World War II Chapter 3 The War at Home

Gathering Support

The majority of Canadian citizens were depressed about the war that was plaguing Europe. Many were well aware of the sacrifices that they would once again have to make. However, they were very willing to do their part for the war effort. One lady commented on how the government used the newspaper to suggest ways to support the soldiers overseas (such as planting victory gardens, honour rationing etc.).

Total War

Similar to World War I, Canada initiated a policy of “total war”. This meant that all individuals and industries were dedicated to the war effort. One system used was honour rationing.

Rationing

Rationing Poster

As in the First World War citizens were encouraged to not hoard supplies and use as little as possible. To ensure that supplies were distributed properly and that everyone received an equal amount of goods, the government organized a Wartime Prices and Trade Board in 1942. Ration cards were issued to citizens, which were required to purchase groceries and any other necessities. These restricted the amount allowed per month. An example of these restrictions was gasoline, as families were only allowed 545 litres a year. This caused many citizens to not even use their automobiles during the war. Other items, such as alcohol and silk stockings, were no longer considered necessities. However, citizens had learned to live with cut backs during the Great Depression and were willing to do their fair share. A primary example of people trying to “do their bit” was saving scrap metal for explosives and other munitions. To show their loyalty to Canada, different ethnic communities organized and raised money for the war. Chinese communities raised a total of $9 million. Polish workers that escaped Nazi Germany also brought their knowledge and expertise to industries.

Government and the Economy

C.D. Howe, Minister of
Everything

General Rommel

During the Great Depression, half a million people were unemployed while another million were living off of social assistance. However, World War II ended the depression and provided jobs and economic upswing. To fuel production, C.D. Howe (Minister of Munitions) created 28 government-owned companies (Crown). These produced munitions and other supplies. The businesspeople hired to run these corporation were paid $1 a year and called “Howe’s boys”. C.D. Howe became Minister of Everything and took control of the economy. In the years prior to the Second World War, Canada primarily exported raw materials. During the war, however, Canada started to export various munitions and metal products. In 1942, automobile factories transformed into war vehicle plants. Half of the vehicles used in Britain’s North Africa campaign were made in Canada. Jeeps especially were so well built that Nazi General Rommel ordered that Canadian jeeps be captured. They did not get stuck in the sand as often as other vehicles produced by other nations. There was also an increase in the amount of cheese, flour, fish, bacon, and other agricultural products grown by farmers. These industries continued to fuel the economy after the war.


More Government Intervention

Unemployment Insurance, a symbol of government
intervention

During the war, the government promised citizens that they would take more of an interest in their lives. In 1940, the Unemployment Insurance Act was passed. If workers suddenly became unemployed, they could now collect money to feed their families. In 1944, the government introduced Family Allowance. For mothers that had just given birth to children, there would be money to collect from the government. Politicians were also responsible for building temporary homes for homeless citizens during the war (though they remain in those spots to this day).

The Relationship Between Canada and America

In pre-war years, the United States had become interested in Canada. America wanted to develop an economic relationship with Canada. To assist Canada and Britain during the war, several things were done:

1. The Ogdensburg Agreement of 1940 created a Canadian-American Permanent Joint Board on Defence to improve the defence of both nations.

Ogdensburg Agreement Cartoon

2. The Lend-Lease Act of 1941 made it simple for Britain to purchase war supplies from the United States. This would stimulate the American economy despite Britain being allowed to postpone payments on goods.

3. The Hyde Park Agreement ensured that the United States would buy more war supplies from Canada. Britain was also allowed to purchase goods from Canada under the terms of the Lend-Lease Act (see above).

4. The Alaska Highway (built between 1942 and 1943) was for the purpose of American defence in the case of a Japanese attack. Since the highway crossed part of Canada, this Canadian area temporarily became an American state. A pipeline to transport goods was also built.

