How Canadian Factories Fueled the Allied Victory
Article written by Amynte Eygun, MA.
Westmount, Quebec – 11 October 2024: Canada had a big role in the production of weapons for Allies during the Second World War, especially after the Dunkirk Evacuation in May-June 1940. Canadians on the home front worked hard to supply not only Canadian troops, but British and other Allied countries. In 1939, the British boasted the production of 80,000 military vehicles, but this proved to not be enough after Dunkirk when 75,000 of these vehicles were left behind or destroyed on the french beaches. This left the British army in a compromising situation, essentially being defenseless on land. Canadians mobilized in manufacturing and they made more than 800,000 military transport vehicles, 50,000 tanks, 40,000 field, naval and anti-aircraft guns and an astonishing 1,700,000 small arms. They aided the British by giving their army 38% of their 800,000 military vehicles, keeping 168,000 for Canadian troops and the rest was spread out to Allied troops. Canadians also dabbled in the making of heavy utility vehicle bodies, the General Motors factory in Oshawa made 4,000 vehicles, all that could be used as ambulances, personal carriers, light wireless vehicles, trucks or machinery.[1]
By the end of the war, Canada’s war effort and manufacturing had reached a new level of production. The following numbers come from the Globe and Mail’s June 12th 1943 chart showcasing one week’s worth of wartime production from Canadian factories. This work was done by over 900,000 Canadian workers, male and female working all over the country. They made at least 6 vessels, 80 aircraft, 4000 motor vehicles, 450 armoured fighting vehicles, 940 heavy guns, 13,000 smaller guns, 525,000 artillery shells, 25 million cartridges, 10,000 tons of explosives and $4 million dollars worth of communication equipment and instruments.[2]
Canada as a country grew exponentially in a financial and production way during the 6 years of the Second World War. In 1939, Canada’s Gross National Product (the sum total of all goods and services created by the Canadian population of 11.2 million people) was $5.6 billion. This would change drastically by 1945 when the GNP was estimated as high as $11.8 billion, almost doubling in 6 years. To give us an idea of how this number grew so fast, we must understand how Canada’s raw materials made a huge contribution to the eventual Allied victory. Canadians produced 40% of aluminum, 95% of nickel, 75% of asbestos, 20% of zinc, 12% of copper, and 15% of lead. Just raw materials produced $5.8 billion between 1939-1945. Canada was a leader in manufacturing weapons and equipment, being the 4th most lucrative behind the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union. For such a large country with a small population, this proved the dedication of Canadians to their soldiers and to peace. All in all, Canada’s wartime production was valued at over $9.5 billion, equivalent today to over $100 billion.
Canada’s presence in the development and creation of weapons and resources for the Allied war effort helped to the eventual victory, and proved to the world how hard Canadians fought whether they were on the frontlines or at home.
[1] Government of Canada, Veterans. “Canadian Production of War Materials.” Sept. 2024. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/classroom/fact-sheets/material [2] Granatstein, J.L. Arming the Nation: Canada’s Industrial War Effort 1939-1945, Business Council of Canada, Reports. May 26, 2005. https://thebusinesscouncil.ca/report/arming-the-nation-canadas-industrial-war-effort-1939-1945/
