It was awatershed year for Canada and the world. 1945 set Canada on a bold course intothe future. A huge sense of relief marked the end of hostilities.Yet therewas also fear and uncertainty about the perilous new world that was unfolding inthe wake of the American decision to use the atomic bomb to bring the war inthe Pacific to a dramatic halt.On the eveof WWII, the Dominion of Canada was a sleepy backwater still struggling toescape the despair of the Great Depression. But the war changed everything.After six long years of conflict, sacrifice and soul-searching, the country emergedonto the world stage as a modern, confident and truly independent nation nolonger under the colonial sway of Great Britain.KenCuthbertson has written a highly readable narrative that commemorates the seventy-fifthanniversary of the end of WWII and chroniclesthe events and personalities of a critical year that reshaped Canada. 1945:The Year That Made Modern Canada showcases the stories of people-some celebrated, some ordinary-who left their mark on the nation and helpedcreate the Canada of today.The authorprofiles an eclectic group of Canadians, including eccentric prime minister MackenzieKing, iconic hockey superstar Rocket Richard, business tycoon E. P. Taylor, Sovietdefector Igor Gouzenko, the bandits of the Polka Dot Gang, crusading MP Agnes Macphail,and authors Gabrielle Roy and Hugh MacLennan, among many others. The book alsocovers topics like the Halifax riots, war brides, the birth of Canada's belovedsocial safety net, and the remarkable events that sparked the Cold War. 1945 is the unforgettable story of ournation at the moment of its modern birth.