Western Canadian Cartoon Gallery
The political situation in the West has provided fodder for cartoonists since before the West even joined Confederation. We present here a selection that have appeared in Western Canadian publications, many of them revived to appear on the cover of The Western Separatist Papers, teaching people that Western alienation is not a new phenomenon, but has existed since Confederation.
Click on the thumbnail to view a full size cartoon. Please send us ones that should appear here, to kzubko@shaw.ca.
This cartoon appeared in the Calgary Herald of October 16, 1905. In 1905 Prime Minister Laurier and Justice Minister Charles Fitzpatrick, both from Quebec, pulled and pushed a western bull into reluctant provincial status or "autonomy" upon the terms promoted by the central government. The Western Canadian bull says: "You may coerce me into it, but it's another thing to make me drink."
This cartoon appeared in the Grain Grower's Guide in December of 1912, and depicts the eastern bankers, manufacturers and railway magnate enjoying the results of the farmer's hard work, then passing the turkey's carcass to the farmer. It makes a statement about the effects of subsidized freight rates, bankers, and tariff-protected manufacturers.