Alaska Highway; production and progress

Camp X

A fifth example of cooperation between the British, Americans, and Canadians was Special Training Camp #103 or Camp X. This spy training camp was located on an abandoned farm on the shores of Lake Ontario (near Oshawa). This camp (the first spy training camp in North America) had the purpose of training British, American, and Canadian military recruits in the art of secret warfare. It was established a several days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and is considered to be the basis for the CIA. Camp X was run by a Canadian agent known as William Stephenson (otherwise referred to as “Intrepid”). Those trained at Camp X consisted of:

Camp X entrance

1. Secret agents and spies for battles in Europe. These individuals contained fake passports, other essential documents, and fake clothing for undercover work behind enemy lines.

2. French Canadians for work in France. These men and women were used to support the resistance in Nazi France and establish methods of sabotage and nationwide undercover networks.

3. Yugoslav Canadians for sabotage in Yugoslavia. The goal of these agents was to effectively impede the progress of the Nazis in Yugoslavia (cutting telephone wires, destroying bridges, etc.)

4. Spy Catchers in the United States and Canada. Their objective was to report suspicious activity on the home front and identify any possible spies for the RCMP.

An aerial view of Camp X

5. Espionage and Intelligence Gatherers in Central and South America. These spies sent information regarding the location of Nazi submarines in the Atlantic. This aided convoys during their trips from North America to Britain.

6. Radio Operators for gathering and decoding information. One building in Camp X housed the communications network known as Hydra. This network connected with Allied embassies around the world through the transmission of Morse code. Operators had to be fluent in transmitting and decoding this code.


Historians and other experts state that the operatives at Camp X were vital for the war effort. An example is during the D-Day invasion. As the Nazis tried to rush reinforcements to Normandy, Allied saboteurs bought time by blocking roads and destroying bridges. By the time the reinforcements could reach Normandy, it was too late.

Conscription in World War II

The plebiscite for conscription is announced

To avoid the damage caused by conscription in the First World War, Prime Minister King promised to not force anyone to fight overseas. Politicians (especially the Liberals) wanted to avoid division and destruction of unity. In 1940, the government introduced the National Resources Mobilization Act. This required all males to register for national military service but within Canada. Mayor Camillien Houde of Montreal resisted this act and was interned as a result for the majority of the war. Yet, with Hitler’s army gaining victories in Europe, there eventually a desperate call for more soldiers. This was especially since the United States and Britain had introduced conscription immediately once entering the war. In order to gather the opinion of citizens, King organized a plebiscite (a direct vote) in regards to this issue. Eighty percent of the citizens in nine of the ten provinces said yes to conscription while 72 percent of Quebeckers said no. King took the French Canadians into account and stated that conscription was not yet necessary. In 1944, there was once again a desperate call for conscription. Seeking advice from the cabinet minister of Quebec, Louis St. Laurent, King decided to send 16,000 conscripted soldiers. This motion passed. Though there was some objection from a portion of the French Canadians population, the majority of both sides respected King’s decision. Canadian unity was not lost.


Women’s Roles

Women's Army Division
Poster

Similar to World War I, women had to take an active role in the workforce and fill in for men. However, they also wanted to become involved in the armed forces. As a result, the government established a women’s division of the army (Canadian Women’s Army Corps), air force (Canadian Women’s Auxiliary Air Force), and navy (Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service). By 1945, there were 50,000 women in the armed forces and 4500 in medical services. Though women were not allowed to participate in front line combat, they did work as radio operators, welders, mechanics, and nurses. Women also played an essential role at home. By 1939 there were 638,000 women in the work force and by 1944 there were 1,077,000 women in the work force. Whether they worked in war time industries, on farms, or as police officers and bus drivers, women were an extremely valuable aspect of the war effort. To aid them in their efforts, the government established child care centres and increased their wage significantly without higher income tax (about $31.00 a week for women in the aircraft industry). Others that did not work contributed as volunteers by knitting clothing and serving trainees in coffee shops. Though women were given new freedoms during the war, they did not last long. When the war ended, higher wages were lost and day care centers were discontinued. The women’s division of the armed forces was also taken away. Women were forced to once again adopt traditional roles.

