In addition to the internment of civilians of Japanese descent, certain other Canadians were interned here along with some German civilian internees from Britain and more than thirty thousand prisoners of war. The Canadian internees included outspoken dissenters associated with Nazi, Fascist and Communist organizations; however, many Communists who had opposed the war when the USSR was neutral later reversed their position when Germany invaded Russia. They were released to help with the war effort.
As depicted in J.L. Shadboldt's Prisoners of War Sawing Wood, many POWs, like these at Petawawa, Ontario, in November 1944, were employed in useful activities such as sawing logs, harvesting, or building roads. The large red circle on the back of their shirts was intended to deter escapes. Roughly six hundred did escape, but most were recaptured. After the war, many prisoners of war decided to return here to become Canadian citizens.
Courtesy: Canadian War Museum, National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada (S83-13)
