How Ww2 Demonstrated A Time Of Progress In Canada Essay

Hitler's instigation of World War 2 presented many years of hardship and suffering for Canadians at home and abroad. These 6 years did not come with ease, and they were made even more difficult by the citizens still recovering from The Great Depression. Fortunately, throughout all of this hardship, a few silver linings presented themselves. Which is why the WW2 period demonstrated a time of progress in Canada. It was because of the Liberation of the Netherlands, the Welfare State, and Women's progress that gave Canadians a way through it all. These three events made living in and fighting for Canada just a little bit easier.

Firstly, the Liberation of the Netherlands not only helped Canadians, but also the Dutch. Canadian troops were given

Welfare State is a program of government programs that transfer money and services to Canadians. This Welfare State program began in 1938, right before the start of World War 2. This Welfare State program helped millions of Canadians with problems such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, aging, illness, workplace injury, disability, and the needs of children, women, gay, lesbian, and transgendered people (Moscovitch, 2006). Obviously having all of these problems was not a good thing for Canadians, but the government found a way to help their citizens. The Welfare State program was a significant improvement because many Canadian citizens benefitted from this. This made living in Canada a lot easier for many people, and it still does. The Canadian government also introduced Family Allowances. “Child allowance is a monthly government payment to families with children to help cover the costs of child maintenance. The Family Allowance began in 1945 as Canada's first universal welfare program. Benefits were awarded without reference to the family's income or assets — based on the idea that all Canadian children are worthy of public support” (Skikavich, 2006). They also presented Unemployment insurance. Unemployment insurance refers to a series of government payments during a period of unemployment (Smith, 2006). Almost all Canadians were experiencing the aftershock of the Great

Many women took on the jobs and roles of the men, who had gone to fight in the war. Canada needed women to help support the war effort by working at home, working men’s jobs, and some enlisting in the war building parts for ships and aircraft and manufactured ammunition. “Out of a total Canadian population of 11 million people, only about 600,000 Canadian women held permanent jobs when the war started. During the war, their numbers doubled to 1,200,000” (Veterans.gc.ca). Women also helped on the Homefront by knitting scarves, socks, and mitts for the men who enlisted. They prepared parcels and helped people displaced by the war by setting up refugee centers. Women set up “Victory Gardens” to grow fruits and vegetables. Women also helped by enlisting in the war. The first two women's services were set up at auxiliaries, approximately 50,000 Canadian women eventually enlisted. Women enlisted in the air force, army, and navy. Initially, they were trained for clerical, administrative, and support roles, but they eventually came to work as parachute riggers, laboratory assistants, drivers, and within the electrical and mechanical trades (Chenier, 2006). Prior to World War 2, women mostly did “Women Jobs”. They took care of the home, cooked, cleaned, and cared for the children. Women went from mostly working in their homes to enlisting and doing mechanical jobs. Although women were not treated the same