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How did World War I and World War II contribute to the growth of civil service jobs in Ottawa?

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Know the reason why Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the Canadian capital — Ottawa Examining why Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the Canadian capital.

The growth of the civil service in Ottawa was a gradual process that accelerated significantly in response to the demands of the two World Wars and other major 20th-century events.

Impact of World War I

During World War I, the federal government began to take a more interventionist role in the national economy to manage the war effort. This period saw the introduction of the income tax and increased government regulation of economic life, which necessitated a larger administrative workforce in the capital.1

Impact of World War II

World War II served as a major catalyst for the expansion of the federal government. To regulate the war effort, ensure the flow of supplies, and manage inflation, the government established new agencies such as the Wartime Prices and Trade Board and the National War Labour Board. These initiatives led to a massive increase in government spending and a corresponding surge in the size of the civil service. By the end of the war, the federal government’s role in engineering national economic growth had been significantly strengthened, further cementing Ottawa's status as a major administrative centre.21