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