Black Marketeers WW2
May 11th 2021, 12:12 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,851
Black Marketeers WW2
Anyone know much about Black Marketeering in Canada in WW2?
I asked my MIL (born 1938) if she had any memories of the war and it seems her dad was a black marketeer. She made it sound like Robin Hood and his merry men in that they would "go off" and return with stuff that was in short supply and have it dished out to people, sometimes involving the police turning a blind eye.
I've done a bit of reading and I see reports of Americans selling cigarettes (for example) to Canadians but she tells me they had no funds to buy stuff although it involved going across the border. It sounds like they might have been raiding and hijacking unless she was completely in the dark.
She thinks there was a name for the organisation...something militia, except in Quebec it would have been French
I asked my MIL (born 1938) if she had any memories of the war and it seems her dad was a black marketeer. She made it sound like Robin Hood and his merry men in that they would "go off" and return with stuff that was in short supply and have it dished out to people, sometimes involving the police turning a blind eye.
I've done a bit of reading and I see reports of Americans selling cigarettes (for example) to Canadians but she tells me they had no funds to buy stuff although it involved going across the border. It sounds like they might have been raiding and hijacking unless she was completely in the dark.
She thinks there was a name for the organisation...something militia, except in Quebec it would have been French
May 11th 2021, 4:03 pm
#2
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Joined: Apr 2009
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
Re: Black Marketeers WW2
There's an article here on the black market - if you open in firefox you can open the pdf's in a new tab, no download.
https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibit...geprice_e.html
Poultry Business Locked Up in Swift 'Black Market' Raid
https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca › dsk2 › ftp03
There's some references on this page that you could check - with direct links to montreal newspapers of the 1940's that might be of help in your research
https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2015/1...black-markets/
(such as this https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...b_mode=2&hl=en
or 7 days free trial https://www.newspapers.com/paper/the-gazette/8130/
If you get bored, I found this website .. https://www.loc.gov/newspapers/?all=...hType=advanced
There was a Montreal based black market in babies
https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibit...geprice_e.html
Poultry Business Locked Up in Swift 'Black Market' Raid
https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca › dsk2 › ftp03
There's some references on this page that you could check - with direct links to montreal newspapers of the 1940's that might be of help in your research
https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2015/1...black-markets/(such as this https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...b_mode=2&hl=en
or 7 days free trial https://www.newspapers.com/paper/the-gazette/8130/
If you get bored, I found this website .. https://www.loc.gov/newspapers/?all=...hType=advanced
There was a Montreal based black market in babies
Last edited by Siouxie; May 11th 2021 at 4:13 pm.
May 11th 2021, 5:09 pm
#3
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Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: Black Marketeers WW2
I did a similar thing with loo roll and Lysol wipes last April. They called me Danny Getz. If you needed toilet paper, Danny Getz was the word on the street.
May 11th 2021, 6:14 pm
#4
Dive Bar Drunk
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 8,649
Re: Black Marketeers WW2
I remember when Coca Cola tried to launch Dasani in the UK and it transpired they were just putting tap water in a bottle in East London.
BBC NEWS | Business | Coke's water bomb
Classic Del and Rod.
May 11th 2021, 7:23 pm
#5
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,851
Re: Black Marketeers WW2
Thanks for those. One of them I had found but not the others. It doesn't really sound like Robin Hood and his merry men does it. 
I suppose a romanticised view might be involved as it's coming from my MIL, with a bit of her mum and dad's version thrown in. But MIL doesn't have the fondest memories of her parents. Also, the first thing she mentioned when I asked about any memories was her dad was involved in something illegal.
Perhaps the name she can't remember was just something his particular group was known as.
At least it wasn't the Peaky Blinders.
I suppose a romanticised view might be involved as it's coming from my MIL, with a bit of her mum and dad's version thrown in. But MIL doesn't have the fondest memories of her parents. Also, the first thing she mentioned when I asked about any memories was her dad was involved in something illegal.
