While we're on the subject of historical 'fun facts' about Canada and its ensuing incompetence and willful denial - why not touch on the Nazis?
In his book "Brothers Beyond the Sea", author Jonathan Wagner writes:
"Like ... so many other countries with substantial German minorities, Canada experienced a pro-Nazi movement within its German community during the years 1933 - 1939. "There were several waves of German immigration, ultimately leading to a population of half a million within Canada's overall population of 10 million. Toward the last wave, they were attracted to the west for settlement; most of the western immigrants were 'more German' and less assimilated than their eastern counterparts.
He writes that the western Germans were also more "volkish-oriented", and more responsive to the National-Socialist gospel than their eastern counterparts.
Deutscher Bund Canada
"On January 1, 1934, a group of five Hitler supporters in Waterloo, Ontario founded the Deutscher Bund Canada. Noting the difficulties of the American Nazis, the founders of the Bund were determined to avoid a similar fate. Their Bund was to be led by Canadian Germans."
Organizers claimed the Bund was not political but about social and cultural aims; to provide a pan-German global movement. It developed an organizational hierarchy based on the National Socialist movement in Germany, with headquarters in Montreal.
Members wore a swastika armband and had to swear an oath "that they were of German-Aryan origin and free from Jewish or colored blood." At its height it compromised roughly 2000 members, with a small portion involved in other pro-Nazi parties. The majority of German-Canadians, particularly older generations were not interested. Despite the west being less amenable to assimilation, the majority of Bund members were in Quebec, followed by Ontario. (It was headed by Karl Gerhard, a Nazi Party member, who followed the Party's instructions for members abroad.)
Deutsche Zeitung für Canada
The leading figures in establishing the pro-Nazi paper "Deutsche Zeitung" were Heinrich Seelheim (General consul for western Canada), and Bernhard Bott, a previous editor of another paper and leading spokesman of the German community in - where else? - Saskatchewan. As stated by the Manitoba Historical Society:
"Financial backing did not constitute the only kind of assistance Bott's paper received. In accordance with the pledge to be a "genuine" German paper, the Deutsche Zeitung relied heavily for its actual content on Nazi sources. In nearly every issue it reproduced news items and commentaries supplied to it by the German News Bureau, an agency controlled by Goebbels's Propaganda Ministry. Moreover, the Nazi Party's Foreign Press Office in Munich provided frequent feature stories for Bott.
... The English language supplement offered a particularly good illustration of how the Deutsche Zeitung reprinted Nazi propaganda in the guise of impartial news. Designed specifically for non-German readers (the Deutsche Zeitung subscribers were expected to circulate this portion of the paper among their neighbors), the supplement reproduced news stories prepared in English by the Fichte Bund in Hamburg."
Canadian Nationalist Party
"In September of 1933, William Whittaker, an Englishman, established the Canadian Nationalist Party. Initially nothing was said against Jews publicly. In fact the party originally advocated the equality of all citizens. This soon changed as Whittaker came to condemn Jews at rallies and in his organization’s propaganda material. Whittaker’s rallies battled communism and advocated fascism and he used any means possible to enforce his rhetoric. ... Whittaker’s organization was modelled on the Nazi storm troopers. Whittaker and his followers would parade around, wearing khaki shirts and riding boots. His Brown Shirts would antagonistically march through Jewish areas of Winnipeg. The party maintained that their costumes were “typical Western Canadian Dress.” Whittaker’s fascists partook in military training at army barracks in Winnipeg with the approval of the Mayor, Colonel Webb.
... Its leaders were mostly Anglo-Saxon ex-soldiers. Whittaker was from Britain. He established a strict military code for those in his inner circle."
Christian National Socialist Party
In 1938, the Christian National Socialist Party had about 1,800 members. It was banned in 1940 and Arcand was interned in Fredericton (New Brunswick) during the war. Although he remained a fervent anti-Semite and nationalist all his life, his party never gained the power he had hoped for." (Quotes from Anne Frank Guide)
Reaction
The following quotes are from "Enemies within our Bosom: Nazi Sabotage in Canada" by JMSS (Journal of Military and Strategic Studies).
