Canadian Internment Camps
By Matt.P
The definition of Internment is, " Putting a person in prison, generally in war time". Usually the Allies were put in Internment Camps but sometimes the Allies had Internment camps for the Central Powers. The Internment Camp commanders usually did not end up going to trial for the treatment of the inmates. You were put in Internment Camps because someone thinks your a threat but there is no proof. Today, Internment Camps are known as a mistake.
Prisonors in Front of the Internment Camps
Gaurds at an Internment Camp
Prisoners by the Internment Camps
Internment Camps started in WW1 with only a few people being Interned. Soon it was up to nine million people being Interned and sent off into Internment Camps by both the Central Powers and the Allies. In 1914, the Germans captured more prisoners than Britain. In 1915 over 1 million people were captured. In 1916-17 the Germans kept Britain and French prisoners in dangerous locations.
The Internment Camps were located throughout Canada. The following are some examples of the where they were located:
- Amherst and Halifax in Nova Scotia
- Beauport, Sprit lake and Montreal in Quebec
- Banff and Jasper in Alberta
- Winnipeg and Brandon in Manitoba
- Edgewood, British Colombia
- Toronto, Ontario
Prisoners would work in the forest as part of logging crews in these locations.
An Interesting fact, is that all the stone work up in Clear Lake, Manitoba was built by the prisoners of war.