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Canada joins war with Britain
Of the 8 million people in Canada at the time, 600,000 people served in the war. Canada sent about 20-30% of its male population to serve. Canada's relationship with Britain was very close so they had to fight. Unfortunately, Canada didn't have any experience with full-scale warfare. Canada had so many volunteers because the war was generally perceived as glorious and a heroic act. -
Most of the different groups of people come together to fight
Women, black people, and First Nations are groups that were undermined by British men. These groups of people showed their worth by fighting in the war alongside the British men. Some people from these groups played major roles in winning some of the major battles in the war. Canada unifies more as a country by having different groups come together to fight a common enemy. -
Women on the Home Front
Since the men went to go fight the war, women had to step in for them. The labor shortage created advancements for women as they entered the labor force, many for the first time, but they also faced the pressures if a wartime economy to work around the clock. Many women gained financial independence and a sense of social worth. Attitudes towards women changed which caused the movement more women pressured the government the right to vote. -
Canada introduces Income Tax
The Canadian Economy in WWI was going crazy. At the peak of the war, the federal budget for war production was $740 million and the national debt sat at $1.2 billion. Therefore, the government turned to its citizens to help pay for the war. By the end of the war, they had taxes on most items and even businesses. -
Enemy Aliens
Enemy aliens were people from different national backgrounds such as Ukrainians, Germans, Austrians and Croatians that moved to Canada. The government passed the War Measures Act, which limited the freedoms of these civilians. This Act allowed police to arrest and imprison these people without charging them. They imprisoned 8000 people and sent them to camps to do hard labor. -
Conscription
Prime Minister Borden promised Britain that he would send another 250,000 to 500,000 men over to fight. But no one wanted to go. Therefore he enacted conscription, which made military service compulsory for men between 20 and 45 years old. This infuriated most French Canadians. The issue of conscription greatly divided the country and culminated in a national election on the issue as well as four days of rioting in Montreal. -
Canada enacts Prohibition
Prohibition during the war was seen as a patriotic duty and social sacrifice, to help win the war. This act caused violence for there to be alcohol again. Unfortunately, since people couldn't have alcohol, they turned to drugs instead. -
Consequences for Workers
Many workers' wages had not kept up with the cost of living during the war. More workers returning from the war meant more unemployment. The lack of available jobs meant anti-immigration. Low wages and bad working conditions caused strikes involving thousands of people. -
Canada becomes more independent
After the war, Canada felt that after sending hundreds of thousands of soldiers to fight for Britain, Canada deserves a bigger voice and more independence from Britain. Prime Minister Borden demanded Great Britain recognize Canada's sacrifice and contribution to the war. This laid a foundation for Canada to build upon its independence. -
The Roaring Twenties
The 1920s were a great time for Canada because no one had to worry about the war anymore. It was a time of economic prosperity and allowed for new technology and new social aspects to be introduced such as the Gray-Dort car. Also, new medicines were discovered like insulin. The 20s were a time where people could have a little more fun than before.
