The Canadian Home Front

The Role of Women

The Role of Women Overseas

The Canadian Women's Army Corps, The RCAF Women's Division, Woman's Royal Canadian Navy Services or (WRENS)

The Role of Women

46,000 women served as cooks, , nurses, pilots, mechanics, welders and radar operators

Some worked coastal defence

Others as ferry flyers

The Role of Women

Women also worked as SOE: Special Ops

Were spies behind enemy lines

Worked as saboteurs, radio operators etc

The Role of Women at Home

Over 1 million women in the workforce (mainly factories)

Women were paid less than men

Gov't provided daycare and tax breaks

Women lost their jobs after the war

Production at Home

Depression was over as soon as the war started

Canadian factories produced bombs, bullets, aircraft and armoured cars

Car factories switched to making war vehicles

This was known as “total war effort”

Production at Home

Canada experienced “Total War”

Rationing was in place C.D. Howe ran the War

Supply Board that had one goal: Organize Canadian Industry to supply the front

This was financed by war bonds, taxes and Britain

Production at Home

The Hyde Park Declaration

The US passed the Land Lease Act that said they would produce good for Allied countries and forego payment until after the war

Canada worried that Allied countries would no longer buy from them

The US arranged to buy raw materials from Canada and supply parts for weapons construction

Propaganda on the Homefront

The NFB developed hundreds of Propaganda films to boost morale at home

Example

Canadian Training Facilities

The British Commonwealth air training plan was based in Canada

130 000 air personnel were trained at 230 sites in Canada

Canadian Training Facilities

Camp X

this was a spy training facility outside of Oshawa

It was set up after the attack on Pearl Harbour

Hail Hydra

Conscription

King passes the National Mobilization Act which requires all men to help with the war effort, but does not require them to go overseas

Conscription

1942 King runs a plebiscite (vote) to release him from his promise to not bring in conscription

It passes and the Quebecois are upset

Conscription

13 000men are sent overseas, but only 2000 see the front lines

In the end Quebec was upset, but less so than during WWI

Enemy Aliens

Any ethnic groups in Canada from enemy countries were required to register as “enemy aliens

Enemy Aliens

Pro-Nazi and Pro Communist Parties are banned

Pacificistic Religious Groups

There was discrimoination against African Canadians and the First Nations until soldiers were needed

Jews were turned away

Enemy Aliens

Japanese Internment There was racism towards

Japanese Canadians before the war

After Pearl Harbour 1942 the internment of Japanese People is passed and follows the same models as the treatment of the Jews in Germany

Enemy Aliens

Internment Camps

All ships confiscated

Schools Closed

Men first then families

Relocation or Deportation

No “Hope”

1943 Custodian of Aliens Act: Sold their stuff

1944 Japanese could be deported if they stayed in BC

1946 ban lifted