As
young Canadian men shipped off to Europe to fight in the “Great “War”, job spots needed to be filled back at home. About thirty-thousand Canadian women stepped
up and took the roles of their male loved ones, joining the working force of
Canada. They worked in machine shops, metal factories, munitions plants,
aircraft factories and shipyards across Canada. They also began working in the
police forces and the civil service, for banks and insurance companies and on
the farms. This was the first major step to women’s equality in Canada. It led
to rights such as voting and working, and a greater respect towards women in
the nation.
When
the men returned home after the war, they found many immigrants and women in
their former jobs. If these men did find jobs, horrible working conditions,
long hours and bad pay would all contribute to the creation of labour unions in
Canada. This would be a massive change in the Canadian workforce and in society
in general.
The results of World War I had put
Canada on the map. Great battle successes such as Vimy Ridge and Canada’s Hundred
Days had led to a global respect for Canada and its sacrifices in the war.
Canadian soldiers had earned the name as Storm Troops and Germans feared the
worst when they fought against them. By the end of the war, seventy-one
Canadians were awarded with the Victoria Cross, the highest military honour in
Britain, for their bold acts of bravery and courage in the war. These
achievements all led to Canada’s earned seat at the Paris Peace Conference and
eventually the U.N.
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