Enemy+Aliens

"Enemy Aliens"
The people most affected by the government's strong powers under the War Measures Act were those considered to be "enemy aliens" in Canada. In 1914, this meant anyone born in Germany, Austria-Hungary, or Turkey. These people were under suspicion of being allied with the enemy because of their place of birth. They were issued identity cards that had to be signed by police each month to track their whereabouts.

 As the war went on, public and government suspicion of these people grew. Failing to report monthly, travelling without permission, or simply being out of work could lead to imprisonment. In all, almost 8600 men (and about 200 of their wives and children) were confined to internment camps.

 There were 24 of these camps set up across Canada to imprison anyone who was thought to be a security threat. Living conditions were usually very rough, and the discipline strict. Six men were shot while trying to escape from the camps, while another three committed suicide. Nick Olynyk, held at the Castle Mountain camp in Alberta, wrote to his wife about some of the problems of camp life:

 As you know yourself there are men running away from here every day because the conditions here are very poor, so that we cannot go on much longer, we are not getting enough to eat. We are as hungry as dogs. They are sending us to work, as they don't believe us, and we are very weak.  Cited in Lubomyr Luciuk, In Fear of the Barbed Wire Fence (Kingston: Kashtan Press, 2001), p. 86

 More than 5000 of those interned were of Ukrainian descent, even though their homeland was only a distant part of the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Ukrainians had no loyalty to that empire, and had come to Canada for land and freedom. In fact, many hoped that Austria-Hungary would lose the war so that Ukraine could gain independence.

 Did Your Know?
 Leon Trotsky, a leader of the Russian Revolution, spent time in an internment camp in Nova Scotia. In 1917, Canadian authorities found him on a ship in Halifax. Since Canada and Russia were allies, he was arrested on suspicion of plotting against the Russian government.

Dig Deeper!
Internment of Ukranians

 Questions
1. In your own words, define the terms "enemy aliens" and "internment camps." Give examples to show that many of the enemy aliens weren't treated fairly. Do you think the camps were a good idea or not? Why?

 2. If a war broke out tomorrow, do you think Canada would target enemy aliens or not? What would your attitude be toward fellow citizens who were born in the country we were at war with?