It was a
watershed year for Canada and the world. 1945 set Canada on a bold course into
the future. A huge sense of relief marked the end of hostilities. Yet there
was also fear and uncertainty about the perilous new world that was unfolding in
the wake of the American decision to use the atomic bomb to bring the war in
the Pacific to a dramatic halt.

On the eve
of WWII, the Dominion of Canada was a sleepy backwater still struggling to
escape the despair of the Great Depression. But the war changed everything.
After six long years of conflict, sacrifice and soul-searching, the country emerged
onto the world stage as a modern, confident and truly independent nation no
longer under the colonial sway of Great Britain.

Ken
Cuthbertson has written a highly readable narrative that commemorates the seventy-fifth
anniversary of the end of WWII and chronicles
the 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 helped
create the Canada of today.

The author
profiles an eclectic group of Canadians, including eccentric prime minister Mackenzie
King, iconic hockey superstar Rocket Richard, business tycoon E. P. Taylor, Soviet
defector 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 also
covers topics like the Halifax riots, war brides, the birth of Canada’s beloved
social safety net, and the remarkable events that sparked the Cold War. 1945 is the unforgettable story of our
nation at the moment of its modern birth.