Students in Ontario schools served their country during the wars in whatever ways they could. Regardless of age or gender, there were jobs for everyone to assist with the war effort. Students who were either too young or not permitted to join the Canadian military overseas, were encouraged to join the Ontario Farm Service Forces on the home-front to help with shortages in agricultural production.

Enlistment left many farms without farm help to continue production and look after livestock, and yet there was an even greater need for Ontario to produce crops to supply British and Canadian troops. Students were encouraged to provide the necessary help by taking over tasks such as ploughing, seeding, planting, haying, harvesting, as well as working in canning and packing houses.

Click to see a larger image (109K)
Men and women picking harvest at
a farm service camp, [ca. 1941]
Ontario Farm Service Force records
Black and white print
Reference Code: RG 16-20-0-3
Archives of Ontario, I0006634

Women farm workers picking cucumbers at
a farm service camp, [ca. 1941]
Ministry of Agriculture
Black and white print
Reference Code: RG 16-20-0-3
Archives of Ontario, I0006635

Click to see a larger image (117K)
Men gathering hay at a farm service camp, [ca. 1941]
Ministry of Agriculture
Black and white print
Reference Code: RG 16-20-0-3
Archives of Ontario, I0006636

Click to see a larger image (98K)
Men and women in trucks, ready to go to work at a farm service camp, [ca. 1941]
Ministry of Agriculture
Black and white print
Reference Code: RG 16-20-0-1
Archives of Ontario, I0006628

Click to see a larger image and
the rest of the pamphlet (198K)
Ontario Farm Services Force - Boy's and Men's Division pamphlet and registration form, 1941
Farm service and enlistment regulations and correspondence files
Reference Code: RG 2-175-0-6, box 1
Archives of Ontario

Click to see a larger image and
the rest of the pamphlet (215K)
Ontario Farm Services Force - Women's Division pamphlet and registration form, 1941
Farm service and enlistment regulations and correspondence files
Reference Code: RG 2-175-0-6, box 1
Archives of Ontario

Laying the Groundwork | A Centre for Learning | Public School Boards | Schoolhouses
Raising the Standards | Curriculum | Fostering Patriotism and Good Citizenship
Education for Life | From Blackboard to Web | Sources and Resources | Ministries and Ministers

Previous | Home | Next