Perhaps the name she can't remember was just something his particular group was known as.
At least it wasn't the Peaky Blinders.
May 11th 2021, 8:22 pm
#6
Banned
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
Re: Black Marketeers WW2
Thanks for those. One of them I had found but not the others. It doesn't really sound like Robin Hood and his merry men does it.
I suppose a romanticised view might be involved as it's coming from my MIL, with a bit of her mum and dad's version thrown in. But MIL doesn't have the fondest memories of her parents. Also, the first thing she mentioned when I asked about any memories was her dad was involved in something illegal.
Perhaps the name she can't remember was just something his particular group was known as.
At least it wasn't the Peaky Blinders.
I suppose a romanticised view might be involved as it's coming from my MIL, with a bit of her mum and dad's version thrown in. But MIL doesn't have the fondest memories of her parents. Also, the first thing she mentioned when I asked about any memories was her dad was involved in something illegal.
Perhaps the name she can't remember was just something his particular group was known as.
At least it wasn't the Peaky Blinders.
and https://ruor.uottawa.ca › bitstream › 1
May 11th 2021, 8:31 pm
#7
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Joined: May 2016
Location: Northern California
Posts: 2,277
Re: Black Marketeers WW2
Anyone know much about Black Marketeering in Canada in WW2?
I asked my MIL (born 1938) if she had any memories of the war and it seems her dad was a black marketeer. She made it sound like Robin Hood and his merry men in that they would "go off" and return with stuff that was in short supply and have it dished out to people, sometimes involving the police turning a blind eye.
I've done a bit of reading and I see reports of Americans selling cigarettes (for example) to Canadians but she tells me they had no funds to buy stuff although it involved going across the border. It sounds like they might have been raiding and hijacking unless she was completely in the dark.
She thinks there was a name for the organisation...something militia, except in Quebec it would have been French
I asked my MIL (born 1938) if she had any memories of the war and it seems her dad was a black marketeer. She made it sound like Robin Hood and his merry men in that they would "go off" and return with stuff that was in short supply and have it dished out to people, sometimes involving the police turning a blind eye.
I've done a bit of reading and I see reports of Americans selling cigarettes (for example) to Canadians but she tells me they had no funds to buy stuff although it involved going across the border. It sounds like they might have been raiding and hijacking unless she was completely in the dark.
She thinks there was a name for the organisation...something militia, except in Quebec it would have been French
My Mother was getting sugar from our local Butcher, until he got nicked. I think he got some jail time, the Butcher shop never reopened.
May 11th 2021, 9:35 pm
#8
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,851
Re: Black Marketeers WW2
I'll have to ask her if her dad looked like this
May 11th 2021, 11:06 pm
#9
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Joined: Sep 2010
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Re: Black Marketeers WW2
Not sure if this is relevant, as you asked for Canadian Black Marketeers, but FWIW:
My Grandad served in the Royal Navy, and was at the Allied invasion of Sicily. He told me that as the troops were unloading supplies, there were 2 piles - one for the troops at the front and one for the black market. The piles were pretty equal, implying 50% racketeering.
My Grandad served in the Royal Navy, and was at the Allied invasion of Sicily. He told me that as the troops were unloading supplies, there were 2 piles - one for the troops at the front and one for the black market. The piles were pretty equal, implying 50% racketeering.
May 12th 2021, 12:31 am
#10
Oscar nominated
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,851
Re: Black Marketeers WW2
Not sure if this is relevant, as you asked for Canadian Black Marketeers, but FWIW:
My Grandad served in the Royal Navy, and was at the Allied invasion of Sicily. He told me that as the troops were unloading supplies, there were 2 piles - one for the troops at the front and one for the black market. The piles were pretty equal, implying 50% racketeering.
My Grandad served in the Royal Navy, and was at the Allied invasion of Sicily. He told me that as the troops were unloading supplies, there were 2 piles - one for the troops at the front and one for the black market. The piles were pretty equal, implying 50% racketeering.
