The Spirit of our Troops: Rum Rationing as an ‘Essential Service’ on the Western Front
As all non-essential activities grind to a halt in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, one of the things carefully kept on the essential side of society has been liquor stores across the country. Officially, this limits alcoholism-related withdrawal and the resultant stresses that could cause to an already strained healthcare system. However, alcohol is also […]
Flying over Thessalonica
Despite its role in destabilizing Bulgaria and Austria-Hungary, the Macedonian front is often overlooked. Established in 1915, following Bulgaria’s declaration of war and the resulting collapse of the Serbian front, the Salonica front—alternatively referred to as the Macedonian Front—was established around the Greek city of Thessalonica. The multinational army of English, French, Greek, Italian, Serbian, […]
“Doughboy Jack and Doughnut Jill”: A Love Story
In the year 1919, three Canadian artists of some prominence came together to write and record a comedic love song titled “Doughboy Jack and Doughnut Jill”. The song describes an American soldier and a Salvation Army volunteer falling in love at the Western Front. Like any good love song, it contains a chance encounter and […]
Private Harry W Brown, Canada’s own 1917 Hero
The war film, 1917, has received rave reviews from critics and audiences for its honest but unique portrayal of World War I. The film centers around two young British soldiers who are tasked with a daunting mission: run across No Man’s Land, dodge heavy fire and evade booby-trapped trenches to hand-deliver a message that will save […]
Newfoundland & Labrador’s Forget-Me-Not
Before 1949, Newfoundland was an independent British Dominion, and proud of it. As “Britain’s Oldest Colony,” the people of Newfoundland and Labrador proudly showcased their distinctiveness. The Newfoundland experience of the Great War would exemplify that pride and distinction, as would the commemoration that followed. Newfoundland and Labrador were swept into the Great War, as […]
Great War Veterans and the Winnipeg General Strike
Veterans hoping to find prosperity and opportunity in peacetime were to be sorely disappointed, returning to a Canada whose social and economic landscapes had been dramatically altered by the exigencies of the war and which posed great challenges for reintegration. While Great War veterans across the whole of Canada faced these difficulties, those who found […]
The First World War and the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919
On May 15th, 1919, the Winnipeg General Strike began. Though numbers vary, an estimated 30,000 strikers from all walks of life shut down the city until the strike collapsed under government pressure in late June [1]. A strike of this magnitude did not emerge from a vacuum; it was, in many ways, a byproduct of […]
After the War: Black Soldiers Return to Canada
As many of you are probably aware, February was Black History Month. In the past, we’ve taken this opportunity to write about the No. 2 Construction Battalion- Canada’s first and only all-black non combatant battalion during the First World War. This year, however, in keeping theme with our “After the War” travelling exhibition, I wanted […]
Travelling Exhibition 2019: After the War
Coming home and fitting in at the end of the Great War Fifth and Seventh Batteries, CFA, arriving in Montreal PQ for demobilization, 1919. Dept. Of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/PA-022997
The Paris Peace Conference, 1919
One hundred years ago, delegates of the victorious Allied nations arrived in France at the Paris Peace Conference. In the following six months, they would take part in some of the most critical negotiations and decisions to reestablish peace and a new international order. With nearly 61 000 war dead, Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden […]
