In addition to Canada’s commitment to export as much as possible to Britain, the Canadian Government also offered Britain a gift. Soon after the war was declared, Canada offered to send Britain a gift of one million bags of flour, to be placed at the disposal of the British Government.
In response to this offer, the Colonial Secretary of the Imperial Government stated:
“On behalf of the people of the United Kingdom, his Majesty’s Government accepts with gratitude the splendid and welcome gift of flour from Canada … We can never forget the generosity and promptitude of this gift and the patriotism from which it springs.”
This gift was worth an estimated three million dollars. Parliament would be asked to vote for the necessary funds and once the funding was secured, the flour would be shipped to the United Kingdom in September.
(“Canada’s Gift to Britain,” Elmira Signet, 20 August 1914)
