In 1939, Canada joined the worldwide war effort with factories turning out war machines. At the Canadian Car and Foundry (nicknamed "Can-Car") in Fort William, Ontario, a large workforce was recruited to build the
Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft, including a preponderance of women. Many of them were young, and came from as far away as the
Prairies. Of the 7,000 workers at Can-Car, 3,000 were women on the shop floor; initially, they were not treated with respect. Men typically were the "lead-hands", more experienced workers who would train, at least at first, the new women trainees. It was soon evident that women reacted much more favourably to other women as their mentors and instructors. For a while, the animosity between the men and women was palpable. One "old hand" who showed his dislike by refusing to let women sign out before him, ensured the first seats on the buses leaving the factory were then occupied by the men. They steadfastly refused to give up their seats, leaving the women "hanging on by the straps". The obstinate fellow came on board after women welded his lunchbox to a piece of steel. Eventually, the factory assigned female "matrons" to look after the women, acting as nurses, nannies and "cops". The factory called them "intelligent, likeable, friendly women," while the women knew that the matrons were there to "keep them in line," and not "tempt the men". Women still made less than the men whom they had often trained, and married women were summarily dismissed, but some of them kept their marriages secret and worked anyway. The one woman "boss" at the factory was Elsie MacGill, who was first in charge of the production of fighter aircraft, and heralded in the press as the "Queen of the Hurricanes". By the time the production line shut down in 1943, Can-Car had produced over 1,400 Hurricanes. Just as the factory was re-tooling for production of
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver torpedo and dive bomber aircraft for the
United States Navy, MacGill and the works manager, E. J. (Bill) Soulsby, were dismissed. It was later revealed they were having an affair (and subsequently married). ==Cast==