1. War Measures Act
Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

2. The War Measures Act WHEN: August 22nd, 1914
WHAT: Parliament passed the WMA to allow the federal government more power in making critical and fast decisions during war time or invasion

3. War Measures Act
When the WMA is in action, the federal government could:
1- Pass laws without the approval of Parliament
2- Overrule provincial laws
3- CENSORSHIP  news and media

4. Continued… When the WMA is in action, the federal government could:
4- Control production by manufacturers and farmers
5- Arrest and imprison people without trial
6- Label certain groups of people in Canada as enemies (or threats)
-Control transport by land, air, or water

5. What were governments trying to achieve through the War Measure Act?

6. Enemy “Aliens” Who were we at war against? Immigrants:
-before the WW1, Canada tried to attract
Immigrants from Europe
During WW1  immigrants of German, Austrians, and Ukrainian heritage were labeled as Enemy Aliens through the War Measures Act
 800, people labeled “Enemy Aliens”
Fear: these immigrants could be spies or could sabotage the war effort
Is this true? Were all immigrants spies?

7. Enemy Alien Internment
Internment: forcible confinement of people in camps
The WMA allowed the government to place immigrants in internment camps:
8, people
Including 156 children
24 camps throughout Canada
What did they do?
 build roads, railways
 clear land
work in mines
 contributed to building some of Canada’s national parks

8. READ
Textbook, page 31, “The Enemy Within”