Adjusting to Peace Lesson 11

Did government actions help Canadians meet post-war challenges? The end of the war did not mean smooth sailing for Canadians The post-war challenges were almost as great as those faced during the war Copy the important information onto the graphic organizer TLS Worksheet 1.3.4 – Dealing With Post-War Challenges

Bringing the Troops Home Though the war ended on November 11, 1918, Canadian troops did not start coming home until January 1919 -and many waited much longer in transit camps overseas. Several factors contributed to the delay. Bad weather over the North Atlantic Ocean made transporting troops dangerous. Canada’s railways were worn out after their heavy use during the war. Jobs were scarce.

Bringing the Troops Home Soldiers, however, just wanted to go home. Their frustration boiled over in the spring of 1919, when riots broke out in some transit camps. The riots persuaded the government to speed up the return process and everyone was home by the end of the summer.

Hard Times for Veterans Canadian soldiers had been paid very little, while workers at home had won large pay increases. Veterans demanded that the government give them each a $200 bonus to make up for the wages they had lost while serving in the military. The government refused. The government gave veterans a pension of $12.50/month The widows of dead soldiers received $0.30 a day plus $0.10 a day per child with a maximum of two.

Recession The Canadian economy was in a recession. This left many people unemployed. Factories that had been making war weapons shut down. Few new factories opened. Returning soldiers flooded the job market. With more workers than jobs after the war, wages were slashed and working conditions became worse. At the same time, peacetime goods were in short supply, and demand pushed prices higher.

Spanish Flu Epidemic Canadians faced another disaster. An outbreak of a deadly virus called the Spanish flu swept the world. In the four years of World War I, more than 16 million people had died. By comparison, the Spanish flu killed about 25 million people around the world in just a few months. This number included about 50 000 Canadians.