For the duration of WWI, the Canadian identity was fundamentally British. It was in the British dominion , It fought for British interests and if Britain wasn't there Canada could have potentially not gone to war or could have fought for their own interests should the need have arisen, however, Canada was an independent nation. "Britain went to war and Canada is also going to war, there is no choice, if Britain is at war its dominions including Canada are automatically included." Since they were in the British dominion they were considered British. It is true that Canada has been an independent nation since 1867, when the war started in 1914 Canada had only been a nation for 47 years and for a nation it was very young compared to the mothership
