In 1917, the Canadian Corps captured Vimy Ridge, but the cost was tremendous - 10,000 Canadians were killed, wounded, or went missing in the battle. Shortly after, Prime Minister Robert Borden assembled a "Union Government" to support conscription and called an election on the issue. Canada split along ethnic lines: English Canadians supported conscription and French Canadians rejected it. By year end, Canada teetered on the brink of civil war.
New Brunswickers were not spared the bitter divisiveness of the larger national debate. Determined to win the election, federal politicians fanned the flames of ethnic tension, pitting English against French and Irish Catholics against Protestants. In the end, the Conscription Crisis of 1917 fractured the ethnic harmony of New Brunswick, leaving a lasting and tragic legacy.
Author: Andrew TheobaldLanguage: English
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Goose Lane Editions
Published Date: May 2nd, 2008
# of Pages: 120