"As war in Europe seemed imminent the RCMP incarcerated German speakers linked in any way to the Nazi Party, including Bund members. Internees were detained under the Defence of Canada Regulations (DCR), which suspended civil rights, giving the Canadian government the power to intern anyone considered a threat.
... On September 4, 1939, six days before Canada went to war, three hundred and three Germans and German-Canadians were arrested. The public appeared to be grateful that these individuals were detained. When the Phoney War (September 1939 - May 1940) ended in Western Europe fears raged about fifth columnists in Canada. The government of Canada reacted with further arrests on June 10, 1940. One RCMP superior noted that these internments calmed the public.
... In early 1940 an inquiry into the possible release of enemy aliens interned in Kananaskis revealed that the majority of interned Germans expressed loyalty to Hitler and the Third Reich. These individuals were not released as all Bund members were viewed suspiciously. By 1941 the number of Germans, and German-Canadians interned was seven hundred and eighty. By the end of 1942 four hundred and eleven German nationals and ninety-four German-Canadians were interned."
At least we could count on the RCMP!
"In contrast journalist Dean Beeby, described RCMP incompetence during WW II, “several observers have noted the RCMP’s anti-Nazi operations were nevertheless inadequate and amateurish. The Mounties put their resources into dissecting the institutions of Nazism in Canada rather than ferreting out true saboteurs and dangerous subversives. Owing to the force’s ‘total lack and capacity for intelligence work, its officers were unable to distinguish between social or political criticism and subversive doctrine.’”
Regarding some noted sabotage efforts within the provinces:
"These sabotage acts reveal a government unprepared to protect the nation, the RCMP were more worried about public opinion and saving face than service to the state through truth and transparency. The lack of research on Canadian security between 1939 and 1945 serves to continue the unsubstantiated myth of the Mounties as a consistently competent law enforcement agency. This lack of truthfulness did not end with the cessation of hostilities but lingered into post-World War Two era. It can be accurately stated that sabotage by Nazi elements did occur in Canada, yet exact figures remain a matter of historical debate."
Now post-WWII there are plenty of neo-nazi and racist parties that crop up, but this little post was interested in Nazism in Canada from the 1920s - 1940s primarily.
For later groups, refer to: Canadian Nazi Party, Western Guard, Nationalist Party of Canada, Heritage Front, New Constitution Party of Canada, Stormfront, Canadian Heritage Alliance, etc.
War Criminals
From National Post article:
"It is estimated that between 2,000 and 5,000 war criminals fled to Canada after the Second World War, but not one Nazi has ever been successfully prosecuted in this country.
“It is to the Canadian government’s great and eternal shame that more was not done,” said Mr. Rambam, the renowned “Nazi hunter” ...
... Looking back, a key problem was that for decades Canada did not actively pursue suspected war criminals, and when it did decide to launch proceedings they were done badly and ineffectively, said David Matas, senior legal counsel of B’nai Brith Canada.
“Canada started too late; there were just too many perpetrators; too much evidence had been destroyed or lost.
... From 1987 to 1992 just 26 cases were filed before the justice system; charges were laid under the Criminal Code in four cases.
The man in the dock in 1987 was Imre Finta, the first suspect to be accused under new laws on war crimes... His acquittal in 1990 shut down any hope of winning criminal proceedings against Nazi war criminals.
“Finta presented no evidence to answer the charges against him,” Mr. Matas said. “When asked if he wanted to call evidence on his own behalf at his criminal trial he declined. Yet he was acquitted.” Why? The courts allowed a defence that said believing Jews to be the enemy was a legitimate reason for killing them. Two appeal courts agreed.
... Mr. Rambam, the U.S. private investigator who will speak at an event for impoverished Jews in Toronto on Tuesday, believes scores of war criminals are still living in Canada.
“Entire units came en masse into Canada through Halifax in the 1940s,” he said. “Canada knew at that time who they were"... Mr. Rambam interviewed 72 out of a list of 1,000 suspected Nazis living in Canada. His work was sent to the authorities, but he said little was done.“It’s a stain on the history of Canada,” he said."
And that's information from one afternoon's reading. I'll be interested to learn more.
