1942: British Columbia

The war was brought home to British Columbia on the evening of June 20, 1942, when a Japanese submarine shelled Estevan Point on Vancouver Island. It was the first attack against Canadian soil in the history of the Dominion. The shelling appears to have been directed primarily against the radio-telegraph station on Estevan Point, but none of the shells actually struck the building. Some windows were broken by concussion, but otherwise no damage was reported. An airfield is located near Estevan Point, but it escaped attack. Although blackouts were established throughout the coastal regions following the attack, there were no reports of other enemy visitors in the region during 1942.

Considerable difficulties were encountered during the year in working out a satisfactory program for dealing with British Columbia's 24,000 Japanese residents — comprising more than 90 per cent of all of the Japanese in Canada. Most of the Japanese were evacuated from coastal regions to interior provinces — particularly Alberta and Ontario — by the British Columbia Security Commission. The evacuation was not carried out, however, without serious disturbances. On May 13 a group of Japanese detained in the Immigration Building at Vancouver staged a riot, smashing windows and throwing chunks of plaster from the walls of their quarters into the street. Leaflets and other literature were distributed in the city protesting against the manner in which families were broken up in the evacuation proceedings. Difficulty was also encountered persuading the interior provinces, particularly Ontario, to accept the Japanese as a wartime measure. This was overcome by the signing of agreements between British Columbia and the other provinces providing for the return of the deportees at the end of the war. In October, however, a group of leading British Columbian citizens under the leadership of Mayor J. W. Cornett of Vancouver began to agitate against the return of Japanese after the war. Ian Mackenzie, British Columbia's representative in the Cabinet at Ottawa, declared that he favored the deportation of all Japanese — an impossible program in view of the presence among them of a considerable number of Canadian citizens of Japanese ancestry. But as a result of this agitation Japanese who have suffered deportation will undoubtedly face great difficulty in reestablishing themselves in British Columbian economic life.

Largely as a result of the war, the government of British Columbia during the year abandoned its ambitious attempt to discover oil in the Peace River district. The project was first undertaken by former Premier T. D. Pattullo as part of his drive against the oil interests, a fight that culminated in a program of provincial price control under a newly established Public Utilities Commission. Abandonment of the project was ordered by the coalition government headed by Premier John Hart after $600,000 had been spent without results.

The Sun Publishing Company, Ltd., pleaded guilty on Apr. 21 to a violation of the Defense of Canada Regulations by permitting the Vancouver Sun to publish on Mar. 13 certain information regarding the armament, condition, and equipment of certain of his Majesty's forces.

A report of the provincial department of labor issued late in August revealed the extent to which British Columbia benefited from the war expansion boom. Payrolls in the year 1941 were $230,000,000, surpassing those of the previous year by $51,000,000. All but one of the twenty-five employment categories showed a gain for the year, the largest advance being in shipbuilding. A particularly striking gain was noticeable in the employment of women.

The province voted overwhelmingly to release Prime Minister King from his commitment not to send drafted men outside of Canada in the Dominion-wide plebiscite held on that issue on Apr. 27.

The population of British Columbia in 1941 was 809,203 as compared with 694,263 in 1931, according to the figures of the decennial census released early in the year. This was one of the largest increases enjoyed by any of the provinces.

1941: British Columbia

The provincial elections which were held on Oct. 21, 1941, provided a first-class political upset. To the surprise of most observers, the Liberal Party under Premier Pattullo, which had been in power for eight years, failed to gain a majority of seats in the new legislature. The Liberals will have 21 seats, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation 14 seats, and the Conservatives 12. While the Liberal Party remains the largest party in the House, it is clear that the Premier has lost the confidence of a large section of the province's voters. Yet although the government could be voted out at any time by a combination of Conservatives and members of the C.C.F., such a combination is unlikely. Harold Winch, leader of the C.C.F., has stated that his party will not enter a union with either of the older parties because of the wide diversity in principle which separates his party from either of the others. Political observers are inclined to regard a working agreement between the Liberals and Conservatives as a more likely outcome, although R. L. Maitland, the Conservative leader, is unlikely to be willing to serve under Premier Pattullo. Two of Mr. Pattullo's chief supporters — Attorney General Gordon Wismer and George Weir, Minister of Health and Education, were defeated for reelection. Mr. Pattullo himself was strongly challenged in Prince Rupert by an obscure music teacher. The most surprising development in the election was undoubtedly the gains scored by the C.C.F. which won twice as many seats as it had had in the previous House. It was generally thought that the C.C.F. would show strength only in depression years. The results of the election are not regarded as indicating opposition to the war, but rather as criticism of the way it was being conducted. T. D. Pattullo, Premier of British Columbia, resigned from office in December 1941. He was succeeded by John Hart, former Finance Minister and newly elected Liberal leader.

