Life on the Homefront Canada and World War One

Secondary Source A World War I was not an easy time for Canadians who continued to live in Canada on the homefront. Supplying, supporting, and financing the war effort in Europe forced many Canadians into living situations that they would rather have not had to endure. By 1900, thanks to immigration to Canada’s prairies, Canada was a major agricultural goods producer in the world. War in Europe made extra food production in the West more important. Demand for wheat and higher prices for it (because there was little available) resulted in many farms opening throughout the prairies. Food & Farming

Primary Source A 1.What is this poster promoting? 2.Why was this important during WWI? 3.How did this affect the following things in Canada: a.Farming in Western Canada b.Recruitment of soldiers c.The diet of Canadians

Food & Farming Secondary Source B Similar need was seen in the production of beef, pork, dairy products like cheesebeefpork dairy products like cheese and butterand butter, and eggs.and eggs Expanding farms was made difficult by the need for soldiers and the unwillingness of some men on farms to serve their country borrow to peer pressure to do so. This created a need for Canadians who were not farmers to assist in the country's farming. For average Canadians, the need for food supplies led to an encouragement to self-ration, discourage waste, and plant war gardens so that there would be enough food for the war effort. For others it meant hoarding what little excess food there might be.

Primary Sources B and C 1.What are the purposes of this poster? 2.Why were posters like these necessary? 3.What makes these posters effective? 4.These are “propaganda posters”. Use these examples to explain what a propaganda poster is.

Supplying the War Effort The war also brought a need for munitions (military supplies) to help ensure the war was fought successfully. Many Canadian industries expanded as they began to produce war supplies: shell cases, weapons, uniforms, airplane parts, and ships This increased demand for raw materials such as aluminum and nickel and for transportation to ship these products such as railway lines. Many factory owners became very rich as a result of higher sales, higher prices, and choosing to use cheap materials. One side effect was that many young men left the workforce to volunteer for armed forces and left many jobs unfilled in factories and businesses that were just in the process of expanding. As a result, a significant number of women enter the work force, and do so in non-traditional ways, most notably in factories, during the war.

Paying for the War Since the war cost so much, the Canadian government needed to come up with new ways to pay for the war. One solution was two temporary taxes: 1. Business Income tax 2. Personal Income Tax The second solution was to sell “Victory Bonds” These bonds allowed Canadians to lend the government money that would be given back at the end of the war with interest.

Role of Women World War One changed the experience of women more than any other group in Canada. Before the war, the lives and influence of Canadian focused on the home. World War One forced society to allow women a wider influence in Canada. Supplying the War Effort With thousands of men gone overseas and the need to provide supplies for the war, there was a shortage of workers in Canada. As a result, thousands of women moved into factories to fill the jobs men had left or job that had been created by the war. Many women also moved into non-factory based work, such as secretarial work and office administration, and a larger role in the operation of farms.

Role of Women The Frontlines In Europe, over 3000 women served in the Army Medical Corps. The served as nurses (like they would have in Canada) and ambulance drivers (a traditionally male job) These changes would form a base for later changes in the role of women Public Voice of Women War forced the government to make tough decisions. One of these was the need for conscription (forcing people to join the military) so there were enough soldiers. This decision was very controversial so the government looked for ways to make Canadians agree with their choice. The solution was an election on the issue of conscription. To make it easier to win the election, the government gave women serving as army nurses and women with close relatives in the military the right to vote.

Reading Visual Sources Use the images to answer the questions given.

What important role did this poster give to women during the war? Why would the government choose women for this role?

1.What is the purpose of this poster? 2.What is main selling point that the poster is using to try and achieve its purpose? 3.What does this tell us about the types of people who would likely respond positively to this poster? 4.Are the people who respond to this poster likely to be nationalistic or not? Explain why or why not. 5.As the war progressed the number of volunteers began to decline. Do you think this poster would have likely been used at the beginning of the war or later in the war? Explain why.

1.What is the purpose of this poster? 2.What is main selling point that the poster is using to try and achieve its purpose? 3.What does this tell us about the types of people who would likely respond positively to this poster? 4.Are the people who respond to this poster likely to be nationalistic or not? Explain why or why not.

1.What is the purpose of this poster? 2.What are the main selling points that the poster is using to try and achieve its purpose? 3.What does this tell us about the types of people who would likely respond positively to this poster?