{
  "id": 213,
  "slug": "1939-canada-defence-of-canada-regulations-censorship",
  "title": "Canada: War Measures Act regulations authorize review of hundreds of newspapers and ban political organizations",
  "occurred_on": "1939-09-03",
  "occurred_on_precision": "day",
  "ended_on": null,
  "jurisdiction": "CA",
  "country": "CA",
  "continent": "north-america",
  "level": "national",
  "type": null,
  "tactic_primary": "prior_restraint",
  "leader_slug": "william-lyon-mackenzie-king",
  "issue_of_the_day": "The Regulations took effect in the first days of Canada's involvement in the Second World War, one week before Canada's own declaration against Germany.",
  "outcome": "sustained",
  "outcome_on": "1945-12-31",
  "outcome_note": "The Defence of Canada Regulations remained in force for the duration of the war and were replaced by similar legislation on December 31, 1945.",
  "granularity": "anchor",
  "era": "1930s",
  "summary": "Canada invoked the War Measures Act at the outset of the Second World War and used it to bring in the Defence of Canada Regulations, which gave the government power to review and restrict hundreds of newspapers and periodicals and to ban dozens of organizations, including the Communist Party of Canada.{c:884}{c:885}{c:886}{c:887}{c:891}",
  "what_happened": "The War Measures Act was invoked again for the Second World War and took effect on August 25, 1939, one week before Canada's own declaration against Germany. Cabinet used the Act to bring in the Defence of Canada Regulations, which were implemented on September 3, 1939. The Regulations gave authorities power to review and restrict 325 newspapers and periodicals and to ban more than 30 religious, cultural, and political organizations, including Jehovah's Witnesses and the Communist Party of Canada. They also let the Minister of Justice detain, without due process, anyone who acted in a manner prejudicial to public safety or the safety of the state, and free speech was restricted as a result. Montreal's mayor, Camillien Houde, was arrested at city hall in 1940 and interned for four years in Ontario for denouncing government conscription policy. The Communist Party of Canada was itself banned the following year, and more than 100 of its leading members were imprisoned. The wartime Regulations remained in force until they were replaced by similar legislation on December 31, 1945.{c:884}{c:885}{c:886}{c:887}{c:888}{c:889}{c:890}{c:891}{c:892}",
  "stated_justification": "The Regulations let the Minister of Justice detain, without due process, anyone who acted in a manner prejudicial to public safety or the safety of the state, the standard the government invoked to justify wartime press restrictions and internment.{c:888}",
  "effect_on_reporting": "Free speech was restricted and anyone critical of government positions risked internment without charge or trial; Montreal's mayor was interned for four years after he criticized conscription policy, and more than 100 Communist Party leaders were imprisoned after the party was banned.{c:889}{c:890}",
  "unknowns": null,
  "status": "historical",
  "status_updated_on": "2026-09-26",
  "external_ids": {},
  "illustration_key": null,
  "pub_state": "published",
  "published_at": "2026-09-26T18:06:56Z",
  "reviewed_on": "2026-09-26",
  "next_review_on": "2027-03-26",
  "revision": 5,
  "created_at": "2026-09-26T18:06:49Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-09-26T18:14:37Z",
  "stage": "silence",
  "ladder_note": null,
  "country_name": "Canada",
  "tactics": [
    "prior_restraint",
    "detention_and_violence",
    "outlet_licensing"
  ],
  "leader": {
    "slug": "william-lyon-mackenzie-king",
    "name": "William Lyon Mackenzie King",
    "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/william-lyon-mackenzie-king"
  },
  "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1939-canada-defence-of-canada-regulations-censorship",
  "page_meta": {
    "published": "2026-09-26T18:06:56Z",
    "reviewed": "2026-09-26",
    "sources": 2,
    "status": "historical",
    "statusAsOf": "2026-09-26",
    "unknowns": null
  },
  "actors": [
    {
      "slug": "william-lyon-mackenzie-king",
      "name": "William Lyon Mackenzie King",
      "kind": "person",
      "role": "implemented",
      "role_at_time": null,
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/actors/william-lyon-mackenzie-king"
    }
  ],
  "outlets": [],
  "journalists": [],
  "cases": [],
  "related": [],
  "events": [],
  "claims": [
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      "id": 884,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 213,
      "field": "announced_by",
      "value": "Act invoked for Second World War",
      "statement": "Cabinet invoked the War Measures Act again for the Second World War.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 574,
      "evidence_quote": "The War Measures Act was invoked again during the Second World War",
      "evidence_date": null,
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      "verified_at": "2026-09-26",
      "confidence": "medium",
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        "id": 574,
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      "id": 885,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 213,
      "field": "occurred_on",
      "value": "Act and Regulations take effect",
      "statement": "The War Measures Act took effect on August 25, 1939, one week before Canada's own declaration of war, and Cabinet used it to bring in the Defence of Canada Regulations.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 574,
      "evidence_quote": "One week before Canada declared war, the Act was used to implement the Defence of Canada Regulations",
      "evidence_date": null,
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-26",
      "confidence": "medium",
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      "source": {
        "id": 574,
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    {
      "id": 886,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 213,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "Defence of Canada Regulations implemented",
      "statement": "The Defence of Canada Regulations were implemented on September 3, 1939.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 574,
      "evidence_quote": "The Defence of Canada Regulations were implemented on 3 September 1939.",
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      "source": {
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      "id": 887,
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      "field": "scope_of_action",
      "value": "325 newspapers, 30 organizations",
      "statement": "The Regulations gave authorities power to review and restrict 325 newspapers and periodicals and to ban more than 30 organizations, including the Communist Party of Canada.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 574,
      "evidence_quote": "They gave authorities the ability to censor 325 newspapers and periodicals and to ban more than 30 religious, cultural and political organizations, including Jehovah's Witnesses and the Communist Party of Canada",
      "evidence_date": null,
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-26",
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      "id": 888,
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      "statement": "The Regulations let the Minister of Justice detain, without due process, anyone who acted in a manner prejudicial to public safety or the safety of the state.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 574,
      "evidence_quote": "The Defence of Canada Regulations also allowed the Minister of Justice to detain anyone without due process who acted “in any manner prejudicial to the public safety or the safety of the state.”",
      "evidence_date": null,
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  "license": {
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  "cite_as": "Canada: War Measures Act regulations authorize review of hundreds of newspapers and ban political organizations. The War On News, thewaronnews.com. https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1939-canada-defence-of-canada-regulations-censorship. Retrieved 2026-09-26."
}