, a shift in Canadian attitudes toward the British Empire started to emerge. This is illustrated in the next novel, Barometer Rising. Barometer Rising, by Hugh MacLennan, is a novel set in Halifax during World War I, where changing Canadian attitudes towards Britain and a sense of national Canadian identity begins to emerge. Canada's changing views towards military Britain began to emerge when Britain declared war in Europe; Britain demanded, not asked, for colonial military support. These sentiments were strengthened by the horrors of the war experienced by young Canadian conscripts at the battles at The Somme and Passchendale. The heavy Canadian loses made Canadians begin to challenge why are we fighting this war. Additionally, victories like Vimy Ridge developed a sense of national pride in Canadian soldiers in the British army. These critical events at a time when Canada was giving its greatest sacrifice to the British war effort started Canadians to think of themselves as a separate entity from Britain: "Merely to have been born in the Western side of the ocean gave a man something for which the traditions of the Old World could never compensate. This Western land was his own country." Neil Macrae, the protagonist in Barometer Rising, is one of these Canadians who begin to identify himself as Canadian, not British. Certainly, during World War I a Canadian identity emerged, but unfortunately, a separate French Canadian identity simultaneously emerged as a result of the World War I conscription crisis. Nonetheless, a true Canadian identity was beginning to bloom, and this in turn began to influence Canada's political views. Although, Canada was politically still a British colony, imperialism was losing its appeal to Canadians. "The Citadel itself flew the Union Jack in all weathers and war rightly considered a symbol and bastion of the British Empire." There were still loyal imperialists but the numbers started to dwindle with World ...
