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how did war change canada
How Did The Second World War Change Canada?

The act of warfare has never been and will most likely never be celebrated and perceived as a beneficial act for humanity. In most instances throughout history, the act of war has represented loss of life, a loss to great for any wartime triumph to overcome. Despite the negative connotations that warfare implies, a nation which goes through a major war can often emerge positively transformed. The Second World War represents a colossal juncture in Canada’s history as a nation. The war propelled Canada into the latter part of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century as one of the prodigious, western industrialized nations. From an economical standpoint, the Second World War ignited Canada’s ascension into a fully modern and mechanized country. Furthermore, the war changed the social landscape of Canada, fully transforming the roles of women and evolving the immigration policy, which eventually lead to Canada becoming one of the most culturally diverse and interracial nations by modern accounts.

In the decade leading up to World War Two, Canada’s economic stability was in a dilapidated state. From 1929 to 1933, Canada’s gross national product fell by forty three percent, while it’s overall exports plunged by over fifty percent. Huge unemployment rates were also causing major concerns, as “almost a quarter of the entire available workforce found itself without a job When Britain entered the Second World War, Canada became its number one supplier of wartime materials, including artillery, vehicles, aircraft, and weaponry. The demand for supplies was so great that in September 1939, the federal government created the “Department of Munitions and Supply” ministry in order to oversee the production of wartime materials and goods. This ministry was lead by Clarence Decatur Howe, who played a major role in transforming Canada’s economy from an agricultural-based to industrial. Under Howe’s

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