the intent of this work is to determine to what extent the lake superior regiment of the non-permanent active militia1 fulfilled both its military and civic role in the lakehead cities of fort william and port arthur, ontario during the twenty-year period from 1920 to 1940. it is not intended that this work provide an analysis of the social makeup o f the militia or of canadian defence policy during the interwar period, nor is it intended to provide a profile o f the canadian army or the non permanent active militia as a whole. it is important, however, to examine the evolution of the canadian military in general and the militia in particular in order to understand the environment in which the lake superior regiment operated during the period in question.