Talk:War Measures Act

NPOV
The entire WWI section of this article is a screed against the Canadian government. It should be sufficient to outline the facts of the 1914-1920 internment without loaded or otherwise non-neutral language. The opinions of those seeking redress, although more than likely valid, should not be considered encyclopedic content. Does anyone have thoughts on this? AidanBC 09:02, 23 March 2006 (UTC)


 * I agree completely; this topic is covered neutrally and more completely in its own article: Ukrainian-Canadian internment. Since this is the War Measures Act page it should keep focused on the Act and what it was used for, and just link to where the further-reaching consequences are examined in more detail.  (That's my two cents, anyway!) Arg 23:25, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

Removed POV in WW2 section74.111.0.68 17:21, 27 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Also agreed, the specific artile on Ukrainian-Canadian internment includes more neutral coverage, and is a better place for the specifics of that event, linked from the WWI War-measures page. Two more cents  (ShawnB, Mississauga, ON)
 * Disagree. NPOV does not mean an obligation to present the government in a favourable light as if IT were neutral. The first internment camps IS significant and worthy of mention here. The same argument could be made that the details on the FLQ are irrelevant or NPOV. A major reason why the Act is significant and worthy of inclusion is because of how it is experienced by those it affects. That said, the article generally needs expanding and could read better. I think if that was done adequately, WWI wouldn't stand out so much as it does now.Bobanny 19:11, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

During October Crisis
In this article, it says at the request of montreal and quebec government, federal invoked the act. In the article Robert Bourassa, it says, "It was Pierre Trudeau who pushed the Premier of Quebec, Bourassa, to declare a state of emergency". which one is true? Jackzhp 13:36, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:LiberationCellSurrender.jpg
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BetacommandBot (talk) 14:43, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Igor Gouzenko story doesn't belong here?
The following paragraph about the Igor Gouzenko affair was added on 13:51, April 13, 2008 by anonymous editor 206.108.253.123. I'm skeptical that it is factual. First, the intro to the War Measures Act article says that the Act was invoked three times; this would be a fourth. Second, the Gouzenko paragraph is put in the "First World War" section, but is about an incident from 1945, not during WWI. Third, the Igor Gouzenko article doesn't mention use of the Act. Fourth, the Gouzenko paragraph doesn't cite sources. Hence I've deleted it. But here's the text, if any editor wants to improve and restore it. --Jdlh | Talk 07:12, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
 * It was also invoked by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King during the Cold War Crisis after Igor Gouzenko, a Russian clerk working at the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa, discovered evidence of a home-grown Canadian spy ring operating. The ring was supplying the USSR with information, and Gouzenko traded this information with King for protection. King invoked the War Measures Act in secret to allow the police to arrest suspects without evidence and cause. In all 11 suspects were arrested in Montreal,Toronto, and London, England.

Weasel wording tag
I added this in relation to statements made regarding "some people" claiming Trudeau tried to break the separatist movement by invoking the act. This needs to be made more specific (I'm sure there's probably a quote from Rene Levesque on the subject somewhere). 68.146.81.123 (talk) 18:53, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

World War I section
I have rewritten the First World War section to a more neutral and general point of view. The link to the Ukrainian-Canadian Internment has been moved to the bottom of the page. This was done as this article is not about the internment of Ukrainian-Canadians specifically, but the use of the War Measures Act during the First World War. I also removed the expert-needed tag as I feel this section has been sufficiently re-written to warrant re-evaluation. If you feel this still needs someone more expert on the subject, please re-add the tag. HistoryStudent113(talk to me) 08:56, 22 January 2010 (UTC)

Fourth Occurence of Invocation of War Measures Act


In 1942 during World War II, the Government of Canada wanted reserve land from the Stoney Point Band to use as a base for military training and offered to buy it for $15 per acre. They also promised to return the land after the war ended. The Natives rejected the offer.

Under the War Measures Act, the federal government appropriated the lands from the Stoney Point Reserve and established Military Camp Ipperwash. The First Nations claim that the grounds contain a burial site. As of 2010, archaeological surveys have established that such a site does indeed exist.[3]

As early as 1993, while Camp Ipperwash was still being used as a summer training centre for the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, a few natives had occupied portions of the camp and the adjacent piece of land. After the summer of 1993, the government moved the cadet camp to CFB Borden. There was growing tension about the base at Camp Ipperwash.

24.82.172.126 (talk) 01:31, 10 October 2011 (UTC)


 * How is this a fourth invocation? The expropriation happened during the second invokation, i.e., the Second World War. Indefatigable (talk) 00:40, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

Civil Liberties
The War Measures Act has been questioned about its suspension of civil liberties and personal freedoms, most notably during the Japanese Canadian internment and October Crisis.[1] This is described as the majority of Canadians exercising their influence on the minority, although not necessarily with conscious thought.[2]

This pair of sentences taken together is incoherent and the second in isolation is meaningless. Furthermore, the act has not been questioned, it has been criticized. The invocation of the act may have been called into question but that is something completely different. Is there an antecedent to which the this in the second sentence refers, if there is I can't find it. Perhaps this section can be deleted until you can find some that is, you know, less illiterate to write it because as it stands it just makes Wikipedia look like the work of illiterate rubes. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 154.5.40.122 (talk) 15:03, 16 December 2011 (UTC)

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