Hey, at least they had two women on the panel. Frankly in those days, that surprises me. 

BowmanvilleBob wrote:

This whole issue was one of the major post-war problems that Canada (along with the U.S. and Britain) faced in 1945. The war had meant millions of women had entered the workforce to replace men who had gone overseas and they had become accustomed to earning their own wages and making their own financial decisions. Now, women suddenly faced enormous pressure to give up their jobs and allow returning soldiers to take their place while returning to their homes to become “the good little wifey” all over again. Many of these women resented the loss of independence and privately, some factory owners and office managers regretted the departure of women from their workplaces, noting that they were often more productive, more trainable and detail-oriented than their male counterparts. I’d actually be interested in hearing this program to hear the range of views expressed, although I suspect the overwhelming sentiment was to give the boys their jobs back so women can return to their “natural” roles as wives and homemakers.

And possibly ignited the "Women's Liberation" mindset.

I'm deviating a bit from broadcasting and this is Toronto centric, but I thought this factoid may be of interest to some of the members. That CKEY ad featured a person named R.M.P. Hamilton, who was the general manager of the General Engineering Co. of Canada. During WWII, they built a munitions factory in Scarborough, on the south east side of Eglinton Ave and Warden Ave., which was just farmland at the time. They made munitions for the war effort and employed thousands of people during the time the facility was in operation, including a large number of women. There is archived film of the facility being built and in operation, hosted by the Imperial War Museums (IWM) in the UK. You can view the story abstract and the 3 silent film reels here:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060017839

From the Toronto Archives, you can see an aerial photograph taken in 1947 of what the GECo campus looked like before demolition and redevelopment took place:

https://www.toronto.ca/ext/archives/s0012/fl1947/s0012_fl1947_it0014g.jpg

Today, there are still are a few of these GECo buildings still standing and they have been repurposed as businesses. Johns Manville (the asbestos company of years ago), also had a presence in this area. Just after the war, the buildings were also used as post-war housing due to a shortage of homes at the time. Today, the area is somewhat blighted and is also home to the Toronto East Detention Center. Driving through it today, you would never know of its past. Just to the south, the city has named a park after the firm (GECo Park).

If interested, the City of Toronto hosts an archive of aerial photographs taken of Toronto and area from 1947 to 1992. You can view it here:

https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/accountability-operations-customer-service/access-city-information-or-records/city-of-toronto-archives/whats-online/maps/aerial-photographs/

Thank you Evuguy for your post! I live not too far from Eglinton/Warden and my in-laws told me about the munitions factories that were staffed with women there during WWII. I was just at the Imperial War Museum last month, my must see while in London! Thanks again.

Evuguy wrote:

You are both welcome. The story fascinated me in that such a large operation existed in that area some 80+ years ago. Few today probably know that it was there. When you look at how quickly is was built and put into operation, I think it showcases the "get it done" mind set of the time.  We seem to have lost that ability. Consider the LRT project that now runs right by that site.

That video was awesome.  I grew up nearby and knew about the history of the area.  When my parents moved in back in 1955 we purchased a Frigidaire refrigerator that was made by GE in the same plant.  It was still in use back in 1990, solid as a rock.   I have friends who worked for GM at that location making pickup trucks and later vans as well until all that was moved to Oshawa.    My mother could have been a candidate to work there in those days if she wasn't already employed by Famous Players downtown while my dad was in the RCAF.    Thanks for sharing it!

Last edited by SpinningWheel (Yesterday 12:20 pm)