The Polish 'Dionnes': Gender, Ethnicity, and Immigrant Workers in Post-Second World War Canada.

This article explores the themes of gender, ethnicity, and immigration in post-Second World War Canada, suggesting the 'Fordist accord' that emerged after the war was characterized by continuing inequalities in the labour force, particularly along the lines of ethnicity, 'race' and gender. By examining the controversy surrounding a small group of Polish displaced persons brought to Canada to work in the textile mill of Ludger Dionne, a Quebec member of Parliament, the article provides a window into contemporary debates about immigration and refugees. The Dionne 'scandal'; was not only a concern for the public, the press, Parliament, and the labour movement, but also the Department of External Affairs, which had to repair damaged relations with Poland after the women were brought to Canada as displaced persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]