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Canada Joins the War
Canada, being a colony of Britain, was almost immediately pulled into war after the assassination of Archduke. Canada had a very small military going into the war, but thousands of young men signed up, thinking that they would be returning home, 4 months later, before Christmas when the war was supposed to end. -
War Measures Act
Due to the beginning of World War 1, the government of Canada passed a nationwide law that all emergency decisions would be decided by the federal Cabinet. (Smith 2018) This act gave the government control over everyone and everything, including censorship, the control of harbours, immigration, deportation and trading, until the end of the war. (Montgomery 2016) -
Conscription
Sir Robert Borden (the prime minister of Canada during WW1) decided in 1917, that all healthy men between ages 20-45 must take part in the military services. Conscription was forced upon Canadians because up until then, only English Canadians were signing up for the war. Conscription forced other ethnic groups within Canada to take part in the war. (Granatstein 2018). -
Income Tax Introduced to Canada
In 1917, the government introduced an income tax into the country with all the proceeds going into the war effort. After the war, the income tax was planned to go away but is still used in modern day. (Montgomery 2017) -
Canadian Women get the Right to Vote
For many years, the women of Manitoba were fighting for their right to vote. The real impact was made when 5 women from all across the country came together in 1918 to make an impact that would last until this day. An article by Nellie McClung titled; “Now That We Are Persons” highlights the process that enabled women to vote in Canada. (Doherty 2017). -
End of War
Now that Canada has played a major role in WW1, the nation gets its separate signature on the Peace Treaty signifying that it has reached national status and is no longer an immediate colony of Britain. Canada was recognized for the battle of Ypres, climbing Vimy Ridge, capturing Passchendaele and finally entering Mons on November 11, 1918. (Teahen 2019). -
Founding of the Communist Party of Canada
In 1921, a group of 21 men came together to create the “Communist Party of Canada”. Having different opinions and views that the government in power, they were liked and hated by many groups. Only a few years after their founding, they were declared illegal by the government of Canada and all 21 men were arrested and deported. (Penner 2017). -
Rivalry between King and Meighen
After 2 elections in 12 months, William Lyon Mackenzie King of the Liberals and Arthur Meighen of the Conservatives are shaping the way the government is running drastically. They were each elected twice throughout the next 7 becoming the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th prime ministers of Canada. (Granatstein 2015). -
Beginning of the Great Depression
The great depression began to hit very hard in Canada, it started by the agriculture market dropping rapidly and soon many farmers were struggling to support the basic needs of their families. Next thousands of industrial workers got laid off and slowly the citizens of Canada were becoming unemployed and the country fell into a decade long depression. (Clippingdale 2015).
