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 […]
“Christmas in Canada as Usual”: Celebrating on the Home Front
Earlier this week, we shared an episode from the Imperial War Museum’s Voices of the First World War series that looked at the various ways Christmas was experienced during conflict. While we are often reminded of how Christmas was celebrated on the Western Front, perhaps most famously through the Christmas truce of 1914, we are […]
The Liberation of Mons and the Signing of the Armistice
The hundred days campaign had forced the German army into full retreat. German morale hit a new low as death, starvation, and sickness eroded motivation to carry on. Nevertheless, German rear-guards continued to show strong pockets of resistance as it retreated towards the city of Mons. On 7 November, the Canadian Corps crossed into Belgium […]
The Canadians and the Fall of Cambrai
Following their success at the Canal du Nord, the Canadian Corps could now turn their attention to Cambrai. Situated in the Nord-Pas de Calais region, Cambrai was a key logistical centre that was surrounded by an elaborate network of canals. The area was heavily occupied by a retreating German army who showed no signs of […]
Explore the CCGW Catalogue
The CCGW Catalogue offers online access to the collection at the Canadian Centre of the Great War. In its current beta form, it allows access to the Great War Portraits Online collection. An ongoing digitization project that began in Fall 2016, Great War Portraits Online offers visitors a glimpse into our vast collection of World […]
Current Exhibition: Dear Bessie
In honour of Vimy 100, we have prepared two new online exhibition hosted through Google Cultural Institute. Click here to see them now.
