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Canadian History Timeline: 1914-1918 By Rebecca B.
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Declaration of War (+2)
Britain declared war on Germany on August sixth, 1914.This brought a huge change to Canada because, since they were under British reign, it meant they were also at war. It provided jobs during a recession and assured Canada's allyship and loyalty towards Britain. It was incredibly important for the country because as the war went on, they asserted themselves as an independent country and proved their strength to the rest of the world. -
Women are allowed to work the same jobs as men (+2)
After the war began, there was a large amount of the male population missing, which meant that there were a large number of job openings in different fields. Until this time, women were restricted to staying home or working smaller jobs such as being a teacher, but since there was a need to fill the missing employees at farms, factories and more, women were finally allowed to work in those places.Though, they were paid a fraction of a mans pay for the same jobs. -
Victory Bonds (+1)
The war bond (or a victory bond/loan, as they were later referred to in 1917) was introduced to Canadian Citizens in 1915. They were loans made to the government by Canadian citizens to raise funds to pay for the war, which was important to Canada as the war was expensive to fund. In the picture included, it shows that these bonds were advertised as a way for Canadian Citizens who remained at home during the war to ‘help finish the job’, which built excitement and eagerness towards the bonds. -
Battle of Ypres (+1)
In the Battle of Ypres, Canadians were sent to stop Germany from breaking through to the English Channel and the Germans had something that caught them off guard- chlorine gas. Though, they preserved and used pee-soaked cotton pads to cover their noses and protect themselves from the fumes. This battle was incredibly progressive for Canada because it was their first major battle success and really proved to other countries that they could handle anything, even new weapons like chlorine gas. -
Women win the vote in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. (+2)
On Jan. 28th, 1916, the Lieutenant Governor passed the law that gave the women of Manitoba the right to vote (and to put themselves forward as candidates) in provincial elections. This was huge and was a big indicator of progress for the women's rights movement as they were getting one step closer to all voting being legalized for women around the country. If it hadn’t happened, it would have taken much longer for women all over Canada to be able to vote Federally (which was legalized in 1918). -
Wartime Elections Act (+1)
This act was the act that gave the Federal vote to close women relatives (wives, widows, mothers, sisters, and daughters) of men serving in the Armed Forces. It was passed by Prime Minister Borden's Government in order to get more votes in the 1917 election. This act also took away many people's right to vote, such as enemy aliens (Germans, Ukranians and Austro- Hungarians) and people who did not believe in war. -
Vimy Ridge (+2)
Vimy Ridge was a strategic location that neither the French nor the British troops could capture in two years of fighting, but the Canadian troops overcame that challenge and ended with a huge victory. This battle was very progressive for Canada because it helped shape their identity as a country as it proved that they could conduct themselves without the lead of Britain and that they had their own way of doing things. -
The Halifax Explosion (+1)
On December 6, 1917, the French ship ‘Mont Blanc’ collided with the Belgian ship Imo, which caused the largest explosion ever seen before the invention of the atomic bomb. The tragedy, dubbed ‘Canada’s worst disaster’, left over 1,600 people dead from the explosion itself, debris, fires, or collapsed buildings and 9,000 injured. This caused a bit of a decline in Canada as most citizens of Halifax were in shock and traumatized, but it brought the community closer together as they tried to cope. -
The Spanish Flu (+2)
In 1918, a deadly influenza virus by the name of ‘Spanish Flu’ made its way to Canada through the troops coming home from war. It reached several communities throughout the country and was contracted by 2 million people, fifty thousand of those people dying from it. It has a scary resemblance to the current pandemic, as non-essential businesses were forced to close and there were laws put in place to make sure people were quarantining and wearing masks in public. -
The Armistice Treaty (+2)
This peace treaty was the reason that WW1 finally came to an end and a sigh of relief came from the world as the end of a terrifying war had finally arrived. With over sixty hundred- fifty thousand Canadian men and women serving the War and more than 66,000 giving their lives, Canada had earned the right to sign the peace treaty on their own (without Britain) and solidified Canada as a great, brave, independent nation.
