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Data Science (DSCI) 490/491 Capstone Research Guide

Library Research Guide for Data Science 490 Capstone Project

Owing a Television was considered to be a luxury item when the technology was first introduced

https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/publications/ottawa-stories/significant-technological-changes-in-the-city/television-arrives-in-ottawa

Based on this advertisement, in Ottawa, ON, in 1953, you could purchase a 17" black-and-white TV set with one channel for $329.50.

In 1953, the average annual salary in Ontario (Gross Salary - before deductions) was $$2,931.76. In the 1950s, the average taxpayer paid an effective income tax rate of 16.9% of their income. In this case, $495.47, which means the average Ontario worker took home $2,436.29 after income tax deductions. If they purchased this TV set in 1953, it would cost 11.2% of their annual income — a substantial purchase for the average Canadian consumer.

To put this into perspective, in today's dollars adjusted for inflation $329.50 = $3,908.96 in 2025. The average annual salary in 2025 in Ontario is $54,934 (before taxes) or 7.1% of purchasers' pre-tax income.

If you purchased a television for approximately the same amount, could purchase a 100" TV from London Drugs, on sale, for $3500 (before taxes). A substantially larger television, which provides a significantly enhanced viewing experience in colour, with improved quality of image and audio, its tuner would have the capacity to provide access to hundreds of channels (the originally U.S. television VHF band frequencies allotted space for 18 channels), could be controlled remotely with wireless technology, and integrate seamlessly with web and streaming media services.

This purchase would represent 6.4% of the consumers' 2025 gross salary.

Most homes owned only one television set when the technology was first marketed commercially. By 1952,

"Canadians were buying television sets at such a pace that the excise tax had produced more revenue than expected "11.7 million 1953-54)." (May, 1990, p.64). So much revenue was produced that it fully offset the costs of operating the CBC television operations and provided a $5 million surplus.

According to 2023 Media Technology Monitor data, 91% of Canadian households own at least one TV set, with many owning multiple sets.

A short history of Canadian television and technogy

Proc, L. (2022). A short history of Canadian television and technology. AWA Review. https://www.jproc.ca/marconi/home_ent/tv_hist%20AWA35_22-04-22.pdf
The invention of the television was the work of many people in the 19th century and early 20th century. Television stations were operational in the United States before any Canadian stations went on the air. In Quebec. It broadcast between October 9, 1931, and 1935, showing neon red and black pictures. The station was owned by La Presse and the radio station CKAC. The station was owned by La Presse and radio station CKAC. VE9EC used a mechanical scanning system that broadcast 60 to 150 lines on a frequency of 41 MHz.3. Broadcasts were witnessed by over 100,000 people who lined up to view images at the Ogilvy Department Store on Ste. Catherine Street in Montreal, QC.

Revised: Sep 12, 2025 1:58 PM
URL: https://libguides.okanagan.bc.ca/DSCI490CAPSTONE
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Subject Areas: Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, & Data Science

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