Strenuous efforts were made during the year to rehabilitate British Columbia's basic national resources. This program has stepped up because of requirements of the British war effort. Steady progress is reported, through new measures of scientific conservation, in restoring the salmon resources of the Fraser River. As a result, British Columbia has undertaken to supply the British Empire with more than 1,000,000 cases of canned salmon. It is estimated that the salmon pack reached 2,000,000 cases in 1941, but at least a third of this was held for the domestic market in Canada. It is estimated that the forest industries of the province had a total production for the year of more than $100,000,000, which is close to an all-time record. As part of the new rehabilitation program some 12,000,000 young trees were set out during the year. Some 10,000 acres were planted in the coast forest belt where logging and fires have prevented natural reproduction.

1940: British Columbia

The Liberal Party of Mackenzie King swept British Columbia in the Dominion elections of March 26, 1940. Pensions Minister Ian Mackenzie, leader of the British Columbia Liberals, retained his Vancouver seat without serious difficulty. The Cooperative Commonwealth Federation lost one of its two seats when Grant MacNeil, one of the outstanding members of the party, was defeated.

In terms of popular vote, the election was much closer in British Columbia than the Liberals' overwhelming victory would suggest. Approximately 362,000 voters, or only one-quarter of the electorate, went to the polls. The Liberals polled approximately 136,000 votes, the Conservatives, 111,000, and the C.C.F., 102,000. In only one constituency in which there were more than two candidates was the successful candidate elected with a clear majority. The Conservatives did somewhat better than in 1935, while the C.C.F. managed to hold its own. Despite the relatively poor showing made by the C.C.F. when national issues were at stake, many observers feel that this party stands an excellent chance of winning control of the provincial legislature in the next election in a campaign fought strictly on local issues.

T. D. Pattullo, Premier of British Columbia, announced late in November that for the first time in years the province had completely balanced its budget. A surplus of $6,000,000 has been accrued which will be used to cover unemployment relief costs and provide the full allotment to the sinking fund. The budget for 1941 provides for revenues totaling $35,000,000 and expenditures of $29,947,000. This involves a rise in expenditures of $678,416 over 1940, an increase which has been severely criticized by the press and opposition in view of the Dominion Government's appeal for a reduction in provincial spending during the war. The province expects to retire $25,000,000 of indebtedness during 1941 out of its sinking fund.

Concern over a possible threat from Japan has led to the establishment of seven air bases on the Pacific coast. The Canadian-American Joint Defense Commission paid a visit to British Columbia in October and made detailed plans for joint defense against an attack from Japan. In June, an investigation was made of Japanese fishing practices in British Columbia. It was charged that each year many hundred Japanese visit Canada briefly, obtain a local fishing license, and exploit local fishing facilities. Since commercial fishing licenses are issued only to British subjects, many Japanese have been found to be using false passports and faked birth certificates said to be bought in Japan.

Despite the general feeling of anxiety with regard to Japan, the Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting, and Power Company, of Princeton, B.C., entered into an arrangement in September for the sale of all its copper to Japan. The occurrence prompted debate in the Canadian House of Commons and was even taken up in the British Parliament. No steps were taken, however, to stop this type of aid to Japan.

An elaborate program of controlled prices and production in the apple industry has been worked out in the province under the Dominion War Measures Act. A committee of three men have been given absolute control of the fruit industry in the Okonagan Valley, the British Empire's largest source of apples. Every apple sold must move through the machinery set up and authorized by this committee. The income from all sources is pooled and distributed in accordance with the amount and grade of apples delivered. In order to save the apple industry from destruction as a result of the loss of British markets during the war, the government agreed to underwrite 1,750,000 boxes. Total production in the Okonagan Valley in 1940 was approximately 6,000,000 bushels — the peak for all time. Further increases are not expected, however, owing to the lack of irrigation water.

1939: British Columbia

One of the outstanding events in the spring of 1939 was the arrival of Their Britannic Majesties in British Columbia. King George and Queen Elizabeth visited Vancouver on May 29, and proceeded by boat to Victoria where they were greeted by Lieutenant Governor Eric W. Hamber, Premier T. D. Pattullo, and Mayor McGavin. The royal party received an elaborate and enthusiastic welcome in both cities.

Among the most notable events of 1939 in domestic policy were the efforts of the provincial government to enforce the far-reaching program of business controls adopted by the provincial legislature in the fall of 1938. Efforts to fix oil and gasoline prices in accordance with the law were held up during the early part of the year by unfavorable action by the Supreme Court as a result of suits brought by the gasoline distributing companies. Although the provincial government declared its intention to carry the case to Privy Council in London, it suddenly agreed in October to waive its 'provincial rights' for the duration of the war. In allowing the Dominion Government to take over responsibility for price fixing during wartime, John Hart, provincial Minister of Finance, served notice that the province intended to start at the beginning and reassert its rights at the end of the conflict. The province also accepted Dominion control of provincial borrowings on a temporary basis.

