EDMONTON – In 1942, thousands of women from across western Canada answered a call for service and enlisted in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, where they trained to do jobs that freed up men to go to the front lines.
For many women in western Canada, the invitation to join the war effort came right after high school.
Juanita McKay enlisted at 18-years-old. Even though 70 years have passed since then, her memories of that time are vivid.
“Everybody was patriotic. They joined because they wanted to do their part in the war,” she said.
She still remembers arriving in Vermilion, where training was held. It was four weeks of no-frills training.
“They come at 6 a.m. after we got to bed, we were there about an hour in bed. The sergeant said, ‘everybody up,’ and I said, ‘I’m not going to get up.’ And she said ‘yeah, you are.’ So that was a lesson I learned. You do everything they said.”
The recruits learned to salute, march, read maps and drive a Jeep.
They also endured physical training, and tear gas – all while getting paid 90 cents a day.
Vera Storey, who also trained in Vermilion, eventually returned there as an instructor. Like many of the recruits, the highlight of her time there was bonding with the other women.
“If some of the girls were lonely you helped them through it and you were just a mother hen…of a bunch of girls,” she said.
The recruits took postings all over Canada after training – doing jobs that would free up more men for the frontlines.
By that time, they had experience in 55 different trades.
Members of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps were recently recognized at a ceremony at Lakeland College, the site of training decades ago.
“I think it’s really important to recognize that women took on roles they hadn’t done before – and it really made a difference in post-war Canada and post-war western world. They made decisions on their own – and it changed the world,” the College’s Cathy Wolters explained.
For McKay, going through the training helped reveal a disciplined, and independent part of herself, and connected her forever to her “sisters in arms.”
“I always say that was the best part of my life…it was just wonderful.”
For more on the role of women in the Second World War, you can watch the film Proudly She Marches from the National Film Board.
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