Publications and Research

Autumn 2003

An Evaluation of Fixed Announcement Dates by Nicolas Parent, Phoebe Munro, and Ron Parker Recent Labour Market Developments in Canada by Richard Dion and Bill Laur Developments, Issues, and Initiatives in Retail Payments by Sean O'Connor Technical Note: Elimination of Retroactive Settlement in the ACSS by Eric Tuer See also: Tables A1, A2, and Notes to the Tables

Cover: Internment Camp Money

During the Second World War, the Dominion Government detained almost 40,000 individuals in 25 camps across Canada. Prisoners ranged from enemy military personnel, captured primarily in North Africa, to civilians who either because of their racial origins or their associations had ties to an Axis country and were believed to pose a threat to national security. Although their liberty was curtailed, some prisoners were allowed to purchase small luxuries, using the sort of money pictured on this month's cover.

Captured military personnel continued to be paid at the appropriate rate for their rank. As the demands of the war reduced the availability of labour, some prisoners earned extra income by logging or helping to harvest the crops. Wages for such work ranged from 20 to 50 cents a day. To deter escape, detainees were not paid in currency but received small metal tokens or paper credit notes, which had no value outside the camp. These could be redeemed at the camp canteen for goods such as laundry soap, shaving cream, and toothpaste. Prisoners could also purchase cigarettes or beer, but these were not regularly available and were very expensive. A pint of beer cost as much as 25 cents—roughly the equivalent of a half- to a full day's wage.

This type of money is not known to have been used in all camps. Examples in the collection come from 18 different facilities located in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Production of the money was not centralized, as is evident from the wide variety of shapes and forms. Camp commanders were probably responsible for arranging its production for their own facilities. The designs were simple, in some instances consisting of nothing more than a denomination and the camp designation, which could be a name or a number. Although virtually no emphasis was placed on the money's security, no counterfeits are known to have been produced. Denominations typically range from one cent to one dollar. Some five-dollar examples also are known to exist.

Pieces pictured on the cover measure from approximately one to two inches in width. They form part of the National Currency Collection, Bank of Canada.

Photographed by Gord Carter, Ottawa.