1. 1/15/2019 4:35 PM
On the Home Front
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2. Isolationism Best understood from King’s diary
“[N]othing is to be gained by creating an internal problem in an effort to meet an international one… We… must seek to keep this part of the Continent free from unrest”

3. Conscription (again)
P.M. William Lyon Mackenzie King promised no conscription when Canada declared war.
Swiftness of German advances made it clear that many more soldiers were needed to fight
King’s government brought forth the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA)
Gave government sweeping emergency powers including conscription for home defense only (conscripts were to never see the European theater)

4. Conscription (again) continued
Pressure from opposition forced King to act
He knew there would be strong opposition to conscription among French Canadians
Decided to hold a plebiscite (a vote on a particular issue) in 1942 to gauge Canadian views on conscription

5. Conscription (again) continued
King used slogan “Not necessarily conscription, but conscription if necessary” to gain support
English Canadians voted in favour of conscription by a count of 4-1, while French Canadians voted against by the same margin
Vote allowed King to amend NMRA to allow conscription for overseas service
Protests in Montreal led to full scale riots
King held off as long as possible, but conscripted men for active service in (less than 20% reached the front)

6. Canada’s response to Jewish persecution
Canadian secretary of State in 1939:
“despite all sentiments of humanity, so long as Canada has an unemployment problem, there will be no ‘open door’ policy to political refugees here”
After Kristallnacht, Liberal Cabinet Minister Thomas Crerar suggested that 10,000 Jews be allowed to immigrate to Canada
Cabinet refused Crerar’s suggestion: Immigration Minister Fred Blair insisted that “none is too many”

7. SS St. Louis
Canada’s policy had tragic consequences in 1939 when the ocean liner St. Louis that was carrying 900 Jewish refugees was denied permission to dock in Canada
The St. Louis was forced to return to Europe, where most of the passengers died in concentration camps

8. Japanese Internment Camps
Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia
Anti-Japanese sentiment grew after the bombing of Pearl Harbor
Canadian government invoked War Measure Act “inviting” Japanese Canadians living near the coast to move to relocations centers in the Okanagan and Kootenays

9. Japanese Internment Camps continued
Soon after, all Japanese Canadians were forced to leave their coastal home
Many families were separated (able bodies men forced to work in labour camps)
Others were sent further east, even as far as Manitoba

10. Japanese Internment Camps continued
1943 – Custodians of Enemy Property given power to confiscate and sell property belonging to Japanese Canadians
1945 – Federal government gave interred citizens a choice: could be sent to Japan (a place some have never seen) or relocate east of Rocky Mountains
1988 – Federal government officially apologized for their actions and gave financial compensation to those still living AND restored citizenship to those deported to Japan (nearly 4000)

11. Women and the War Effort
Women were in high demand as men were off fighting in the war
Large migration of women from the rural areas to the industrial centers
Companies built dormitories to house their workers
Some companies also provided day care to allow women to work

12. Canada’s Wartime Economy
Government took a number of steps to prevent economy from failing during (and after) WWII
Minister of Finance James Isley encouraged Canadians to purchase Victory Bonds
Income Tax was also increased to help fund war effort
1941 – Wartime Prices and Trade Board froze wages and price to try to prevent inflation
1942 – food rationing was introduced on items like sugar, butter and coffee