By Boy Tunnel

For many Canadians and historians, the 1930's is considered to be one of the most disastrous decades of this century. The rising unemployment rates and falling wages were characteristic of the economic dilemmas of the time of the Great Depression. For the Canadian people, unemployment meant hunting for low-paying jobs which required difficult labor, and the acceptance of public relief was both shameful and humiliating. The drought and near-starvation experienced by the Prairie peoples was unmatched anywhere else in Canada. Nevertheless, the Canadian people responded by doing what they had to do in order to survive. Basically this meant taking on an unfamiliar, humble lifestyle as well as adopting a whole new set of attitudes towards life and the way it had to be lived. The Great Depression in Canada is often divided into a number of stages, beginning in October of 1929 with the Montreal and Toronto Stock Exchange crash. The period of economic hardship lasted until 1933 when a phase of recovery began. This recovery was in turn interrupted by another economic recession. The final stage of recovery was a result of the onset of the Second World War. Now that we have some idea of the depression's time-line, we can examine the severity of what took place.

Of all of the western countries, only the United States had suffered a greater decline than Canada. For instance, according to Michiel Horn, "The Gross National Product in Canada fell by forty-two percent in current and twenty-nine percent in constant dollars." This fact insists that the Canadian government, during the depression, possessed only a fraction of the money it had during times of prosperity such as the decade previous to the economic slump. Furthermore, the average national income for Canadian citizens in 1933 was a mere fifty-one percent of what it had been in 1929. Industrial activity and imports in Canada were way down, and the world-wide demand for Canadian primary products plummeted. Also, the sky-rocketing of domestic investment which was seen in the 1920's had been replaced by a period of enormous debt for both the public and private sectors. During the downswing, people could not afford to buy much. Savings were basically non-existent as people quickly used them up to help them through the trying times. The downswing of the depression also saw individuals, businesses, and governments all trying to spend less. Though this seemed to be the natural thing to do, it actually reinforced the overall decline. All in all, Canada's economy had been jolted and businesses, governments and consumers alike all suffered from it.

Of all of the hardships that faced Canadians during the Great Depression, perhaps the most obvious and most severe was the problem of mass unemployment. Unemployment was spread unevenly among industries, regions and types of workers. In fact, estimates of unemployment for 1933 ranged from nineteen percent to twenty percent of all Canadian workers. Of all of the areas of the workforce, it was the export areas and industries that suffered the most. This consisted of coal miners, fishermen, forest workers, and those in construction and transportation. For those workers who were in retailing, the service industries, and the financial sector, their incomes almost certainly fell, yet they usually maintained their jobs. Nevertheless, the working force was devastated by the unemployment created by the economic depression.

Not only did the unskilled and semi-skilled white collar workers suffer greatly from the depression, but so too did the young. Basically, if family providers were not being employed, young, inexperienced men were not to be employed either. Though youths were encouraged to further their education in hopes of landing secure, well-paying jobs, family funding usually could not permit it.

Women, on the other hand, saw a relatively smaller unemployment rate that did Canadian men, due to the fact that the service fields, where most women were employed, were not hit as hard by the depression as were the predominantly male industries.

The situation continued to worsen so that by 1933, one third of wage earners were estimated to be out of work, while nearly 1.5 million Canadians depended on direct relief for survival. Public relief was administered by municipal and provincial governments to those who were destitute and could not make a living on their own. The notion behind relief was that it would provide less that the wage of the worst-paying job, in order to discourage people from relying on relief as long as there were still some jobs. However, there seemed to be no jobs for the unemployed, so many of them accepted their failure or defeat and went on relief. For example, in Saskatchewan alone, there were more than 200,000 farmers who relied on the Saskatchewan Relief Commission to keep them from starving or freezing on their devastated farms. Not only did the rural population in Canada have to rely on relief, but so too did the urban working class. Their situation was every bit as trying as that of the rural farmers, as they too had to use up every possible resource such as savings and assistance from family and friends before they turned to public relief as their final option.

