The Canadian Home Front I The Role of Women I Overseas – 1941, first time in Canadian history that...
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The Canadian Home Front I The Role of Women I Overseas – 1941, first time in Canadian history that there was “official” women’s branches of the army, air
The Canadian Home Front I The Role of Women I Overseas 1941,
first time in Canadian history that there was official womens
branches of the army, air force, and navy Canadian Womens Army
Corps CWAC RCAF Womens Division Womens Royal Canadian Naval Service
Wrens By the end WWII, 46,000 Canadian women served overseas They
did everything from act as cooks, nurses, mechanics, radar
operators, coastal defences, and even pilots Also worked with GB,
USA, & AUS women in Special Operations Executive (SOE) as
secret agents & top secret radar station operators (Battle of
Britain)
Slide 2
Role of Women II The Home Front: Much like WWI, there was a
dramatic increase of women in the workforce Factories were
operating 7 days a week @ 12 hrs/day 1944: over 1 million women in
the Canadian Workforce Not all that great Women were not getting
paid as much for doing the same work as men CAN govt did provide
tax breaks and daycare during the war End of WWII, these provisions
were taken away; though women would not stay employed and return to
family life
Slide 3
The Canadian Home Front II Production: Start of WWII, economic
Depression of 1930s = over as economy was focussing on the
production of wartime supplies Canadian industry played a great
role in war effort Factories created bombs, bullets, ships,
aircraft, and armoured cars Auto factories were re-tooled to
produce the needed materials for the battle front Total war effort
was the result of Canadian industrial focus during the wartime
effort
Slide 4
Production II Canadian Government: A much greater role was
being played by the CAN govt Crown Corporations were established
all in an effort to dedicate to all aspects of wartime production
Rationing programs were established: Restrictions on gas, coffee,
tea, butter, milk, sugar, and meat War Supply Board was established
Managed by C.D. Howe Given almost dictatorial powers Goal: Organize
Canadian industry in a manner that ensure that production was
geared at war effort Funding: War bonds, taxes, and gold payments
from GB
Slide 5
Production III Lend Lease Act, 1941: Allied countries were
allowed to buy supplies from USA without having to pay up front
This worried PM King, as maybe Canadian materials would no longer
be bought by Allied countries PM King and Pres. Roosevelt signed
the Hyde Park Declaration USA would buy more raw materials from
Canada, and would supply CAN with American parts for weapons
manufacturing
Slide 6
The Canadian Home Front III Propaganda: In an effort to promote
the war effort at home, government agencies used propaganda to
convey a message This message was not always truthful National Film
Board of Canada developed films and posters to create a negative
image of the enemy, and to discourage Canadians from carelessly
talking about wartime matters
Slide 7
Propaganda II Examples of WWII Propaganda
http://www3.nfb.ca/ww2/home-front/propaganda-the-battle-for-hearts-and-
minds.htm?pext=1&view=695937&subview=extraits&subtype=extraits&autoplay=1#aPlayback
http://www3.nfb.ca/ww2/home-front/propaganda-the-battle-for-hearts-and-
minds.htm?pext=1&view=695937&subview=extraits&subtype=extraits&autoplay=1#aPlayback
Slide 8
The Canadian Home Front IV British Commonwealth Air Training
Plan: Established in Canada in 1939, these were facilities used to
train pilots from Canada and other Commonwealth countries 1942,
huge demand for pilots as Allied countries began systematic
bombings of German cities End of WWII, 130,000 air personnel were
trained at over 230 sites across Canada
Slide 9
The Canadian Home Front V Camp X: Special training facility
located outside of Oshawa, Ont Opened a few days after attack on
Pearl Harbour CAN, GB, & USA spies were trained at the
top-secret school Most CAN govt officials did not know that Camp X
existed 500 agents were trained here to work around the world Camp
X had a top secret communications centre, where a complex radio
(Hydra) intercepted enemy signals and transmitted information
between North America & Britain
Slide 10
The Canadian Home Front VI Conscription: 1939, PM King promised
in election that he would not introduce conscription for overseas
duty 1940, King introduced the National Resource Mobilization Act,
this required all men to help with the war effort, but not overseas
duty 1942, need for more troops overseas King held a plebiscite
(vote on a single issue), asking Canadians to release him from his
promise Most of CAN ok with this, French Canadians were not on
board End of WWII: CAN sent 13,000 conscribed troops overseas, only
2,000 saw battle Compared to WWI Conscription Crisis of 1917, King
avoided breaking ties with French Canada, instead he only strained
them
Slide 11
Discrimination in CAN WWII As was the case during WWI, CAN govt
required groups of Canadians whose ancestry was of one of the enemy
countries in WWII to register as enemy aliens 100,000 registered,
650 went to interment camps Pro-Nazi & Communist political
parties were banned in CAN Religious groups who practiced pacifism
(opposed to war & violence) were met with open hostility Inc.
