Enemy Aliens, Prisoners of War

Some eight thousand immigrant-settlers of "enemy" nationality - so called enemy aliens - were interned as civilian prisoners of war in Canada during World War I. The majority, deemed second-class prisoners, were sent to the hinterland of the Canadian Rockies where they were compelled to work on a variety of public works projects under difficult conditions and in problematic circumstances. Eventually reintegrated into Canadian society, their internment raises important questions about...
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Some eight thousand immigrant-settlers of "enemy" nationality - so called enemy aliens - were interned as civilian prisoners of war in Canada during World War I. The majority, deemed second-class prisoners, were sent to the hinterland of the Canadian Rockies where they were compelled to work on a variety of public works projects under difficult conditions and in problematic circumstances. Eventually reintegrated into Canadian society, their internment raises important questions about the national conception of Canada and its ambitions at the turn of the century, the nature of state-minority relations in wartime, and the role and responsibilities of government in moments of national crises.