Fascism was not a mass movement in Canada in the 1930s, but it threatened the country’s health. In Quebec Adrien Arcand was fascism’s major figure who found support among the middle class. In Ontario, there were Swastika Clubs, a riot in Toronto parks, and Jews were denied assorted privileges. In her chilling conclusion, Betcherman wrote: “Fascist movements and racism did not vanish, but withdrew to await a more welcoming climate.”,
Mordecai Richler, who reviewed the book in 1975, wrote “Dr. Betcherman has written a lively, readable history, the stronger for being detached and allowing the embarrassing facts to speak for themselves….It is strong , evocative stuff, a necessary reminder of how things were. I recommend it highly.”
Praise for The Swastika and the Maple Leaf:
“This is a book that has long needed writing for Fascism, while hardly a mass movement in Canada in the thirties, provides a revealing litmus test of the health of Canadian society.” — Canadian Forum
“Dr. Betcherman has written a lively, readable history, the stronger for being detached and allowing the embarrassing facts to speak for themselves….It is strong , evocative stuff, a necessary reminder of how things were. I recommend it highly.” — Mordecai Richler, Saturday Night
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