On Tuesday, November 11, we recognize Remembrance Day and honour the sacrifices made by Canada's veterans. Remembrance Day is observed on the anniversary of the Armistice agreement that ended the First World War in 1918. On November 11, many wear poppies, go to public ceremonies and observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. to honour the fallen.
You're invited to our upcoming Remembrance Day program, The Sinking of the Llandovery Castle: From Atrocity to Legal Precedent. This special lecture by Nate Hendley will examine the torpedoing of the Canadian hospital ship, Llandovery Castle, in 1918. Register to attend on Tuesday, November 11 at 7 p.m.
As we look towards Remembrance Day, the team in the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History is taking us into the archive to explore the local impact of the World Wars.
World Wars on the Home Front
With the outbreak of the World War I in 1914, the Government of Canada needed to encourage millions of men to sign up as recruits. One of the most effective ways of doing this locally was through posters and ads that were seen around Kitchener. These posters were designed to inspire nationalistic pride and a sense of duty. They also suggested an opportunity for adventure and glory to be found at war.
A replica WWI propaganda poster promoting Victory Bonds from the collection of the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History.
For those who could not fight, Victory Bonds were promoted as the next best thing. Through Victory Bonds, citizens could lend money to the government to support the war effort. Ads targeting women encouraged them to “do their bit” through both careful household spending and contributing money directly to the cause.
An advertisement encouraging women to purchase Victory Bonds, The Kitchener Daily Record, May 5, 1945.
During World War II, propaganda efforts grew to include new media like radio and film. Both the government and private organizations found creative ways to inspire feelings of patriotism and loyalty, as well as guilt, anger and fear, to boost support for the war.
In Kitchener, the Kitchener Daily Record published a mock front page that depicted a devastating local bombing attack, complete with fake photos of notable Kitchener buildings in rubble and an estimated death toll. Text on the page beside warned that “this can happen here” if citizens don’t “buy victory bonds to the limit of [their] ability.”
A mock front page of the Kitchener Daily Record showing the aftermath of local bombing attack, October 20, 1942.
Fake photos of King Street (left) and Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate (right) after a bombing attack, Kitchener Daily Record, October 20, 1942.
Despite large-scale campaigns, the Canadian government did resort to conscription in the latter parts of both World War I and World War II. This was a controversial move, but in both cases only a relatively small number of conscripts actually made it into combat before the war’s end.
Learn More
Hundreds of people from Kitchener served in both World Wars and many lost their lives in pursuit of peace. Discover their stories in the Soldier Information Cards that are part the collection in the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History.
For more on the history of World War I and World War II, check out our Remembrance Day reading list for adults and our reading list for children.