Enter the contradictory 1970s: Your guide to Episode 4

Air date: Thursday July 5 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC | Watch full episode »

It's the 1970s and the Campus family embraces the earth-tone transformation of their home, right down to the shag carpets and wood panelling. While Tristan remains in charge of the kitchen, she finally gets a bit of help from her husband. She's then brought to tears when surprised with a life-changing appliance...

The family gathers for the historic '72 Canada / Russia Summit Series and gets the surprise of their lives with a visit from renowned Hockey Night In Canada host Ron MacLean. And no walk through the '70s would be complete without a spin around the roller-disco and tasting fondue.

What's happening in Canada? Recession and revolt

The 1970s get off to a rocky start with the October Crisis of 1970. Tanks rolled down the streets of Montreal and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures act after Quebec separatists kidnapped a provincial cabinet minister and British diplomat.

A new word enters the Canadian vocabulary: "stagflation," the combination of a stagnant economy and a rising cost of living. After decades of economic growth, younger Boomers struggle to find first jobs, and an increasing number of families are spending half their incomes on housing.

Second wave feminism, or "women's lib," also emerges as a force this decade. In 1970, the Royal Commission on the Status of Women releases a 488-page report that looks at everything from access to abortion to the rights of Indigenous women. The report also finds that housewives do an average of 77 hours a week of unpaid labour.

What's happening in the family? Women return to the workforce

In the 1970s, middle class Canadian women went back to work in large numbers. There were multiple reasons for this. On one hand, feminism meant that women were more looking for ways to define themselves beyond the role of mother, and looking for the control that came with having their own income. On the other, the recession meant that for a family to make ends meet, both adults had to be working.

This change had a few knock-on effects on Canadian families. One was the return of latch-key kids. More Canadian kids and teens were coming home to empty houses, fixing themselves a snack, and finding ways to occupy themselves until mom and dad got home. (Unsurprisingly, the average 1970s teen watched more than 23 hours of TV a week.) It also meant that men were expected to do more child rearing and housekeeping, although the lion's share was still left to women.

What's happening in the kitchen? Canadians get healthy

After a decade of packaged food the health food boom hit Canadian kitchens, with the promise of better living through better eating. The idea was that natural, chemical-and-additive-free foods would help heal the body and keep you from getting sick in the first place. The health food movement held a particular appeal to women. It allowed them to take control of their health and their bodies without having to be scoffed at by a (most likely male) doctor.

Canadians also developed an interest in Indian food. The Beatles' 1968 trip to India created an interest in all things Indian among Westerners. In Canada, this coincided with a changing of immigration rules that lead to India becoming the country's fourth largest source of immigrants. Those two factors combined to create an Indian food boom in Canada's cities.