War on the Home Front Life During WW2

Total War By 1942, Canada was committed to a policy of “total war”: all industries, materials, and people were put to work for the war effort. The war affected everyone in Canada

Rationing People were encouraged not to hoard food and to stretch their supplies as far as they would go Some goods became scarce because they were needed for the war Ration Cards became necessary for buying gasoline, butter, sugar, meat, tea, and coffee

Rationing - Luxury Items Rubber tires, tubes, antifreeze Liquor Silk stockings

Whatever They Could People tried to “do their bit” Bacon fat and bones were saved to provide glycerine for explosives and glue for aircraft People stopped buying new aluminum pots, pans, or stoves so that more airplanes could be built Children became scrap gatherers: scrap metal, rags, paper, rubber, foil, and wire coat hangers Propaganda Posters urged the whole family to help win the war

Propaganda One woman recalled how the newspapers were always urging readers to “do their bit” for the war effort: “The newspapers, they were just propaganda sheets. My goodness, on the front pages, war, war, war, and in the insides, how to cook cheaper, how to do Victory Gardens, why we should have car pools, buy Victory Bonds and tell our friends they were traitors if they didn’t load up on them too... “You remember those Sunday sections. They were jammed with war stuff. How to cook cabbage, make cabbage rolls, and then drink cabbage juice. Did they think we didn’t know that stuff, like how to make a dollar do the price of ten? You’d think the idiots in their big offices in Toronto and Ottawa didn’t know about the Depression we just went through - ten years of nothing.”

The Economic Miracle Before the war, Canada was mainly a supplier of raw materials such as fish, wheat, and metal ores. During the war, Canada became an industrial power: munitions factories turned out bombs, shells, and bullets for small arms; shipyards worked full blast building cargo ships, trawlers, mine sweepers, and landing craft. Shipbuilding became the second largest employer in the country

The Economic Miracle 1942: the gov’t turned all automobile plants over to the production of war vehicles half of the vehicles used by British in the N. African campaign were stamped “Made in Canada” Nazi General Rommel gave orders to his troops to capture CDN-made jeeps because they did not get stuck in the sand as the German ones did

The Economic Miracle With the commitment to total war, the gov’t took control over many aspects of the economy: it froze prices, wages, and rents to keep the cost of living down the gov’t was afraid that with the high demand for scarce goods, prices might skyrocket

Victory Bonds... Again Used in WW1 and now again in WW2 To raise money for the war Successful! A large amount of money was raised for the war effort: people had jobs, and the economy was booming (they could afford to buy)

Conscription... Again PM King was determined that conscription would NOT separate CAN as it had done in the previous war At the beginning of WW2, King had promised that no one would be forced to fight overseas This was said to ease concerns of French CDNs who had always been anti- conscription

Conscription... Again Pressure increased from Allied armies: Hitler kept scoring major victories against the Allies -- they needed more soldiers! English CDNs: wanted compulsory military service (e.g., conscription) Britain had this since the beginning of WW2 When the US entered the war, they also came with conscription Many CDNs whose relatives were fighting overseas resented the fact that there was no conscription

Conscription... Again 1942: King decided to hold a plebiscite: all citizens have a direct vote on an issue of major national importance CDNs were asked if they were in favour of releasing the gov’t from its pledge to have no conscription (would CDNs let the gov’t off the hook?) 9 out of 10 provinces: 80% - YES! Québec: 72% - NO!

Conscription... Again English CDNs: pleased French CDNs: upset King? “Not necessarily conscription, but conscription if necessary.”

Conscription... Again 1944: yet further increased pressure for conscription (Soldiers who had been wounded 2 or 3 times were being sent back to the front lines - desperate shortage) King spoke with Québec premier (Louis St. Laurent): together agreed on conscripted troops Some rioting in Québec City and Montréal (not nearly as violent as it had been in 1917) KING HAD WON A VICTORY IN UNITY! CDNs of both sides were pleased with this result!

