Imperial Munitions Board

In a 1917 address, Carnegie reported that the Board was then dealing with 650 factories in 144 towns, stretching from Halifax to Victoria.^[22] By 1918, the extent of its acquisition of lumber required the operation of 67 logging camps in British Columbia.^[23] The British Government was responsible for all its expenditure.^[24]

The British War Cabinet also noted the extent of Canada's war production in 1918:

15 per cent of the total expenditure of the Ministry of Munitions in the last six months of the year was incurred in that country. She has manufactured nearly every type of shell from the 18-pounder to the 9.2-inch. In the case of the 18-pdr., no less than 55 per cent of the output of shrapnel shells in the last six months came from Canada, and most of these were complete rounds of ammunition, which went direct to France. Canada also contributed 42 per cent of the total 4.5 shells, 27 per cent of the 6-inch shells, 20 per cent of the 60-pdr. H.E. shells, 15 per cent of the 8-inch and 16 per cent of the 9.2-inch. In addition Canada has supplied shell forgings, ammunition components, propel[l]ants, acetone, T.N.T., aluminum, nickel, aeroplane parts, agricultural machinery and timber, beside quantities of railway materials, including no less than 450 miles of rails torn up from Canadian railways, which were shipped direct to France.^[23]

Because the private sector was unwilling or unable to operate in certain fields, the Board established seven "National plants" for the production of explosives and propellants, and one for the manufacture of airplanes.^[25] The Board also oversaw the production of ships and aircraft.

It also formed several subsidiaries to perform several of the manufacturing functions, which were spread across Canada. These included:

When the Montreal Gazette profiled the War Toronto on its first visit to Montreal, on April 30, 1919, they described her as the last of 46 vessels built for the Imperial Munitions Board.^[35]

The IMB was dissolved in 1919. The process began immediately after the Armistice, when the Ministry of Munitions directed that it would be implemented through the following stages:^[24]

1. Production of all shells and explosives would cease immediately.
2. Gradually cease the production of items no longer required by the Government but which may be useful elsewhere (ie, metals and other materials).
3. Maintain contracts for articles still likely to be required (ie, commercial lumber and ships).

When contracting was transferred from the Shell Committee to the IMB, Flavelle decided that fair wage clauses would not be inserted into future contracts that were granted, although British and Canadian authorities did not object to continuing the prior practice.^[36] As the IMB was a British agency, its activities with respect to labour relations did not fall under federal jurisdiction until the passage of an order in council in March 1916 that extended the application of the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act, 1907,^[37][38] but Flavelle's opposition continued.^[39] This had the effect of disrupting relations with the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada,^[40] which would lead to the outbreak of strikes in 1918 and massive labour confrontations in 1919.^[41]