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INTRODUCTION When the Second World War began, Canadian industry was still struggling in the midst of a bumpy and uncertain recovery from the Great Depression. The mobilization of our country’s industrial potential during the war was nothing less than revolutionary and led to significant changes in the conditions experienced by workers in Canada. With the coming of the war, the government would suddenly find itself actively involved in building production plants, training a work force, controlling wages and prices, managing labour disputes, and regulating the movement of employees seeking to change jobs. During the Second World War, Canadian industries manufactured war materials and other supplies for Canada, the United States, Britain and other Allied countries. The total value of Canadian war production was almost $10 billion – approximately $100 billion in today’s dollars. In 1940, the Honourable C.D. Howe became the Minister of the newly-created Department of Munitions and Supply. This government department controlled and coordinated all aspects of war production. This department was, in a sense, one of the biggest businesses in the world. It coordinated all purchases made in Canada by British and other Allied governments for things like military transport vehicles, tanks, cargo and military ships, aircraft, guns and small arms, ammunition as well as uniforms, minesweeping equipment, parachutes, firefighting equipment and hospital supplies. It also created 28 Crown corporations to produce everything from rifles to synthetic rubber. Veterans Affairs Canada Anciens Combattants Canada THE GENIUS OF “BITS AND PIECES” Though much was invested in new plants, plant expansions and technological upgrading, industry showed a remarkable talent for adapting existing space and technology to fit the needs of wartime production. Harry J. Carmichael – a Vice President of General Motors who had been loaned to the Department of Munitions and Supply for one dollar a year – brought with him a genius for sub-contracting. Called the “bits and pieces program” by C.D. Howe, Mr. Carmichael’s initiative brought scores of small, unproductive factories into production even though the British had rated them as little better than garages at the start of the war. For example, the Canadian Cycle and Motor Co. Ltd. of Weston, Ontario, which had made bicycles and hockey skates before the war, took over the manufacture of armaments including gun parts, tripods for Bren guns, and cradles and pivots for anti-tank guns. There were spin off industries born of wartime conditions. For example, Industrial Engineering Ltd. of Vancouver produced a much-improved chainsaw. This development increased the efficiency of lumberjacks and also allowed some people to cut wood who otherwise would not be physically able to do the job. In these ways, the new chainsaw helped fill the gap created by the lumber industry’s loss of personnel to military service. Liquid Carbonic Canadian Corporation, a Quebec company, had a soda fountain division which was turned over to building tank parts. A COUNTRY GETS TO WORK On the heels of the crippling depression and staggering levels of unemployment of the 1930's, the coming of Photo: Bofors Anti-aircraft gun production, Hamilton, April 11, 1941. Gordon W. Powley. Archives of Ontario, C 109-2-0-18

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Page 1: Industry gears up for war - Weebly

INTRODUCTION

When the Second World War began, Canadian industrywas still struggling in the midst of a bumpy and uncertainrecovery from the Great Depression. The mobilizationof our country’s industrial potential during the war wasnothing less than revolutionary and led to significantchanges in the conditions experienced by workers inCanada. With the coming of the war, the governmentwould suddenly find itself actively involved in buildingproduction plants, training a work force, controllingwages and prices, managing labour disputes, andregulating the movement of employees seeking to changejobs.

■ During the Second World War, Canadian industriesmanufactured war materials and other supplies forCanada, the United States, Britain and other Alliedcountries. The total value of Canadian warproduction was almost $10 billion – approximately$100 billion in today’s dollars.

■ In 1940, the Honourable C.D. Howe became theMinister of the newly-created Department ofMunitions and Supply. This government departmentcontrolled and coordinated all aspects of warproduction.

■ This department was, in a sense, one of the biggestbusinesses in the world. It coordinated all purchasesmade in Canada by British and other Alliedgovernments for things like military transportvehicles, tanks, cargo and military ships, aircraft,guns and small arms, ammunition as well asuniforms, minesweeping equipment, parachutes,firefighting equipment and hospital supplies. It alsocreated 28 Crown corporations to produceeverything from rifles to synthetic rubber.

