Canadian Wartime Propaganda

Second World War Propaganda Poster

Canada Carries On" Presents Future for Fighters

A bayonet at the end of a rifle tears open a blueprint to reveal houses under construction, a factory, a ship, and a grain elevator. The message, that the end of the war would bring prosperity to Canada, was an important one in light of what happened to Canada, and elsewhere, after the last world war: social turmoil; political division or, in some cases, political collapse; and, within a decade, a sweeping economic depression.

This poster promoted one of the 22 Canada Carries On productions by the National Film Board, a series that documented the country's war involvement and also sought to inspire viewers to greater efforts. Variations on its graphic style, almost instructional in its simple, easy to understand icons, appeared in thousands of pamphlets, books, films, and advertisements during the war, dealing with everything from how a veteran might claim a federal benefit to the nature of the post-war economy.

Designer and printer unknown
Printer unknown
Produced by the National Film Board
Commercial colour print, 1943 Canada
CWM 20010129-0543

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