3.6.2 Canada and the Conscription Crisis

Prime Minister Borden was committed to conscription in Canada, despite opposition from many groups. To push conscription through, Borden convinced members of Parliament to give the right to vote to all service men and women, including those fighting overseas. In addition, the vote was given to the wives, mothers, and sisters of soldiers. These voting changes resulted in many votes in favour of conscription, and Canada began to enforce conscription as of January 1, 1918.

Perspectives on Conscription

Explore the tabs below to view how groups in Canada responded to the Military Service Act. Add notes to the 3.6 Notebook Organizer.

When Canada initially asked for volunteer recruits during World War I, Canadian Aboriginal people responded. Nearly one-third of First Nations men enlisted (this number did not account for Inuit, Métis, or other Indigenous people). This number is an estimate because race and/or ethnicity were not required on enlistment papers. The Aboriginal people volunteered and were accepted, despite a policy that stated recruits must be "of pure European descent", and despite the fact Aboriginal people were denied the right to vote. The skills Aboriginal soldiers brought with them meant they were assigned very dangerous tasks, most notably as snipers (such as Francis Pegahmagabow, an Ojibwa soldier), scouts, and runners. Aboriginal women and communities also contributed to WWI by fundraising and sending supplies to troops overseas.

However, as conscription was introduced, many Indigenous leaders believed their peoples should be excluded, stemming from treaty negotiations where the British government assured that First Nations people would not have to fight for Great Britain in the event of a war. In January 1918, Canada's government exempted First Nations and Indigenous recruits from combat.

"In this year of peace, the Indians of Canada may look with just pride upon the part played by them in the Great War [WWI] both at home and on the field of battle. They have well and nobly upheld the loyal traditions of their gallant ancestors who rendered invaluable service to the British cause in 1776 and in 1812, and have added thereto a heritage of deathless honour which is an example and an inspiration for their descendants."
Canada Indian Affairs 1918-1919 Annual Report

Digging Deeper



Although many people across Canada resisted conscription, opposition to the Military Services Act was especially strong in Quebec. As you read on the previous page, French-Canadians had few ties to France and little interest in fighting Britain's war. Francophones were willing to defend Canada, but were unwilling to fight for Britain or France. Their feelings of sovereignty (the authority to control one's own affairs) came into conflict with the expectation that they were expected to fight for Britain or France.

The French-Canadian attitude against getting involved in World War I came into direct conflict with English Canada's nationalism, especially concerning conscription. French Canada's negative reaction to the Military Services Act eventually let to the Conscription Crisis in 1917, where the issue of conscription resulted in several demonstrations and riots in Quebec that threatened Canadian unity.

Other French-Canadians were upset by the lack of enlistment from Quebec. They believed French-Canadians would be more willing to enlist if they served with other French-Canadians. As a result,  the now-famous Royal Twenty-Second Regiment, nicknamed the Van Doos (named after the first two syllables of their battalion number in French—"vingt-deuxième" or van doos zee em) was formed.

Digging Deeper

Watch the CBC Digital Archives film as noted French-Canadian historians and journalists describe the Van Doos Regiment:  A Battalion is Born


By the end of World War I, Canada's conscription policy had minimal impact on the overall war effort. There were many ways people could appeal or apply for exemptions under the Military Service Act, and of the more than 400 000 citizens conscripted, over 380 000 appealed. Canada's troops continued to be understaffed throughout the duration of the war.

Continue to take notes using the 3.6 Notebook Organizer (Word, PDF, Google Doc), focusing especially on the perspectives on conscription and its impact on national unity. You may want to review the tutorial How to Take Notes. When you are done, return here to continue.


Digging Deeper

Visit the following sites to learn more about the Canadian Conscription Crisis of 1917.