Conscription... Again King had avoided disaster! he tried to prevent conscription he listened to French CDNs’ opinions he did his actual best to avoid it French CDNs respected his efforts and the need for conscription

Women’s Wartime Role Serving as nurses and in factories back home, just like in WW1; BUT... They became an active part of the armed forces for the FIRST time - Women pushed to be accepted into official military service 1941: CDN army, air force, and navy each created a women’s division: Canadian Women’s Army Corps, the Canadian Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, and the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service By the end of the war: uniformed women, 4500 women in medical services

Women’s Wartime Role Women were not sent into the front lines, but they did essential work behind the lines: radio operators, mechanics, welders, armourers, workers in armed force headquarters, nurses, etc.

Women’s Wartime Role Played a vital role in war industries at home: 1939: women in workforce 1944: women in workforce It became patriotic for all women (not only unmarried women) to “fight Hitler at home”

Women’s Wartime Role Women in overalls and a bandanna became a national symbol of service to Canada Jobs that were traditionally done by men were now done effectively by women Ontario and Québec even established child care centres for women working in war industries Married women were temporarily allowed to earn more money without their husbands having to pay higher income tax

Women’s Wartime Role Salaries for women rose significantly (often more than double what they had been earning before the war) Many other women contributed as volunteers: packed parcels for prisoners of war, knitted sweaters/socks for soldiers, served coffee and sandwiches for soldiers in uniform (on leave or training) This helped to expand women’s traditional role

Japanese CDNs’ Internment CDNs were gripped with shock and anger after Pearl Harbour That same night, the Mounties swept through the Japanese community in BC and began to make arrests In the next few days, 38 Japanese CDNs judged to be “dangerous individuals” and “troublemakers” were rounded up

Japanese CDNs’ Internment Following months: all Japanese nationals (people born in Japan, but living in Canada) and CDN citizens of Japanese descent were imprisoned under the War Measures Act This gave the Cabinet the power to make any decisions during wartime emergencies without debate Japanese were taken from their homes, packed into trains, and sent to internment camps in BC’s interior

Japanese CDNs’ Internment In the camps, some men were assigned to work on road construction in Northern BC and ON Others were used as farm labourers in the sugar beet fields in Alberta and Manitoba Men who resisted were separated from their families and sent to prisoner-of-war camps in ON At first, only Japanese men without CDN citizenship were held; later, it didn’t matter! More than were 2nd generation Japanese CDNs (they were born here); 3000 were CDN citizens

Japanese CDNs’ Internment It didn’t matter that 200 Japanese CDNs had fought in the CDN army in WW1 Canada and Japan were at war; therefore, Japanese CDNs were potentially dangerous During the internment, property was taken away and businesses were ruined

Japanese CDNs’ Internment CDN gov’t claimed two reasons: To prevent spying which could lead to an enemy invasion To protect Japanese CDNs from being harmed in anti-Japanese riots They were allowed to take 68kg of clothing, bedding, and cooking utensils per adult 2 families shared: two bedrooms and a kitchen Until 1943 there was no running water or electricity

Japanese CDNs’ Internment It was so bad that Red Cross packages from Japan were sent to the interned CDNs When Japan surrendered, the CDN gov’t considered sending all of the Japanese CDNs to Japan - this would have included many who had been born in Canada and who had never been to Japan About 4000 of them returned anyways... Not given the right to vote in federal elections until 1948; not in BC till 1949

Japanese CDNs’ Internment Japanese CDNs were bitter: they had been told that the gov’t would hold all of their possessions in trust Most of it had been sold at a fraction of its value 1946: Japanese Property Claims Commission set up by CDN gov’t This would review the claims of those who felt they had not been treated fairly; they were never fully compensated for what had been lost 1988: CDN gov’t formally apologized and offered $ to every survivor of the internment

Questions... For You! It was once reported in the press that a Chinese woman living in Vancouver wore a sign around her neck that said, “Please, don’t pick on me. I’m Chinese, not a Jap.” Why would she wear this sign? What does it suggest about the situation in Vancouver at this time?

Questions... For You! People said that Canada had developed as a nation by the end of WW2, that the nation had been forged through fire. What did they mean? Are there any areas in which you think Canada still had some “growing up” to do?

Questions... For You! Should the internment of Japanese CDNs have occurred? Why or why not? Who was responsible? What does this situation teach us about CDN society? Do you think a minority group could be interned today? Why or why not? Why do you think Japanese CDNs were interned, but not German CDNs? Do you think the CDN gov’t has made up for the wrongs again Japanese CDNs? Explain.