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.”
