Internment events from WWl to WWll-Social 9-4 project assignment.Nov 29, Friday 2024.
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The War Measures Act
On August the 22nd 1914, shortly after the first world war was declared, the federal government passed the war Measures act.This meant the government could send people who were believed to be "enemy Aliens" to internment camps during wars or when the government wanted to have more control over people. -
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Ukrainian internees
From 1914 (the start of world war 1) to 1920 (shortly after world war 1) Ukrainians/Austro-Hungarians,Germans,Turks and Bulgarians were sent to internment camps because they were believed to be “engaged or attempting to engage in espionage or acts of a hostile nature, or giving or attempting to give information to the enemy, or assisting or attempting to assist the enemy.” -From the Canadian Encyclopedia on internment camps.Most of the people in interncamps were Ukrainian during WW1. -
Ukrainian internees picture
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The Kapuskasing riot
The Conditions of the camps were brutal, the guards were also brutal. This provoked resistance, some passive like work slowdowns while other efforts were more determined. There were escape attempts and even a riot involving 1,200 internees at Kapuskasing in May 1916. Three hundred armed soldiers were needed to put it down. -
Temporary end of the War Measures Act
On January the 10th 1920 the war Measures act temporarily shut down because of the end of the first world war.The end of the war Measures act meant that "enemy aliens" could be let free from the internment camps.But it would come back into play in 20 years or so. -
The War Measures Act returns
The federal government invoked the War Measures Act for a second time during the Second World War on August the 25th,1939. The Act was used to implement the Defence of Canada Regulations. These gave the Minister of Justice the authority to detain anyone acting “in any manner prejudicial to the public safety or the safety of the state.” As a result, both enemy aliens and Canadian citizens were subject to internment. -
Italian internees
After Italy entered the war in June 1940, around 600 Italian men suspected of sympathizing with fascism were placed into internment camps. Some 31,000 Italian Canadians were registered as enemy aliens. They were forced to report to local registrars or to RCMP stations once a month. -
The Japanese internments
In March 1941, Ottawa required all Japanese Canadians to register with the government. This was done on the recommendation of the Special Committee on Orientals in British Columbia, a federally appointed advisory group.This declared Japanese Canadians to be enemy aliens. -
The $10 million settlement
A $10 million community settlement fund was established in 2008 to further support commemorative and educational projects about Canada’s first national internment operations.The settlement was signed in Toronto’s Stanley Barracks, a “receiving station” for internees from 14 December 1914 to 2 October 1916.