Canadian History 1201

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

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

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

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

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

Video: Rosie the Riveter (2:46)

Video: Danger! Women at Work (9:32)

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

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

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 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”

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Enlistment Fatalities

Army 730,159 22,917

Air Force 249,662 17,101

Navy 106,552 2,024

TOTAL 1,090,782 42,042

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

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

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