Contents
What is the significance of the Wartime Elections Act?
The Act gave the vote to the wives, widows, mothers, and sisters of soldiers serving overseas. They were the first women ever to be able to vote in Canadian federal elections and were also a group that was strongly in favour of conscription.
Why was the Military Service Act introduced?
Voluntary enlistment had been uneven, and the military believed they could not maintain the Canadian Corps at full strength without conscription. Encouraged by English Canadians and the British, Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden introduced the Military Service Act.
What did the military Services Act make mandatory?
The Military Service Act became law on 29 August 1917. It was a politically explosive and controversial law that bitterly divided the country along French-English lines. It made all male citizens aged 20 to 45 subject to conscription for military service, through the end of the First World War.
When was the Military Service Act passed?
Military Service Act 1916
| Citation | 5 & 6 Geo. 5 c. 104 |
| Dates | |
|---|---|
| Royal assent | 27 January 1916 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1927 |
What was the outcome of the conscription crisis?
| Conscription Crisis of 1917 | |
|---|---|
| Goals | Repeal the Military Service Act End conscription in Canada |
| Methods | Mass protests, riots |
| Resulted in | Parliament passes the Military Service Act |
| Parties to the civil conflict |
Who won the election of 1917?
December 17, 1917
| Leader | Robert Borden | Wilfrid Laurier |
| Party | Government (Unionist) | Opposition (Laurier Liberals) |
| Leader since | 1901 | 1887 |
| Leader’s seat | Halifax candidate in Kings | Quebec East |
| Last election | 132 | 85 |
Who is exempt from military service?
Certain elected officials, exempt so long as they continue to hold office. Veterans, generally exempt from service in peacetime draft. Immigrants and dual nationals in some cases may be exempt from U.S. military service depending upon their place of residence and country of citizenship.
Did Canada have mandatory military service?
Canada does not currently have mandatory military service. Conscription is the compulsory enlistment or “call up” of citizens for military service. It is sometimes known as “the draft.” The federal government enacted conscription in both the First World War and the Second World War.
What was the Military Voters Act of 1917?
Military Voters Act. The Military Voters Act was a World War I piece of Canadian legislation passed in 1917, giving the right to vote to all Canadian soldiers. The Act was significant for swinging the newly enlarged military vote in the Union Party’s favour, and in that it gave a large number of Canadian women the right to vote for the first time.
What was the military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act?
The law amended various provisions of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), which was passed in 1986 to centralize all previous federal laws concerning absentee voting for military and overseas voters.
Why was the Military Voters Act important to Canada?
Aside from their subliminal political purpose, the War Elections and Military Voters Act also introduced the concept of having a “duty” to cast one’s ballot, to women across Canada, for the first time. This was a somewhat foreign responsibility to women, and so, despite the temporary nature of the right to vote, it was still empowering.
How did the Military Voters Act benefit women?
With this ability to assign votes, the governing party was able to use the vote in a constituency that was beneficial to their party. The Women’s suffrage movement also benefited from the Military Voters Act. The act awarded the vote to women serving in the armed forces as well as nurses in the war.