The Stranded Wives of Canada

War, unfortunately, has a long standing history of tearing families apart, with husbands, fathers, and sons heading out to fight a long way from home and often never returning to their families. Such was the case during the first World War, as it was with many wars. Men would receive their orders, head out to battle, often to never be seen or heard from again.

This, however, was not always the case in Canada. Canada’s contribution to the first World War was nothing short of stunning. Despite a relatively small population of eight million people, Canada and Newfoundland sent 650,000 men and women to serve. The losses were great, with over 66,000 soldiers giving their lives, and 172,000 sustaining injuries.

One of the hidden costs of war, however, took its toll on a number of the wives of male soldiers. Rather than stay at home, hoping either for new from the front or for the return of their husband, many Canadian wives would sell their belongings and cross the ocean to London in order to be close to their wounded husbands. Oftentimes, however, the men they went to join would go missing, or the Canadian government would pay for their return to Canada before they could notify their wives. Many of the wives were left stranded with no way to get back home and no way to find their husbands. They would later be dubbed The Stranded Wives of Canada.

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