The Veterans Charter and Post-World War II Canada

by Neary, Peter; Granatstein, J. L.

• ISBN13: 9780773516786
• ISBN10: 0773516786
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-02-01
• Publisher: McGill Queens Univ

Summary

Desmond Morton sets the scene with a survey of the experiences of veterans of the Great War, who found much to fault in Ottawa's policies; Jeff Keshen looks at the very different experience of Canada's veterans of World War II. Dean Oliver examines the organization and administration of the return of Canadian soldiers from Europe after VE-Day, and Don Ives examines the philosophy and program of the Veterans Charter. Focusing on specific benefits of the Charter, Michael Stevenson looks at issues surrounding veterans' right to reinstatement in civil employment, Peter Neary deals with educational benefits made available through the Veterans Rehabilitation Act of 1945, and Terry Copp and Mary Tremblay examine rehabilitation of veterans with psychiatric and physical disabilities. Taking a broader scope, James Struthers provides an insightful assessment of the construction of the Canadian welfare state and Doug Owram offers a revisionist appraisal of Canadian society in the postwar era. J.L. Granatstein concludes the volume with a probing reflection on the meaning for Canadians of the veteran experience and of their country's participation in World War II. The achievements of this generation of Canadian soldiers are sometimes downplayed; this collection of essays puts their achievements on the historical record and pays tribute to their memory and accomplishments.

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures	ix	(2)
Abbreviations	xi	(2)
Preface	xiii	(2)
Illustrations	xv
Introduction	3	(12)
PETER NEARY
The Canadian Veterans' Heritage from the Great War	15	(17)
DESMOND MORTON
Awaiting Return: Life in the Canadian Army's Overseas Repatriation Depots, 1945-1946	32	(30)
DEAN F. OLIVER
Getting It Right the Second Time Around: The Reintegration of Canadian Veterans of World War II	62	(23)
JEFF KESHEN
The Veterans Charter: The Compensation Principle and the Principle of Recognition for Service	85	(10)
DON IVES
National Selective Service and Employment and Seniority Rights for Veterans, 1943-1946	95	(15)
MICHAEL D. STEVENSON
Canadian Universities and Canadian Veterans of World War II	110	(39)
PETER NEARY
From Neurasthenia to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Canadian Veterans and the Problem of Persistent Emotional Disabilities	149	(11)
TERRY COPP
Going Back to Main Street: The Development and Impact of Casualty Rehabilitation for Veterans with Disabilities, 1945-1948	160	(19)
MARY TREMBLAY
Family Allowances, Old Age Security, and the Construction of Entitlement in the Canadian Welfare State, 1943-1951	179	(26)
JAMES STRUTHERS
Canadian Domesticity in the Postwar Era	205	(19)
DOUG OWRAM
A Half-Century On: The Veterans' Experience	224	(11)
J.L. GRANATSTEIN
APPENDIES	235	(56)
1 Public Opinion Polls	235	(11)
2 Back to Civil Life (revised 1 April 1946)	246	(45)
Further Reading	291	(6)
Contributors	297	(2)
Index	299