The period following the Second World War (1939-1945) was marked by a major economic revival and the arrival of the “consumer society.” The end of hostilities and deprivation, coupled with the development of the welfare state, led to a general increase in wealth and living standards.  

The nationalist elite, both in Acadia and French Canada, faced a dilemma. Historically, they had rejected “materialism” and “Americanization,” viewing them as vectors of anglicization and assimilation. In the aftermath of the Second World War, however, francophones were neither able nor willing to remain on the sidelines of this boom. The cooperative movement was seen as the ideal solution for fostering individual economic emancipation, locating such aspirations as part of a collective, democratic, and Catholic project.

Following the example of the Mouvement Desjardins, which had been founded in Quebec in 1900, credit unions spread throughout French-speaking Canada during the first half of the 20th century. They took root in Acadia in the 1930s, growing rapidly there over the following decade. The Fédération des Caisses populaires acadiennes was created in 1945. The Ordre de Jacques-Cartier (see “The Marching Orders of the Ordre de Jacques Cartier”) was no stranger to this institutionalization.

Acadian credit unions were also influenced by the Antigonish movement which emerged from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia in the 1930s. This liberal Catholic philosophy advocated popular education as a remedy for the socio-economic challenges of the Great Depression. Study circles were organized in many Acadian parishes to promote cooperative values.

The series of courses presented in the document featured here aligns with this approach. In addition to informing members about their participation in credit unions, broader notions about savings, credit, and insurance were also taught. This approach was not unique to Acadian credit unions. In French-speaking Ontario, for example, there were similar circles, as well as correspondence courses sponsored by the University of Ottawa’s Social Centre.

By the turn of the 1950s, credit unions were well established in Acadia. In New Brunswick, they claimed 78,785 members in 1966.