War on the Home Front

1. War on the Home Front

2. How did WWII Change the face of Canada?

3. War policies • At the outbreak of war, Canada was not industrially prepared • War became affordable forCanada 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

4. 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

5. 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”

6. 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

7. Internment Camps • Canada used the War Measures Act to create internment/POW camps • They were used to detain people seen as “enemy aliens” • Often these people were innocent and wrongfully convicted • Anyone who was suspected of sympathizing with the Nazi's/fascists, or were members of the communist party, were arrested

8. 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”

9. Japanese Internments • Their belongings were auctioned off and the proceeds were used to pay for housing in the camps • After the war, many Japanese Canadians chose to leave Canada • 1988 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

10. Immigration • After the war, Europe was in ruins- many were left homeless/jobless • Canada attracted many of these now homeless people • However, Canada’s immigration policies were restrictive at the time • Non-sponsored immigrants were not allowed unless they were farmers, British, or American • By 1952 the government brought in a new immigration act as they recognized the need for labour in the manufacturing industry

11. 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

12. 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 countries • Almost 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

13. 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