Canadians have long associated Prohibition with the colorful history of
the Jazz Age in the United States. But even before the American ban that
was in place from 1920 to 1933, Canada initiated its own Prohibition.
The so-called Cold Water Army was led by zealots and prudes preaching
hellfire and damnation, but also by committed social reformers who
recognized the ill effects of excessive drinking. In March 1918, the
federal government banned the manufacture and importation of liquor. For
the next 21 months, Canada was as dry as any law could make it, which
admittedly was not very dry. Closing Time tells the story of this
fascinating attempt to control the social habits of Canadian citizens.
It began as a popular crusade to cleanse society of a widespread evil,
but instead became an opportunity for larceny, profit, and violence on a
grand scale.
Employing a variety of anecdotes and illustrations, Closing Time
conjures the legal and historical context of Prohibition, presenting
well-rendered figures and impressive research. Comparing the past with
our present-day prohibition of certain recreational drugs, Francis
explores the limits of laws that forbid these indulgences -- a topic
that is quite relevant today.