World War 2 Effects On Canada

The Effects of WWII on Canada
The Effects of WWII on Canada
Jordan C.
Feb 11, 2013
Jordan C.
Feb 11, 2013

As World War 2 ended, it brought many important changes in Canada. There were more than 40,000 Canadian lives lost. There are many changes in Canada politically, economically and socially. In the next world war, we could see how Canada began to form itself as an independent country. World War 2 began with Hitler’s invasion of Poland and two days later, Britain, France declared war on Germany. Canada then agreed to join in the war on September 1, 1939... Since Canada had done well in the wars, Canada started to grow further away from Britain. As a result, Canada took a more active global role. There was a feeling a greater sense
Before the war, Canada’s most important sector in its economy was agriculture. However, this was changed drastically after and during the war as industry began to take over as being more important. Manufacturers began to produce foreign products within their facility. Some of the foreign products varied from bullets, boats, ships, explosives, Lancaster bombers, and much more. Canadian production of war material, food supplies, and raw materials had been crucial during the war since they have become an independent country. When the war ended, it was only natural that large investments were being made in production, transportation, and services industries. Some countries went bankrupt fighting in the war; others were devastated like Germany and Japan. Canada and the United States did well and continued forward with lots of money to spend. Many Canadian cities became very important contributors to the economy. This also brought post-war immigrations, which brought Canada’s multicultural society that we know today. Because of Canada’s boost in the industrial economy and its status in World War II, there were many jobs available. By 1942, hundreds and thousands of Canadian men and women found work in war industries. In Ottawa, as Mackenzie King returned to power, the government started to institute major social programs. These programs included unemployment insurance and family allowances. Similarly to World War I, the
This left a strong sense of pride and nationalism felt by the citizens of Canada. Unemployment was brought to a minimum due to the production of goods for war. This ended up with everyone having a better financial standing that they were before the war. World War 2 also caused a great division with those who were related to any Germans. When war was declared against Germany and Italy, all Canadian citizens of German or Italian descent were treated with suspicion and were excluded by the society due to them being related to their past enemies. The Japanese in Canada were treated much worse. When the war had been declared, those who lived in the west coast were kicked out of their homes and were forced to move into intern camps. All their belongings and businesses were lost and sold for cheap at the auctions. Socially, things were fine depending on who you were and where you lived at the time. From the paragraphs above, Canada’s troops were composed with black and aboriginal peoples. Due to this, Canada became more tolerant and agreeing to accept refugees from Europe. This also brought Canada to experience a “baby boom.” The baby boom lasted 20 years in Canada. At the time, there were approximately 8.2 million babies that were born, which brought an average of 412,000 each year. In comparison, the number of births in 2012 is