World War II

The declaration of war in Sept 1939 once again put lives on hold, or so it seemed. The painter Emily Carr reflected in her journal how "war halts everything, suspends all ordinary activities." In reality the war initiated fundamental changes. The outbreak of hostilities finally ended the Depression. The value of production in BC doubled over the 6 war years. Manufacturing took off, owing particularly to shipbuilding and aircraft construction. Northern BC was opened up dramatically after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Dec 1941 convinced the Americans that a highway was essential for them to protect Alaska in case of attack. The BC portion of the Alaska Highway ran from Dawson Creek through the Peace River country in the province's northeast. Prince Rupert became an important supply centre for American bases. By the end of the war the north had, in a psychological sense, become part of BC. The war also brought a measure of political stability. In part to ward off the CCF, which won a plurality in 1941 although not the majority of elected of MLAs, the mainstream parties joined forces in a governing Coalition. Pattullo's strong advocacy of provincial rights contrasted sharply with a shift in public opinion toward a stronger federal government once the war broke out. Pattullo resigned in 1941, and the new coalition government was headed by Liberal leader John Hart. The war put at particular risk Canadians of Japanese descent, almost all of whom lived in BC. After World War I many males had brought over "picture brides," women courted by correspondence and married by proxy. In sharp contrast to the declining numbers of Chinese and South Asians, British Columbians of Japanese descent numbered more than 22,000 by 1941. More than half were Nisei, born in the province and very much integrated into BC life. But in most people's minds there was little difference between Nisei and Japanese nationals, particularly as Japanese foreign policy became more aggressive during the 1930s. The province's geographical position made some people fear that British Columbians of Japanese descent, in particular fishers along the coast, might act against Canada's interests. Almost immediately after Pearl Harbor in Dec 1941, Canada declared war against Japan and, by federal action, seized some 12,000 fishing boats owned by residents of Japanese ancestry. A growing public outcry led first to male "enemy aliens" being rounded up, then to all persons of Japanese descent being expelled from the coast and from the Trail area, where the smelter was critical to the war effort. Men, women and children were sent to internment camps. Their property was sold off, sometimes far below fair value. About 4,000 evacuees, over half of them Canadian-born, accepted a federal offer to be repatriated to Japan. The others were only in 1949 allowed to return to the coast.

In sharp contrast to the treatment accorded British Columbians of Japanese descent, working people reaped the benefits of war. Full employment from 1941 accelerated the movement toward unionization, particularly in the forest industry. Union membership among BC's non-agricultural labour force, which had reached a low of 7% in 1934, approached 30% by 1943. The next year the federal government established compulsory collective bargaining and the right of employees to form and join unions and the right to strike. By war's end in 1945, trade unions had become generally accepted by the population at large. World War II also brought some attention to aboriginal peoples. Individuals such as the Squamish chief Joe Capilano and groups like the Nisga'a had long spoken out for aboriginal rights to the land, but in general the dominant society had been unwilling to listen. Awareness now grew among veterans and others that aboriginal men had volunteered and fought valiantly in both wars, only to return home to segregation and racism. In 1946 the Senate and House of Commons established a Select Joint Committee to examine laws relating to aboriginal people. As recommended by its report, separate schooling (residential schools) gave way to children's attendance at the same schools as other British Columbians. The ban on the potlatch, which had never entirely kept aboriginal peoples from practising their traditional ways, was removed in 1951. So were prohibitions against political fundraising and the consumption of alcohol in public places. All the same, such measures were partial; for the most part aboriginal people remained confined to small reserves without the resources necessary to lead independent, self-confident lives.