Aside from direct relief, which came to people in small amounts of cash or product vouchers, the governments (all levels), also implemented an indirect relief in order to help those in need. This type of relief involved the people to work on government-funded projects, though this tended to be much more expensive for the government that did direct relief. Consequently, the federal, provincial, and municipal governments were much more eager to provide direct public relief to the unemployed.

Canadians all across the country responded differently and held different attitudes towards the idea of public relief. For many Canadians, to accept any form of relief meant to admit defeat. In fact, some Canadians felt that being paid for not working was so humiliating to them that they often performed difficult, yet pointless labor in order to justify the money they received. The shameful and lowly reputation and status that came with accepting relief was so degrading to some Canadians that they actually sought to avoid it. This often involved keeping their resources which were of some value, just so that they would not qualify for relief. Still, to some of the population, the issuing of direct relief or "pogey" by the government was not enough of an effort by them. These people happened to blame the government for the depression and felt that it was responsible for the problems which were endured by the Canadian citizens. They simply wanted security and some form of insurance against the climatic and economic troubles. Many of these same people felt that the government needed to rid the country of Indians and foreigners in order to free up jobs for white males. Similarly, many Canadian men felt that women should not be employed as long as strong, young men were around to fill the positions. Still, for the majority of the population, especially the low-income workers, relief was a way of avoiding taxes and having a secure monthly wage. For if they were working, their job and wage security were usually extremely low or nonexistent. Overall, the attitudes held by Canadians towards public relief varied form person to person and they were ultimately the products of the situation in which they found themselves.

For young, single men, relief was usually not an option as they rarely qualified for it. Work for these young men, (and a few women), could usually not be found near their homes, so the majority of them took to the road or railways in search of work. These migrant workers, when assembled in large numbers, became a threat to the law and security of the governments, small and large alike, as they began to make organized demands.

As R.B. Bennett, who was Prime Minister during the worst years of the depression, began to realize this threat, he sought to set up relief work camps for these young, single men. These relief camps, which were mostly located in British Columbia and Ontario, were often situated a fair distance from any cities, and consisted of work which was neither urgent nor very important. The camps provided room, board, medical care, and a twenty cent per day allowance for the men. Despite the essentials, the camps tended to be places of hopelessness as there was little opportunity of advancement. In fact, dissatisfaction was becoming so severe in the camps that it even lead to worker strikes, which were often instigated by the Relief Camp Workers' Union. These strikers mainly broke out in Ontario, Quebec and most commonly in British Columbia. One notable strike occurred in 1935 when thousands of workers left their British Columbia camps and proceeded to Vancouver. When neither the federal nor the provincial government attempted to negotiate about the workers' wages, the many strikers hopped a long line of boxcars and headed to Ottawa in what is known as the "On To Ottawa Trek". However, this Trek came to an abrupt end in Regina as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who were ordered to halt the strikers, opened fire on them and attempted to make arrests. What ensued was a violent riot (The Regina Riot of 1935), in which a couple of men were killed, many more injured, and numerous rioters arrested. Lacking real leadership and motivation, the remaining strikers soon returned to their camps. Above all, the On To Ottawa Trek and the Regina Riot of 1935 are usually not seen as attempts at radicalism, but rather are regarded as representations of the bitter frustrations of the Canadian people during the Great Depression.

The population growth in Canada during the 1930's was at an all-time low and people were no longer moving to towns and cities. The reason for this shift in settling ideas came from the notion that poverty in the urban centers was even more unbearable than life on a poor farm.

Nowhere in Canada was the depression more severe and devastating than in the province of Saskatchewan. Average income for both individuals and businesses was the lowest in Canada and by 1937, two thirds of the rural population had been placed on relief. Direct relief in Saskatchewan was not much different that the rest of the country as it too came in the form of either cash or specific vouchers that were so insufficient that people were nearly starving. For example, in 1933-1934, the Saskatchewan Relief Commission set a maximum monthly food allowance of ten dollars plus one bag of flour for a family of five. Not only did families have to conserve these funds as they went rather quickly, but they often found themselves borrowing food from friends and family in order to feed their own. At the most severe point in the depression, nearly one third of the province was drought-stricken and the enormous decline in grain and livestock prices also contributed greatly to the virtually unbearable times.