Meanwhile, the government had carried out a second item in its economic program by setting up in February a three-man Public Utility Commission headed by W. A. Carrothers, a former university professor. The new Commission spent the remainder of the year in an investigation of the utilities companies prior to beginning its rate-making activities. It is not yet clear whether the intention of the government to bow to the Dominion authorities in other price-fixing activities during the war will delay control over the utilities. Despite the government's announcement, the Retail Merchants Association has asked the legislature to undertake immediate enforcement of the law preventing 'loss-leader' sales.

In November, the Government started prosecution of the leaders of the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers for refusal to submit their claims to arbitration before striking. It is the first test of the Labor Arbitration Act of 1937, and as such is considered one of the most important legal cases affecting labor in the recent history of Canada. It is also believed that the case will greatly affect the future of the C.I.O. in British Columbia. This organization has been making some headway in the province, but a defeat in this case may prove a serious setback. Opposition groups in the provincial legislature have pledged themselves to seek amendment of the law legalizing 'instantaneous strikes' in the event that the union loses this case.

Something of a sensation was caused, in November, by the denunciation of British war policy in the legislature. (See CANADA.)

Although full reports of the last quarter are not yet available, it is estimated that the total output of the province's four basic industries — lumbering, mining, agriculture, and fishing — was about $200,000,000 for 1939, or $2,000,000 more than in 1938. The war brought some temporary dislocation to British Columbian industries, but 1940 is expected to see a considerable expansion of war orders from the mother country. Many of the mines long idle are expected to reopen. The province has vast supplies of copper, lead, and zinc which have not been exploited in recent years because of low prices. A rise in prices is expected to bring many, if not all, of these mines into operation. It is possible even that shipbuilding may be revived as it was in the last war. The present facilities for airplane production are expected to be considerably expanded.

1938: British Columbia

Economic and Trade.

Except for serious rioting by a group of jobless youths in early summer. British Columbia enjoyed a relatively quiet and prosperous year in 1938. Business conditions remained good despite the American recession. The provincial finances were reported by Hon, John Hart, the Provincial Treasurer, to be in the best shape since 1929. The one dark spot was the sharp falling off of trade with the Far East owing to the Sino-Japanese conflict. For the first three months of the year. Japan's imports from the British Columbian ports were at a comparatively high level of nearly $7,000,000. For the three months ending June 30, they declined to $3,234,000, and continued at a low ebb throughout the remainder of the year. Canadian exports to China for the first six months of the year totalled only $1,308,000, or about half the 1937 figure for the same period. Imports from China were also cut in half.

Political Field.

Politically the year was an exceptionally dull one. The Liberals under Premier T. D. Pattulo continued their New Deal program of control over business by introducing legislation for regulation of the public utilities. Under a bill passed by the 1937 legislature regulating the coal and oil industries, the Government forced down the price of gasoline by three cents a gallon. Its Natural Products and Marketing Act, one of its first incursions into the field of economic control, was upheld by the Judiciary Committee of the Prav Council against a complaint inured by the independent dairy interests.

The continued strength of the Liberals was attested in a by election held in Dewdney, on May 20, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Dr. Frank Patterson, leader of the Conservative opposition. The Liberal candidate. D. W. Stratchan, won with 2,030 votes against W. A. Jones, Conservative, with 1,905, and Miss Mildred Osterhout, C.C.F., with 1,641.

Unemployed Youths' Problem.

Perhaps the most serious problem to arise during the year was that of finding some way of dealing with some 1,500 homeless unemployed youths who organized in a Relief Project Workers Union to demand jobs. Trouble first broke out when the Provincial Government closed the camps which had been maintained during the winter months for these and other unemployed youth. Following the closing of the camps, the youths demanded that the Government provide jobs for them. This it flatly refused to do, although it offered to pay the fares of the youths back to the prairie provinces where most of them came from. Thereupon the youths marched on Vancouver where they occupied the Post Office and the Art Gallery. After a month of pleading with the youths to disband peacefully, the Government ordered the police to drive them out of the occupied buildings forcibly. A serious riot ensued in which the police, after freely making use of clubs and tear gas, finally succeeded in ousting the jobless youths. Several hundred of the youths then crossed to Victoria where they were housed and fed by sympathetic local citizens. Meanwhile, the beginning of public road construction, the harvest, and casual employment gradually absorbed the jobless until they were forced, temporarily at least, out of the public eye. Some observers feared, however, that the termination of special relief for transients in August would lead to a revival of disturbances with the coming of the winter months. In preparation for such a contingency, the Government issued special orders in the late summer for the immediate arrest of any group attempting to seize public buildings.