WAR ON THE HOME

FRONT

HOW DID WWII CHANGE THE FACE OF CANADA?

WAR POLICIESAt the outbreak of war, Canada was not industrially preparedWar became affordable for

Canada by raising income taxes and selling victory bonds

WLMK created the Wartime Prices and Trade Board in efforts to control the economy

Implemented a wage freeze A price freeze Food rationing

CENSORSHIP

The military began censoring letters to and from the front lines out of concern that information might fall into enemy hands

Government also censored telegrams, newspapers, radio broadcasts, and movies

Propaganda was still a method of censorship in WWII

It aimed to persuade, not tell the truth

CONSCRIPTION

Quebec was strongly opposed to conscription once again

WLMK had rejected conscription until June 1940 when he enacted the National Resources Mobilization Bill which allowed for conscription at home

By 1942 WLMK held a vote to seek Canadians’ permission to break his promise not to send conscripts overseas

“not necessary conscription, but conscription if necessary”

CONSCRIPTION

Conscription showed a clear divide in Canadians when 79% of anglophones voted yes, and 85% of francophones voted no

WLMK only chose to implement conscription after the heavy losses at Normandy

Most Canadians accepted his decision but many francophone Quebecois felt betrayed

INTERNMENT CAMPSCanada used the War Measures Act to create internment/POW

campsThey were used to detain people seen as “enemy aliens”Often these people were innocent and wrongfully convictedAnyone who was suspected of sympathizing with the Nazi's/fascists, or were members of the communist party, were arrested

JAPANESE INTERNMENTS

After Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, Canada confiscated Japanese citizens property and their rights

All male Canadians of Japanese descent ages 18-45 were shipped to camps in British Columbia

They were ordered to turn in their property and belongings as a “protective measure”

JAPANESE INTERNMENTSTheir belongings were auctioned off and the proceeds were

used to pay for housing in the campsAfter the war, many Japanese Canadians chose to leave Canada1988 the government formally apologized Paid a total of $12 million- $21,000 to each internee

Skip to 3:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9e6okgW_sY

IMMIGRATION

After the war, Europe was in ruins- many were left homeless/joblessCanada attracted many of these now homeless peopleHowever, Canada’s immigration policies were restrictive at the time Non-sponsored immigrants were not allowed unless they

were farmers, British, or AmericanBy 1952 the government brought in a new immigration act as they

recognized the need for labour in the manufacturing industry

HOW DID CANADIANS RESPOND TO THE WAR?

Many would try to distract themselves by becoming involved in the war effort

Canada’s war production became fourth among the allied countries

70% of Canada’s output went to supplying other allied forces

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGwimOch8U8

HOW DID CANADIANS RESPOND TO THE WAR?

WLMK focussed Canada's early war efforts on the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan

Canada became the flight school for all the allied countriesAlmost every civilian was involved in this plan They would help to build the planes and run the schools

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soW8ub9trmI• The BCATP turned out

so many pilots, navigators, wireless operators, and gunners, that by the end of the war they came to represent half of all the crews on British and Commonwealth planes

HOW DID CANADIANS RESPOND TO THE WAR?

Families would grow “victory gardens”People would put off their education in order

to enlist or work in a war industry

• People gave up their cars because there was no gas• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvjCy_VT_mk• War relief clubs prepared packages for oversees