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Timeline with Attitude
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($) -2: Jobs Lost and Still Fighting
Canada was expecting the war to be short and easy like many other countries did. Unfortunately, it wasn't and Canada’s economy to a major hit because of that. The railroad industry was already not doing very well but after the war began it completely plummeted. About 50,000 Canadian railway workers lost their jobs between 1914 and 1915. Also, right before the war, there was a drought that caused a major loss in wheat so farmers were in a really bad position financially during the war. -
(!) -2: The Battle of Beaumont Hamel
The Newfoundland regiment went to the battle of Beaumont Hamel under a British general. They made some mistakes and after half an hour, 324 of their soldiers were dead or missing and 386 were wounded. Only 91 soldiers made it out unharmed. This caused a major outcry and many Canadian men drifted away from signing up for the army. -
(!) +2: The Creation of the 22nd Battalion
French Canadians didn't feel as if they owed anything to Britain and most of them stood with Canada or with France. They took their jobs in the military very seriously but it was hard for most of them as they were in an English speaking military so most of them didn't get promoted. Once the 22nd battalion was formed francophone soldiers could finally be promoted. -
(!) +2: Black Man in a White Man's Army
Jeremiah Jones was a black soldier in the 106th battalion. At the time, African Canadians were still extremely segregated and they were only allowed to do construction at the beginning of the war. Link text -
(!) +2: Women at War
Mae Belle Sampson was the first nurse in the Hamilton area to enlist as a WWI nurse. Link text -
($) -1: Post-war Economy
The war brought Canadians closer than ever before. People accepted others for who they were and a sense of family washed over the country. Unfortunately, this didn't last too long as Canada was around 2 billion dollars in debt. The rich in Canada donated to the government to help with the war but the government no longer had the money to pay them back. This caused a rise in taxes which 10 years later would start the worst economical crash in history, The Great Depression. -
(~) +1: A Force to be Reckoned With
Canada’s military gained a high status as a force to be reckoned with and one of the strongest armed forces on the western front. Canadian generals and politicians were the ones to thank for this of course, as well as all of the troops and corps in the military. Canada went from being Britain’s baby to be a strong force that could and would be considered Canada and not just some other British colony. -
($) +1: City Life
For the first time ever, more Canadians were recorded living in urban areas than living in rural areas and it has been like that ever since. Cities became bigger and more liveable and instead of being places for nearby rural areas to restock on supplies, they became similar to the cities we see today. This caused more people to need automobiles to get around. This meant that more automobiles were being created and by the end of the 1920s, about 250,000 automobiles were being created annually. -
(~) +2: Canada Gains More Independence
Prime Minister Borden demanded more independence from Britain at the Imperial Conference in 1923. Canada became more of its own country instead of just another British colony. Canada now was able to sign their own treaties and they had their own spot in the League of Nations (United Nations). -
(~) +2: Big Step for Women's Rights
Women were finally allowed to vote even though there was still a huge wage gap. In 1929, women were finally considered as persons which meant that they could now be appointed into the senate. They still weren’t considered equals to men and they couldn’t do a lot of jobs that men could do. Still, this was a great improvement to society.
