In the summer of 1914, the twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur, similar to the rest of Canada, thought the “European war” would be a short one. When Christmas came and went without any sign of peace, most Canadians just redefined their idea of “short.” Nonetheless, by spring 1915, Lakehead households were becoming concerned about food for the upcoming winter should the conflict continue. Families in Fort William and Port Arthur contributed to the war effort by accepting a government-mandated system of food control certain that victory in the kitchen would lead to triumph on the European front. The images below are linked to more posters and information related to food control, anecdotes, and recipes from the First World War.
Click through to read “Victory in the Kitchen” – Beverley Soloway
Beverley Soloway is a professor with the Department of History, Lakehead University and the co-chair of the Lakehead Social History Institute. She first published Victory in the Kitchen in the 2014 edition of Papers & Records (vol. XLII).
World War One Thunder Bay Centennial Project 