Canada's Role in Conflict and Cooperation

Conflict: Canada and the World Wars

When Britain went to war in 1914, Canada, then closely tied to Britain, was automatically at war too. During the First World War (1914–1918), more than 600,000 Canadians served. The 1917 battle of Vimy Ridge, where Canadian divisions fought together and captured a heavily defended position, is often described as a moment when Canada began to see itself as a nation rather than only a British colony.

War also caused deep division at home. The 1917 Conscription Crisis, the government forcing men into military service, was strongly opposed by many in Québec and by many farmers and workers, exposing tensions between English-speaking and French-speaking Canada.

In the Second World War (1939–1945), Canada chose to declare war on its own in 1939, a sign of growing independence. Over a million Canadians served. Canadians landed at Juno Beach on D-Day in 1944. The war reshaped the home front too: women entered factories in large numbers, and the wartime economy pulled Canada out of the Great Depression. It is also important to remember a documented injustice: the government forcibly relocated and interned Japanese Canadians, for which Canada later formally apologised in 1988.

Cooperation: alliances, the UN, and peacekeeping

After 1945, Canada helped build a more cooperative world order. It was a founding member of the United Nations (UN) in 1945, an organisation where countries work together on peace, development, and human rights. In 1949 Canada also helped found NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), a military alliance in which member countries agree to defend one another.

Canada is especially associated with peacekeeping. During the 1956 Suez Crisis, Canadian diplomat Lester B. Pearson proposed sending a neutral UN force to separate the sides. The idea helped launch modern UN peacekeeping, and Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. He later became Prime Minister. For decades, peacekeeping became part of how many Canadians saw their country's role in the world.

Key organisations and agreements at a glance

The test often gives you a small table and asks you to find or compare a detail. Practise reading across the rows.

Cooperation through trade

Not all cooperation is military. Canada is a trading nation, and trade agreements are a major way it cooperates with other countries. In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) reduced trade barriers between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It was replaced in 2020 by CUSMA (also called USMCA or the new NAFTA).

The United States is by far Canada's largest trading partner. That close relationship brings benefits, but it can also create tension, for instance during disputes over tariffs on goods like softwood lumber, steel, or aluminum. This is a useful reminder that cooperation and conflict are not opposites; the same relationship can include both.

The key skill: read the source, don't guess

On the CAEC, the most common mistake is reading too much into a source, adding ideas it never actually states. Use only what the source shows or says, plus what it clearly implies. Here is a worked example using the export chart above.

The rule of thumb: a correct answer can be checked against the source. If you have to bring in an opinion or a fact that is not there, it is probably the wrong choice.

Cooperation at home: reconciliation

Conflict and cooperation are not only about other countries. Within Canada, the relationship between the government and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples has involved both. These are many distinct nations with their own languages, treaties, and systems of governance, not a single group.

A documented harm in this history is the residential school system, in which Indigenous children were taken from their families. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which reported in 2015, documented these harms and issued 94 Calls to Action, concrete steps toward repairing the relationship. Reconciliation is an ongoing example of working toward cooperation after conflict, and it is a topic the CAEC treats as part of contemporary Canada.

Your turn: practice questions

Try these before checking. Lean on the table, the chart, and the "read the source" rule.

1. Using the table, which organisation did Canada join first: NATO or the United Nations?
2. A source describes Lester B. Pearson proposing a neutral UN force during the 1956 Suez Crisis. Is this an example of conflict or of cooperation? Explain.
3. Which statement is best supported by the export chart: (a) "China is Canada's second-largest export destination," or (b) "The European Union receives a larger export share than China"?