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1914
War was seen as as a glorious and heroic endeavour; it was considered as a way for men to show they were truly men. Most Canadians did not have any experience of full scale world war. (+2) -
1915-1916
Francis Pegahmagabow, known as "Peggy", was an Ojibwa from the Parry Island Band in Ontario (today known as Wasauksing First Nation) and one of 4 000 Aboriginals who served in the war. Peggy survived even though his battalion lost almost half of its men in only three days of fighting. (+2) -
1917
Jeremiah Jones enlisted in the 106th overseas battalion, commanded by LT Col W.H. Allan. At Vimy Ridge, he was among the 16 black soldiers assigned to the Royal Canadian Regiment. During the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April of 1917, Jones rescued his unit from an enemy machine gun nest in what was to become a battle that is now known as Canada's greatest success and source of great national pride. More important, he had also proven a black man's worth in a white man's army. (+2) -
1917
women to vote for the Union Government in 1917, the first national election in which women were given the right to vote. Borden extended the franchise (the right to vote) to female relatives of soldiers and nurses actively serving overseas. This included daughters, mothers, nieces, aunts and wives. The Conservative government felt that these women "had made the supreme sacrifice". (+2) -
1917
The war produced both intended and unintended consequences for the city of Halifax. They had trouble controlling the traffic in the harbour. Collisions were frequent. On December 6 1917, a ship was leaving the harbour carrying war supplies. At the same time, another ship was approaching carrying explosive material. There was confusion over the paths the ships would take and a collision occurred, producing an explosion. Over 1500 people were killed instantly and hundreds died soon after. (-2) -
1918
In early 1918, Borden's Union Government began to enforce conscription. (-1) -
1918
Women were not allowed to enlist as soldiers, sailors, or pilots in World War I. Their role in the military was quite limited. Still, about 1000 women signed on to drive ambulances and took on other jobs with the Red Cross. (+1) -
1918
When soldiers came back from war unemployed women were forced to quit their wartime jobs, so that men could be back in the workplace. (-1) -
1920
New technologies were created like the radio and electric icebox which made life easier for housewives. (+1) -
1929
The great depression caused a decade of unemployment rates which was bad for the economy. (-2)
