An Underlying Affliction

In the summer and fall of 1918, Canadians endured the brutal final months of the First World War.On the home front, civilians rationed food, contributed resources to the war effort, and worried about their loved ones overseas.In western Europe, Canadian troops resisted German offensive operations and fought to hold the Allies' position until support arrived from North America. 1 Catastrophic losses in western Europe stretched the Allied military forces to their limits, prompting soldiers in North America to hastily embark across the Atlantic Ocean as reinforcements.Amidst the chaos of the war's final months, an invisible pestilence spread around the world, weakening armies on the frontlines, and afflicting those at home.The 1918 influenza pandemic struck the world at the conclusion of an unprecedented war defined by tragedy, loss, and social upheaval.Influenza travelled along transportation routes to reach communities already reeling from the First World War.Canada was no exception, and after a minor initial wave in Canada during the spring of 1918, influenza resurged with a vengeance in September of the same year.During the early twentieth century, Canada experienced an immigration boom that transformed the young nation's demographic and shaped its growing cities.At the beginning of the century, Canada's population was predominantly British and Irish; however, an increasing number of immigrants began to arrive from central and eastern Europe. 2 Many of these individuals settled in working-class neighbourhoods in major Canadian urban areas such as Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg.Growing industries attracted immigrants and rural Canadians to cities, despite there being inadequate infrastructure to accommodate these new residents.3 The results were overcrowded living conditions, dirt, grime, and substandard housing.4 Reform movements attempted to improve urban living conditions, however, charities and public health officials often failed to address systemic social problems underlying poverty.Influenced by Victorian attitudes towards self-help and morality, poverty was often perceived as a personal failure.5 Many immigrants and working-class people struggled to fit the norms established by the 'respectable' middle and upper classes without community support and the financial security of steady paid work.Socio-economically marginalized Canadians were disproportionately affected by the 1918 influenza pandemic, as it revealed existing social inequalities that increased the risk of these individuals contracting illness while also limiting access to healthcare, and destroying fragile support systems with the loss of essential community and family members.When the pandemic reached Canada in 1918, doctors did not know what caused it, nor did they have a cure.It was not discovered until 1933 that the 1918 influenza pandemic was caused by a variant of the H1N1 A virus. 6 At the time, confusion about the cause of the disease led the medical community to believe that a bacteria identified by Richard Pfeiffer, termed "Pfeiffer's bacillus" was responsible.7

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