Throughout the twentieth century, Canada underwent major changes both within society and within the home. The new Edwardian era brought with it social reform, industrialization, and inventions that revolutionized how women spent their time. By looking at the social and environmental changes that occurred during the twentieth century, one can better understand the important roles women played in reinventing many aspects of Canadian living.

Prior to industrialization, those who had settled in Canada were tied to the land. With general stores largely inaccessible and with many items highly priced, families had to produce their own goods, becoming self-sustaining and largely independent. In most of the pre-industrial homes, the majority of the household work fell on women. The labour women endured was often burdensome, as they worked in extreme and sometimes dangerous conditions in order to keep the family fed and to maintain a sense of social order. For many housewives of the early twentieth century, work was often divided to make things more manageable. For those of lower economic status, and those in a more rural setting, housework was often given to younger female children. Their role in domestic labour would have ranged from helping with chores around the home, to looking after younger siblings and selling small bundles of goods produced by the family farm.The children, though faced with adult tasks, served as an important part of the success of the family, ensuring their survival and to help reduce the workload that each member faced. Ultimately such tasks acted as a socializing tool, instilling values that females would continue to work domestically and for the preservation of the family. The gendered roles and the difficult labour shared by family members meant that there was little participation outside the home, as activities and chores were time-consuming.

By 1900, Canadian society was undergoing major changes as technological advancements and social ideas revolutionized the way people lived. Throughout the early twentieth century, utilities underwent drastic changes. Running water was installed and gas and electric appliances made their way into the markets. Ultimately, this paved the way for new inventions that made housework more convenient and lessened the burden on females who primarily did the housework. For many middle and upper-class women prior to the early twentieth century, housework was often outsourced to maids and servants, some of whom were unpaid. Ruth Schwartz Cowan, in her article about the Industrial Revolution, notes that, “When illustrators in the women’s magazines depicted women doing housework [in the nineteenth century], the women were very often servants.” That being said, by the turn of the twentieth century, many servants and maids had disappeared from the family homes, most likely moving into the cities in order to work in factories or other low paying jobs, following the migration of their male counterparts. With the women now forced to look after the home alone, industrialization brought in a new wave of technological advancements to aid in the transition. The early 1900 housewife became the epitome of the modern kitchen. With her status as the domestic wife, it was her duty to stay up to date with the latest gadgets and appliances. While the purchasing of larger items was decided upon as a couple, the wife usually made a unilateral decision when it came to items such as food and smaller appliances.While the appliances certainly cut down on effort, any additional time spared would simply have been used to complete other tasks and to become more involved in children's lives. Industrialization provided homes with modern conveniences that allowed freedom from unsafe and often demanding working conditions. The movement from hard manual labour to more free time spearheaded a new wave of consumerism unfamiliar to Canadian society before the twentieth century.

While numerous changes were occurring within domestic life around the turn of the century, there were numerous changes also taking place within society. Canada had welcomed a huge influx of immigrants, many who settled in the largest cities, such as Toronto and Montreal. Clifford Sifton, an outspoken member of parliament, opened up immigration to Eastern European settlers in hopes to populate the Prairies. Between 1896 and 1913, roughly half a million people emigrated to Canada from various backgrounds. With many arriving with little money, they were forced to settle in wards, or small and often cramped quarters. The new wave of immigrants brought with them their cultural foods, recipes, and even food products that elevated what was available to the women in the general stores in the years prior to immigration. The new options in foods and recipes available are echoed in the recipes found in numerous cookbooks, which call for culturally diverse ingredients, such as Italian noodles from authentic stores. This not only shows how immigration changed the food available but the awareness and even appreciation of such foods.  

With the industrialization came the reform movement. Spearheaded by well to do women, the reformers often tried to change public policy or went into the homes of the poor and destitute to create change and to better the lives of the poor. The reformers during the early twentieth century saw the wards as a major concern that led to poverty and child neglect. It was noted by Sean Purdy that some reformers believed that the housing conditions led to, “the increasing dangers of contagious diseases and ‘immorality’ which seemingly spread from the slums to more affluent neighbourhoods.” Not only does this show a change in the living situations in the cities across Canada, but it also provides a clear example of how the lives of women were changing. For many, this was seen as a positive way to engage with society. In contrast, some affluent men felt that such participation would take the women away from their domestic duties, particularly when it came to raising children. The reformers challenged social ideals and the expectations of women, all while enforcing those same stereotypes on the women in the wards or lower class neighbourhoods. Their strong beliefs and their call to action show how women were able to become much more active, leaving behind the passive lifestyle that was expected just a few years earlier. Women were able to gain a political and social voice, changing the perception of women and allowing more social mobility.

Canada underwent numerous changes throughout the Industrial Revolution. Most notably, the revolution freed women from domestic labour and changed the course for how women engaged within society and within the home. The nineteenth century underwent numerous technological, political, and social changes that would continue to influence Canadian society.