As prime minister , Borden led Canada through World War I and its immediate aftermath . His government passed the '' War Measures Act '' , created the Canadian Expeditionary Force , and eventually introduced compulsory military service , which sparked the 1917 conscription crisis . On the home front , it dealt with the consequences of the Halifax Explosion , introduced women 's suffrage for federal elections , and used the North-West Mounted Police to break up the 1919 Winnipeg general strike . For the 1917 federal election ( the first in six years ) , Borden created the Unionist Party , an amalgam of Conservatives and pro-conscription Liberals ; his government was re-elected with an overwhelming majority
Halifax Explosion
Halifax Explosion
Robert Borden