War on the Home Front -Issues at Home

- Canadian Recruitment

Ms. Maharaj

The War and Stress

• Wars put a lot of stress on the Canadian People

•Usually wars were fought by soldiers, this was the first war fought by “the world”

•The Canadian Impact of the War

•Farming•Industry•Profiteering•The War Measures Act•Victory Bonds

Farming

• The war caused food shortages all over the enemy and allied forces

•Most soldiers were the farmers that were providing food for the country

•Canadian farmers had to EXPORT a lot more items to support the people at home and those at war

•Wheat production increased•Cheese exports at highest•Port and beef exports (canned) increased significantly

Industry

•Before the war, factories in C’da produced goods for home use (LOCAL) only

•The war created a larger “market” or demand for products– Canadian business’ filled the demand

•EXPORTS of materials for use •Steel for casings (guns, ammunition, planes etc)

Other demands Canadians filled

Uniforms Medical Supplies Nickel and Copper

products Timber Victory Stamps (as a

fundraiser) Pay cuts (government)

Profiteering

•This is when business owners wanted to make the MOST profit

on their products, so they didn’t sell until their price was met.

•Some used cheap materials and did sloppy work and sold at high

prices

•Canned meat (the basis of their diet) was sometimes created

from sick animals

•Bribery was used so that business owners paid off government

officials so that they would use them to fund items needed for

the war

WAR MEASURES ACT

Robert L. Borden passed a law at the beginning of WW1

People were becoming suspicious of

those who had just entered Canada The War Measures Act had the power

to take away freedoms and to arrest and detain (keep locked up) “aliens”– not the E.T. kind, the new immigrants.

Ukrainians were the targeted group (came from area controlled by Austria Hungary)

Victory Bonds

How are we able to afford healthcare and education currently?

In the early 20th century, there were no taxes

To help the war, the government created Victory Bonds They could buy these,

cash them in after and get interest (more money)

War time Issues

Conscription Volunteers to become soldiers ‘Forced’ + Borden’s broken promise▪ French Canadians were the fiercest against

conscription

▪ Borden left the decision through the people and put it to a vote (The election of 1917)▪ Borden joined with Liberal leaders rather than Laurier

(Quebec)▪ They won election and bloody riots ensued▪ Laurier didn’t support it at all, the people followed