1. The Home Front

2.  British Commonwealth Air Training Program  Announced on Dec 17, 1939  Air Crews and Pilots from all over the commonwealth were brought to Canada to train  The Canadian Prairies were the perfect spot because of the distance from conflict and the wide open, flat spaces  The Program produced 50,000 pilots and 130,000 total graduates  One of Canada’s largest contributions to the war

3.  Canada once again became a war machine in WW2  The massive unemployment of the depression disappeared  The Government took control of industries and created new crown corporations  N.S.S (National Selective Service) put workers were they were needed most  By 1944, Canada was producing 450 armored vehicles a week (not to mention massive amounts of food, guns, shells, ships and aircraft)  The entire war effort was run by C.D. Howe (the Minister of Everything)

5.  Labour shortages as thousands of men went to war  Government set up public day-care centers to free up more women to join the workforce  Women working: 25,000 in the Aircraft industry 260,000 making munitions 4,000 ship building 4,000 in construction 800,000 worked on Farms  Thousands of women became nurses and went overseas  For the first time, women could join the army (in non-combat roles: flying cargo planes, driving transports, de- coding messages etc.)

7. BREN GIRL

8. ROSIE RIVITER

9. CWAC The Canadian Women’s Army Corps

11.  During WW2, Canada developed a close relationship with the USA  Canadian and US forces fought along side each other throughout the war and in one case, they were part of the same unit (the Devil’s Brigade)  The Hyde-Park declaration: The US agrees to buy $1 billion in Canadian products to help support our economy in during the war

12.  In 1940, Mackenzie King promised no conscription but created the “National Resources Mobilization Act”  This allowed him to conscript Canadians for “home defense”  These soldiers were given the nickname “Zombies”  However, in 1942, the Army advised King that Conscription might be necessary

13.  King decided to hold a plebiscite (national vote) on the issue  Results 64% in favor, 36% against (72% against in Quebec)  King said “conscription if necessary but not necessarily conscription”  1944, King sends 16,000 Zombies overseas to war  Quebec is upset again but violence was avoided  King did his best to play both sides during the conflict and was able to maintain some sense of national unity

14.  BCATP: Pilots trained in Canada  Canadian industry contributes vast amounts to the war effort  Canadian women contribute to the war effort and join the army for the first time  Canada’s relationship with the USA becomes closer with the Hyde Park Declaration  Mackenzie King sends conscripts (Zombies) to war but is much smarter about it, barely holds the country together