Post-war Ontario,” 39.

[15] Therrien and Vanlaethem, “Modern Architecture in Canada 1940-1967,” 130.

[16] Therrien, “Shopping Malls in Post-war Ontario,” 39.