1. Canadian History 1201

2.  The need for a larger labour force increased as factories began to operate seven days a week, with 12 hour days being the norm  As men left vital jobs to go off to war, there was a dramatic increase in the number of women in the workforce  In 1942, the federal government established the National Selective Service (NSS) to recruit as many women as possible for wartime work

3.  At first the NSS only recruited unmarried women between the ages of 20 and 24  By 1943 however, all women were being encouraged to do the “patriotic duty”  Quebec and Ontario provided daycare for some mothers so that they could work and the federal government provided some tax breaks for women

4.  Young women from cities and small towns left to work in factories while other poured into industrial centres  By 1944, the number of women in the work force had grown to over 1 million  Women also played an important role in working side by side with the men who had remained on farms to produced food for the war effort

5.  The more things change, the more they stay the same:  Women were paid less than men for the same work  After the war:  Women`s branches of the military were disbanded  Women weren`t allowed to enlist in the forces again until the Korean War in 1951  Women were expected to ‘give’ their jobs back to returning soldiers

6.  Their contribution was evident as Canada shipped 90 million bushels of wheat to Europe in 1942 alone  A bushel contains approximately 60 lbs  As in the First World War, women volunteers operated service clubs and canteens for military personnel, wrapped parcels for prisoners of war and knit socks and sweaters for troops overseas  Women also raised money for Victory Bonds, which helped finance the cost of war and ran homes and farms

7. Video: Rosie the Riveter (2:46)Rosie the Riveter Video: Danger! Women at Work (9:32)Danger! Women at Work

8.  During the Second World War Canadian people, industry and resources were focused on maintaining the flow of weapons and supplies to Britain  Canadian factories created bombs and bullets, while shipyards and aircraft factories expanded their operations

9.  In 1942 the automotive industry also converted to the war effort  The production of sleek luxury cars and family sedans was replaced by the production of Bren-Gun Carriers and armored cars  The federal government played a key role in coordinating war production and planning the total war effort

10.  Canadian war factories were safe from the bombing that was being experienced in Europe  Canada became an arsenal, and was Britain’s chief overseas supplier of war material  Mutual Aid – a lend-lease program for Canadian allies which supplied them with four billion dollars worth of war material  A further credit of a billion dollars was given to Britain

11.  11 billion dollars of munitions  1.7 million small arms  43,000 heavy guns  16,000 aircraft  2 million tonnes of explosives  815,000 military vehicles, 50,000 tanks and armoured gun carriers  9,000 boats and ships  Uranium for the “Manhattan Project”

12. Canada was faced with the challenge of creating – practically from scratch – a strong industrial base to produce weapons and war materials for the war effort. Canadian industry and the workforce of our country stepped up with an amazing response to this situation and helped contribute to the Allied victory in the war.

13.  Buying Victory Bonds (War Bonds) were essential to the war effort on the home front  They were a popular way to pay for the war in all the countries involved

14.  Sugar was the first item to be rationed, followed quickly by tea, coffee, butter, gasoline and other vital materials

15.  People were encouraged not to throw away materials such as metal, rubber, cloth and food waste  They would be recycled and used in the war effort

16.  The war in Europe ended on May 8, 1945, which became known as V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day)  The war in the South Pacific ended on August 14, 1945, called V-J Day (Victory in Japan Day)  This war ended when the United States dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan

17.  The losses Canada had in the war increased patriotism and set the stage for Canada’s role in the world after the war  55 million worldwide died in battles, concentration camps and at home The Human Cost of the War for Canada EnlistmentFatalities Army730,15922,917 Air Force249,66217,101 Navy106,5522,024 TOTAL1,090,78242,042

18.  The war had cost Canada $18 billion and created a debt of more than $10 billion  Yet new industries had developed during the war, making Canada an important industrial nation

20.  During the war:  Agriculture became increasingly mechanized  Manufacturing saw massive growth  Exports increased  Government spending increased substantially  Unemployment virtually disappeared  More than 1 million women moved into the workforce  The economy not only recovered from the Great Depression, which had preceded the war, but it also gained momentum that would lead to rapid postwar prosperity

21.  From 1946 to 1957, Canada saw increased prosperity, partly due to the needs of a rapidly growing population for homes, schools, hospitals, roads, and factories  Canada’s exports also continued to grow with its participation in the United States led reconstruction of a war-ravaged Europe  Canada and the United States were the only two major industrialized countries whose infrastructures were substantially expanded during the war rather than devastated