75th Anniversary of the Declaration of the Second world war
Right from its onset, the Second World War ushered in a new era for Canadians. When Canada declared war on September 11, 1939, it did so as an independent nation, not as a colony automatically drawn into the conflict by Britain. The romanticized patriotism that had greeted the First World War was gone, replaced by a collective memory of the heavy losses that had been suffered. The Great Depression had left Canada's military undermanned and underequipped, and idle factories and a diminished workforce now faced an urgent demand for airplanes, ships, vehicles, guns and munitions.
Canada's women responded, and soon represented 25 percent of wartime workers. By 1944, 439,000 women were in the service sectors, 373,000 in manufacturing, including 261,000 in munitions alone.
Women helped build the Allied war effort, they turned their nation into an economic power, and forever transformed their role in society—and at war.
Specifications
No. 130549
Mintage 7500
Composition 99.99% pure silver
Finish proof
Weight (g) 23.17
Diameter (mm) 36.07
Edge serrated
Certificate serialized
Face value 1 dollar
Artist Silvia Pecota (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)