| Military leaders on Canadian soil have long been involved with both the welfare and the conduct of the "dependents" of their employees, but the wives and children of military members truly became a preoccupation of commanders during and, especially, following the Second World War. After a decade of post-War construction, houses and playgrounds bordered shooting ranges and parade squares on remote bases across Canada and, shortly after, abroad. As such, the 'military family' was constructed in order to retain able veterans and maintain order on bases. Base residents' relation isolation and particular vulnerability made their living conditions similar to those of the residents of northern Canadian company towns. But the lack of amenities in and the authoritarian control exerted over these burgeoning military communities made them exceptional. The Department of National Defence's policies towards civilian family members, or the lack thereof, were based on a mix of military traditions and the social mores of Canada's booming decade. |
