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Since Canada's legal status as a British Dominion left foreign policy decisions in the hands of the British parliament, this meant that when Britain declared war on Germany on August 4, Canada was automatically drawn into the conflict. The Canadian government still decides the nature and extent of Canada's war effort. Although, under legal obligation, the country was at war. This led to the departure of the first Canadian troops departing from England on October 3. -
The Second Battle of Ypres was the first major battle fought by Canadian troops and was fought during WWI from April 22 to May 25, 1915. The battle took place outside the city of Ypres, where more than 6,500 Canadians were killed, wounded, or captured. Within the battle, their bravery was tested during the horror of the first large-scale poison gas attack in history. Until reinforcements could be brought in, Canadian troops held a strategically critical section of the frontline. -
The Battle of Vimy Ridge took place in Northern France. This battle was fought within the same time period of WWI, but only from April 9 to April 12, 1917. The Battle of Vimy Ridge is known today as Canada’s most celebrated military victory and generally a mythologized symbol of the birth of Canadian national pride and awareness. The ridge was captured by the German army when the Canadian Corps attacked the ridge. In the end, 11,285 Canadians were killed in France throughout the war. -
Borden announced that he would introduce the Military Service Act on August 29, 1917 after visiting Britain for a meeting of First Ministers in May 1917. The Act was eventually. passed. This allowed the government to conscript men between the ages of 20 to 45 across the country. This would only take effect if the Prime Minister felt that it was necessary. -
The controversial Wartime Elections Act that passed on September 20, 1917 granted women the ability to federally vote. Although, this was only if the women were within the armed forces.
On May 24, 1918, the ability to vote was extended towards female citizens over the age of 21, regardless if their province had approved enfranchisement.
As time went on, women of colour were still deprived of their freedom. This included Chinese women, “Hindu” or East Indian women, and Japanese women. -
On December 6th, 1917, two ships collided in the harbour in Halifax. One of them was a munitions ship loaded with explosives bound for WWI. This made one of the largest human-made explosions. This was prior to the detonation of the first atomic bombs in 1945. The explosion led to extreme damage in Halifax. The city was wiped out by the blast and subsequent tsunami. Nearly 2,000 died, another 9,000 were maimed or blinded, and more than 25,000 were left without adequate shelter. -
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons and the first woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Macphail triumphed in the 1921 federal general election to become the first woman elected to the House of Commons despite her place as a female candidate. Surrounded by opposition and ridicule from fellow Parliamentarians, Macphail took an interest in the fight for penal reform and the representation of her rural constituents. -
Red and white were declared to be the national colours of Canada by King George V in 1921. These colours were chosen because red symbolizes England as white symbolizes France. These colours have been representatively used by England and France in the past, so due to Canada’s history, the decision to use them was inevitable. The maple leaf is one of the national symbols and for 300 years, it has demonstrated its importance in symbolizing Canada, the land, its people, and its military. -
Canada and other British colonies were always seen as less important under Britain's power. The Balfour Report of 1926 helped Canada become a fully self-governing nation and officially an independent country. The Balfour Report of 1926 declared that Britain, as well as its Dominions, were constitutionally equal. If Canada was still under Britain's power, due to the allegiance, Canada might have gotten dragged along in Britain's conflicts, and many immigrants wouldn't be here today. -
The Great Depression was a worldwide economic and social shock. This event began after the stock market crash in the fall of 1929. This sent Wall Street, an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Manhattan, into a panic. It wiped out millions of investors. Over time, the next several years brought consumer spending and investments to drop. This caused steep and abrupt declines in industrial output and employment as failing companies continued to lay off workers.
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