Between 1915 and 1946, the Canadian government put some ten thousand unskilled foreigners, jobless and homeless people, conscientious objectors, perceived enemies of the state, and prisoners of war to work in western Canada's national parks. These men had committed no crimes, but because of war or depression, they were seen as a possible threat to public order and a potential source of civil unrest. Many of the Banff, Jasper, and other national parks' heritage buildings and roads were constructed through the backbreaking work of the internees in these labour camps. More than 125 archival photographs illustrate this compelling history of how these men lived and worked, how they were treated, and the legacy they left in our national parks.
Record details
ISBN:1895618746 (pbk.)
ISBN:1895618657
ISBN:9781895618747 (pbk.)
ISBN:9781895618655
Physical Description:x, 294 p. : ill., maps ; 26 cm. print
Publisher:Saskatoon : Fifth House Publishers, c1995.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-290) and index.
Choice Reviews : Choice Reviews 1996 September Facilities in many national parks were initially constructed or improved by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the New Deal in the US, by prisoners of war and interned enemy aliens in both the US and Canada, and by forced labor groups in South Africa. Waiser (Univ. of Saskatchewan) examines how migrant workers, redefined as enemy aliens at the outbreak of WW I, were placed in detention camps in some of Canada's national parks and put to work on improving roads, trails, and campgrounds. The Canadian parks benefited from workers in relief camps during the Depression, and during WW II from conscientious objectors, Japanese Canadians, and German prisoners of war. Waiser traces how these various groups were brought to and housed in the parks, what they did while there, and what their overall impact was on the growth of the Canadian national park system. The book contains interesting photographs and much anecdotal information, as well as analysis of park policy and labor practices. It would be a far stronger study if Waiser had asked questions in a comparative framework, examining briefly the practices of other nations with respect to park improvements in wartime. All levels. Copyright 1999 American Library Association