Veterans AffairsCanada

Anciens CombattantsCanada

THE GENIUS OF “BITS AND PIECES”

Though much was invested in new plants, plantexpansions and technological upgrading, industryshowed a remarkable talent for adapting existing spaceand technology to fit the needs of wartime production.Harry J. Carmichael – a Vice President of GeneralMotors who had been loaned to the Department ofMunitions and Supply for one dollar a year – broughtwith him a genius for sub-contracting. Called the “bitsand pieces program” by C.D. Howe, Mr. Carmichael’sinitiative brought scores of small, unproductive factoriesinto production even though the British had ratedthem as little better than garages at the start of the war.

■ For example, the Canadian Cycle and Motor Co.Ltd. of Weston, Ontario, which had made bicyclesand hockey skates before the war, took over themanufacture of armaments including gun parts,tripods for Bren guns, and cradles and pivots foranti-tank guns.

■ There were spin off industries born of wartimeconditions. For example, Industrial EngineeringLtd. of Vancouver produced a much-improvedchainsaw. This development increased the efficiencyof lumberjacks and also allowed some people tocut wood who otherwise would not be physicallyable to do the job. In these ways, the new chainsawhelped fill the gap created by the lumber industry’sloss of personnel to military service.

■ Liquid Carbonic Canadian Corporation, a Quebeccompany, had a soda fountain division which wasturned over to building tank parts.

A COUNTRY GETS TO WORK

On the heels of the crippling depression and staggeringlevels of unemployment of the 1930's, the coming of

Photo: B

ofors Anti-aircraft gun production, H

amilton, A

pril 11, 1941. Gordon W

. Pow

ley. Archives of O

ntario, C 109-2-0-18

Page 2: Industry gears up for war - Weebly

through National Selective Service offices. As well,employees were prohibited from seeking otheremployment without a permit.

THE AFTERMATH

Perhaps most remarkably, Canadian industry, whichhad “geared up” for war, did not gear down greatly inits aftermath. Some jobs disappeared, certainly, butthey were replaced by other employment. C.D. Howewas again involved, this time in charge of the newDepartment of Reconstruction, which overcame apotential economic crisis by orchestrating the transitionfrom a wartime economy to a peacetime one. In 1948,unemployment was still at a minimum; steel mills wereexceeding their wartime capacity while the demand foraluminum held. Canada had become the third largesttrading nation in the world. Best of all, the war seemedto have taught Canada the value of our “human capital”and things would never again be the same for Canadianworkers.

THE LEGACY

The collective experiences and stories of all theCanadians, including those who worked in industry,who contributed to the national effort during the SecondWorld War provided our country with a proud andlasting legacy that will continue into the future. To learnmore about Canada’s efforts during the Second WorldWar, please visit the Veterans Affairs Canada Web siteat: www.vac-acc.gc.ca or call 1-877-604-8469toll-free.

war meant Canada suddenly needed every worker itcould get. To set up for the new industrial growth andhelp smooth the way for efficient production, severalrelated issues also had to be addressed.

■ To meet the needs of workers who had to relocatein order to work in the new munitions plants andother industries, the Department of Munitions andSupply established a Crown corporation calledWartime Housing Ltd. Though the original planwas to build temporary housing, it soon becameapparent that the housing would have to be ofadequate quality in order to ensure that the buildingswould be habitable for decades. This corporationproduced two basic house models: a two-bedroomresidence that sold for $1,982 and a four-bedroomresidence that went for $2,680.

■ The federal government entered into agreementswith the provinces to share the cost of day-carefacilities required by many working mothers engagedin wartime industries (although, most commonly,the important task of child care fell to other familymembers or community volunteers).

■ Out of Canada’s population of 11.3 million, thetotal number of workers engaged in essential warindustries was 1,049,876, with approximately2,100,000 more engaged full-time in what was called“essential civilian employment”, which includedagriculture, communications, and food processing.

■ To ensure that wages remained under control andto curb inflation, the government established theNational Selective Service Regulations, prohibitingemployers from advertising for workers except

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