Enemy Aliens: Part Two

Following in the footsteps of the government during World War I, politicians brought back the War Measures Act. This gave them sweeping powers for the purpose of greater control of the country. Like in World War I, “enemy aliens” were brought to internment camps. Though there were Italian and German prisoners, the majority were Japanese.

Japanese Canadians: Internment

In the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, the RCMP immediately began making arrests of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia. Within days 38 Japanese citizens had been arrested. The War Measures Act soon dictated that all Japanese immigrants and citizens of Japanese descent should be imprisoned by the government. The majority were forced to pack and travel to British Columbia to be held in internment camps. Others were required to complete road construction in Ontario or work as farmers in Alberta or Manitoba. Those who resisted were sent to a prisoner-of-camp in Angler, Ontario. Immigrants were the primary targets at first, but eventually all Japanese Canadians were targeted. Despite more than 17,000 being citizens and 200 having enlisted in the army, Japanese Canadians were still discriminated and persecuted. It was simply because Canada and Japan were at war. The majority of Japanese Canadians were located in British Columbia. Despite being an essential aspect of farming, fishing, and lumber industries, the Japanese had their businesses ruined upon being interned. The fishers were the first targets, as there was a fear that they were secret officers for the Japanese navy. Approximately 1200 fishing boats had been taken by the Canadian government during this time. Though there was no threat of Japanese sabotage since they were all internment camps, there was still a call for internment of all Japanese Canadians. People feared an invasion of British Columbia. It was decided that the “enemy aliens” should be move inland to prevent the possibility of sabotage and to protect Japanese Canadians from harm. They were transported to six abandoned towns (“ghost” towns”) in the interior of British Columbia. There a limit on the amount of clothing and other supplies allowed. Until 1943, there was no access to running water or electricity. Japan was forced to send food to the interned “enemy aliens”. These ghost towns were kept under constant surveillance. When the war finally ended, the government considered exporting all Japanese Canadians to Japan. It never happened due to protest from citizens. The majority of Japanese Canadians spread out across the nation and never returned to British Columbia. It was especially difficult because Japanese Canadians were not granted voting rights until 1948 (1949 in BC). They also had all of their possessions placed in the Custodian of Enemy Property for safekeeping during internment. It was never returned due to being sold at auctions. In response, a Japanese Property Claims Commission was established in 1946. This was to consider those who had been treated unfairly. True compensation was not given until 1988, when all those who had been interned were offered $20,000.

A map of the locations of Canadian internment camps during World War II

Effects of World War II

Canada had established itself at the end of World War II through a major contribution to the Allied Forces. Unfortunately, Canada had 22,964 casualties in the army, 17,047 in the air force, and 1981 in the navy. However, it had done wonders concerning production war supplies. Hundreds of thousands of vehicles, guns, airplanes, tanks, and ships had been produced.

Economic Growth

After the economic downtimes of the Great Depression, World War II caused Canada’s growth national production to triple. Industries that produced metal, coal, chemicals, paper and food (to name a few) also experienced major expansion.

International Status

The symbol of the United Nations

With World War II finally over, Canada accepted new responsibilities concerning world affairs. It could no longer live on a policy of isolationism. Canada was considered one of the founding members of the United Nations (which replaced the League of Nations). The country became a significant middle power. Canada also became more open to refugees and more compassionate concerning human rights. It allowed in more Jews (who had suffered during the Holocaust) than any other nation relative to its population.


Social Changes

Since women and different ethnic communities contributed immensely to the war effort, Canada became more considerate of citizens with different ethnic backgrounds. Canadian society became more multicultural in scope. The war had also convinced the government that intervention could be provide serious benefits to the people if used wisely. Politicians hoped that their efforts during war time could be applied to the economy and society in general. Canada was a changed nation.

It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war-John F. Kennedy

Homework for this chapter