1. January 2012

2.  During the war, the federal gvt continued in its regular roles but it also had to coordinate & finance the war effort  It passed the War Measures Act in August 1914 which gave govt control over many areas of life in Canada

3.  Under the War Measures Act:  People suspected of being enemies of the state (Enemy aliens such as Germans, Austrians,) faced arrest & detention with rule of law  Govt could also dictate to farmers & factory owners what to produce for the war effort

4.  People were required to sacrifice in order for victory to be achieved in Europe  “Victory Gardens”….to produce as much food as possible  Canadians were sending large amounts of food to both troops & also to allied countries

5.  In Canada, people were forced to cut back & to waste nothing  Shift in consumption of wheat, flour, beef, & bacon to other foods  With men off fighting, children & women had more work to complete.

6.  New opportunities opened for women during the war years and they became an essential component of Canada’s war effort  35,000 worked in munitions factories by 1917 (were considered unsuitable for women before 1914)  drove buses/streetcars, worked in banks, on police forces, in civil service jobs, & on farms

7.  Essential component of Canada’s war effort  Organized fundraisers, knitted socks, & packaged parcels for the war effort & to support the troops overseas  Red Cross, Front-line ambulance drivers & nurses (‘bluebirds’)

8.  Many women with husbands overseas became heads of households for the 1 st time  Responsibilities included feeding, clothing, housing their families  Many lost their husbands in the war

9.  Due to their increased participation in society & the employment sectors, increasing numbers of women became convinced that they should have equal share in political decision making  Enfranchisement – getting the right to vote

10.  By 1918, war was costing our govt. over $1 million a day.  Questions emerged about how to finance this war?  -Victory Bonds: issued by the govt. By buying them, citizens were loaning money to the govt for the war effort. They could be cashed in after the war for a higher profit.

11.  Private & commercial investors loaned the govt over $1 billion to be paid back with interest after the war.  Income tax was introduced during the war. (It was introduced as a temporary measure to help finance the war & was never abolished).  Children bought Thrift Stamps

12. CANADA 1914  Mainly agricultural  No munitions industry within Canada CANADA 1917  600 munitions factories with over 300,000 workers  Completing over 2 million $ / day in orders  800, 000 shells a month were sent from Canada to Europe

13.  Industrial production reached new heights with the manufacturing of war weapons & supplies  The war industry had over 300,000 Canadians employed in factories by 1918 (airplanes, shells, ship production)  Sparked the establishment of new industries

15.  New products required minerals such as copper, zinc, & nickel  Textile production increased with a demand for khaki (for uniforms), flannel (for hospital blanks), & canvass (for tents)

16.  World food shortage & use of German U-boats benefitted Canadian meat & dairy producers  Farmers on the Prairies also enjoyed high profits