Jehovah Witnesses, Quakers, Hutterites, Mennonites, &
Doukhobors Many of these people avoided military service as they
stated they were conscientious objectors Had to appear in front of
a judge, then offered public service work in lieu of military
service
Slide 12
Discrimination II Prior to 1942, there was outright
discrimination towards black Canadians As the war progressed and
black and white Canadians served together, black Canadians demanded
equality in other areas Similarly, aboriginal people believed that
as long as they were willing to fight, that they should also share
in the same rights as all Canadian citizens
Slide 13
Discrimination III There was also prejudice against refugees
from Europe (people who were fleeing persecution) CAN made it
difficult for Jewish people to enter the country Anti-Semitism in
& around WWII One of the most horrifying legacy of the Nazi war
campaign was their attempt to eliminate Europes Jewish Population
(Holocaust more on that later) Many Jewish people fled from Europe
to avoid this Anti-Semitism existed in CAN before WWII (No Jews
Allowed) British & American immigrants were welcomed,
immigrants of other backgrounds were discouraged 1938, Canadian
League of Nations Society met with PM King to accept Jewish
refugees on humanitarian grounds CAN govt official We dont want to
take too many Jews, but in the present circumstances particularly,
we dont want to say so.. And when asked how many None is too
many.
Slide 14
Discrimination IV Japanese Internment: History: 1907, race riot
in Vancouver; 5,000 racist Canadians smashed windows of Japanese
homes & stores White Canadians were upset at Japanese taking
their jobs 1928, PM King limited number of Japanese allowed in CAN;
150 per year Prior to WWII, Japanese and Chinese Canadians were
denied right to vote, and not permitted to join the armed
forces
Slide 15
Japanese Internment II Post Pearl Harbour: People feared that
Japanese Canadians might supply Japan with information or even help
invade Canada 1942, interment began: Japanese Canadians lost their
rights Men, women, & children were photographed, fingerprinted,
and given an identification number Forced to carry ID cards at all
times Japanese Canadians were forced to choose between deportation
to Japan, or relocation away from the west coast relocation was the
popular choice 22,000 Japanese Canadians (14,000 who were born in
CAN) were sent to interment camps Located in BC Interior, Kootneys,
& Caribou regions Okanagan Valley work camps for Japanese to
work in orchards David Suzuki (third generation Canadian)
Slide 16
Internment III 1943, CAN govt passed a law called Custodian of
Aliens Act Allowed possessions of Japanese Canadians to be sold
without their permission Suzuki family dry cleaning business was
sold while family at internment camp in Slocan Valley (Interior of
BC) Items sold quickly, often at ridiculously low levels Money
raised paid for auctioneers, real estate agents, and storage of
goods = rent to stay at internment camps 1944, law passed stating
that Japanese could be deported to Japan if they did not leave BC
even if they were born in Canada 1946, end of WWII, Japanese
released from internment camps Compensation, 1988: 46 years after
the first internment camp, PM Brian Mulroney signed a compensation
package of $21,000 for every internees survivor ($12 million paid
out in total) for all they endured during the war