Let’ s Remember Rationing Coupons

property of Adin Wesley Daigle

To help people stay healthy while rationing food, the government put together Canada’s Official Food Rules, that told people how much of each of the six food groups — milk, cereals and bread, meat, fruits and vegetables, fish and eggs — they should eat every day. You know it today as the Canada Food Guide.

These cards above permitted Mrs. McColl of Carleton Place to purchase rationed food from a local shop. Eleven million ration cards (lead image) were issued in Canada. Inside there were coupons issued for such things as sugar, butter and meat

People were willing to deal with it because we were very clearly attacked by another nation’s military and were presented and for Canadians, it was the ultimate exercise in sharing. Since Great Britain was virtually cut off, our food exports provided an essential lifeline to the mother country. By the end of the war Canadian exports accounted for 57 per cent of all wheat and flour, 39 percent of bacon, 24 percent of cheese, and 15 percent of eggs consumed in Britain.

I don’t think vegetables were rationed as they didn’t require much resources to cultivate them (no grain to feed them, etc), and they started the dig for victory project which increased the amount of ground growing food dramatically (basically anywhere that was a decent patch of soil was use for planting). People got inventive, things like carrot cake were popular (grow your own carrots).

Weekly ration for 1 adult (~1944)

Food	Amount
Bacon & Ham	4 oz
Meat	~ 1/2 lb minced beef
Butter	2 oz
Cheese	2 oz
Margarine	4 oz
Cooking fat	4 oz
Milk	3 pints
Sugar	8 oz
Preserves	1 lb every 2 months
Tea	2 oz
Eggs	1 fresh egg per week
Sweets/Candy	12 oz every 4 weeks

Here, the past, and its culinary turns, could be more instructive then we might think. Certainly puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

193 Wartime Recipes–https://the1940sexperiment.com/100-wartime-recipes/

The 1940’s Experiment

Frugal Wartime Recipes to See You Through Challenging Times!

This is a recipe for simple currant spiced buns that turned out so absolutely tasty and yummy and easy to make that I simply called them GLORIOUS..
They are not only economical but taste sooo good!–https://the1940sexperiment.com/2009/11/12/glory-buns/

The more I think about it the more I think it’s a terrible, terrible thing. I think about war a lot and I think about how all over our world it has effected every day families regardless of colour or creed.

I made these WWII ‘Glory Buns’ today after I had observed the Remembrance Day silence and while I listened to the full Remembrance Day service from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, on my local radio station, CKBW.

First of all I listened to Pierre Allaine

Pierre Allaine: Was a 14 year old when war broke out. He used to ferry people, lying flat on a barge during the night, across the river, by pushing the barge silently with a long pole to the free side of France. Pierre recited Flanders Field at the service in Bridgewater today.

Next I watched Frank Hammond who shared his thoughts… Quote: Conflicts today are not being resolved through power and the only real way is through negotiation…

And then Bert Eagle… Quote: Bert Eagle: There should NEVER be another war again, EVER, yet if I were a young man again and we went to war I would serve my country gladly…..

Above all I’ve been thinking of the BRAVE men and women who have taken part in a war and lived through it or given their lives and the BRAVE families at home battling to keep their children safe and fed and holding things together…

And the Glory Buns? It was such a glorious day that it needed to be celebrated with simple glorious food on my best glorious tray….. it reminded me just how lucky we really are.

Recipe for Glory Buns

• 12 oz of wholewheat flour (or white)
• 2 oz margarine
• 2 oz sultanas/currants/raisins (optional)
• 2 oz sugar
• 8 fl oz warm water
• 3 teaspoons of quick rise dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon dried cinnamon powder
• pinch salt

To glaze:

• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Method
Place all the dried ingredients in a bowl (apart from dried fruit) and stir
Rub in the margarine
Mix in the dried fruit
Add in the warm water
Knead well (use extra flour if mixture is too sticky)
Divide dough into 12 balls
Place on greased deep sided tray (I like to use the 8 x 8 inch foil trays and place 4 balls in each)
Cover with plastic film or plastic bag
Leave to rise somewhere warm for an hour or so
When risen place in oven at 180 C for 15 minutes or so until golden brown
When cooked remove from oven onto a wire rack to cool
When cool prepare glaze by heating the water and sugar together until dissolved
Using a pastry brush apply the glaze generously

https://www.elinorflorence.com/blog/rationing/

When I Say Whoa–I Mean Whoa–The Dairy Horse

Guess What I Found?–A Purchase from the Yard Goods Store

Memories of Gold Bond Stamps?

Ration Cards from Gord Cross’s family

Was Your Grandmother a “Saboteur!”? Hoarding Before Television

In the First World War, the Canada Food Board began to produce posters urging Canadians to be patriotic in their food use. The Dominion Government created the Poster War Service to help with the production of propaganda for war-related purposes.

Some posters emphasized the need for food conservation with a fearful undertone like the one below.

• Date Created/Published: Hamilton [Ontario, Canada] : Howell Lith., [between 1914 and 1918]

 

 

 

Clipped from The Ottawa Journal, 13 Apr 1942, Mon, Page 7

Chicago Tribune, November 21, 1942.

Canadians were also exhorted and legislated to save and recycle. One pound of fat supplies enough glycerine to fire 150 bullets from a Bren gun … bones produce fat and aircraft glue … save and strain every drop to speed victory.”To preserve cardboard, milk bottle caps were banned. To preserve sugar, no icing was allowed on cakes – wedding cakes excepted. To preserve cloth, the width of the lapels on mens suits and the length of ladies skirts were regulated.

If your grandparents hoarded it was a crime punishable by up to two years in prison. As usual, behind much of the homefront war effort was a well-organized government propaganda machine. Official wartime communications took many forms ranging from government directives to colourful billboards and stirring documentaries.One government ad tried to dissuade Canadians from hoarding with one word—

“Saboteur!”

It was Flannelette your Grandmother was after, twelve yards for three nightshirts. But when the clerk mentioned flannelette was getting scarce, she bought the whole bolt. Grandma didn’t mean to a saboteur–but she was!

 

This is a great 10 minute video about two 40s gals and rationing.

 

Historical Photos from the war from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

Private Arthur John Simons dressed in the uniform of the 2nd Battalion (Eastern Ontario Regiment) in September 1914. Before joining up, Simons 18, was a stove mounter at Findlay’s in Carleton Place. He had emigrated from Somerset England.

The first troops of the 42nd Lanark and Renfrew Regiment left Carleton Place to serve in the First World War. They travelled by train to Perth before moving to Valcartier Camp in Quebec for training.

Horace Brown, brother of Howard Morton Brown, age 18, wrote in his diary:

“Sat. Aug 15 – Busy getting ready. Went over to the drill hall about 10 a.m., leaving on 11:20 train. Marched down, the band led and then rigs with the council, then the fellows who were not going across then ourselves. Got to Perth about 12:20 am. Marched about the town and out to the grounds. We had dinner shortly after arriving. Did nothing much all day in the afternoon. Started a march around town but it rained so came back. Had made arrangements to spend Sunday at home, so went down about 12 o’clock to the station. Spent the night there. I had some sleep. When we left the mayor Mr. Smythe, made a speech and all the men who had driven down shook hands with us. Nearly everybody was down to see us off. It seemed hard when the band played “Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot.”