Dust problems on the prairies were also quite severe. Often times, car lights had to be used all day long, and a thick layer of dust sometimes as deep as two feet covered everything. Furthermore, any seeded crops were usually destroyed as the wind eroded the topsoil . The landscape almost seemed to look like winter, except there was a blanket of dust instead of snow. Bread lines, dust clouds , drought, and Bennett Buggies were commonly found throughout the province. Very little medical aid was given directly to those in need in rural Saskatchewan. Often times, only extra fruit was given as a treatment for illness.

For those with professional jobs such as doctors and dentists, their clinics and hospitals were not receiving enough money in order to perform even regular or routine tasks. Teachers had such dismal salaries that many could not even afford to pay their own board. Thus, many Saskatchewan teachers were put on direct relief until their salaries became sufficient enough to pay for their own survival. Things were so difficult that at times, children could not be clothed properly when going to school in the winter.

Among the young, single people in Saskatchewan there was an increasing trend towards heading from town to town, and job to job. Basically, there was a feeling of despair and irresponsibility as well as a decrease in morale. For example, when unemployment rates rose, so too did prostitution rates for young women. This shows the desperation and the lack of hope for the future of most of the youth in Saskatchewan at this time. All in all, the drought which had caused the failure of grain crops and the massive unemployment rates made it almost impossible for any Saskatchewan residents to succeed.

For those families who were financially comfortable before the onset of the depression, they were often in a similar financial position during it. Though wages and salaries undoubtedly decreased, the cost of living had also fallen drastically. However, according to the newspaperman James Gray, "The people all across the West discovered there was no essential relationship between income and enjoyment of life." This statement in all likelihood refers to the many "get-togethers" and Saturday night dances which were characteristic of small town and rural life in Western Canada. With the many get-togethers and dances, comes the subject of alcohol. Alcohol prices were actually rather high during the depression as was it forbidden to those on relief. Consequently, alcohol was nearly nonexistent in the life of the average Canadian during the Great Depression.

Also during the Great Depression, churches were seen by Canadians as important social centers as well as places of worship and comfort. To help alleviate the problems in the West, Easterners often sent food and clothing to the Western churches who in turn, distributed them to those in need. Thus, the churches not only served as a spiritual provider, but as a physical and even mental provider as well.

During the recovery years of 1936 and 1937, which Saskatchewan saw very little of, workers gained more power and this ultimately brought about conflicts into the labor relations. As a result, numerous strikes occurred, with the most notable one taking place in Oshawa in 1937 against the General Motors Company. In this particular strike, the workers were finally given union recognition, though they had also asked for higher pay and better working conditions. Also during this mid-thirties recovery, it was the capitalist class that benefitted the most as profits had recovered to a reasonable level. For the average citizen, neither employment rates nor working class and farmer incomes saw much improvement.

However, life was not totally awful for Canadians during the Great Depression. Times were indeed tough, but the Canadian people were determined to survive and made do with what they had. They often did what they could to help out those who were worse off than they were. That is, they lived rather communally, as friends, neighbors, and relatives shared their resources and helped each other survive. Above all, for what the Canadians lacked in goods and money, they made up for it in friendship. The frequent get-togethers had been a sign that people really pulled together during this time. As a result, it has been argued by numerous historians that the Canadian citizens seemed to be closer together during the Great Depression than in any other time period. To add to the situation, things were inexpensive for Canadians and taxation was minimal. Also, for those who wanted to build a home, both materials and labor came rather cheaply.

To add to the hopes of the Canadian people, the Second World War was approaching which meant that, so too was the end of the Great Depression. The Second World War really came as a relief to Canadians as it brought back the employment, product and material demand which was characteristic of the 1920's. As the war raged on, people began to make their way out of the depression. By 1942, unemployment had been replaced by overemployment and even women began to enter the workforce in large numbers. Furthermore, the drought on the Canadian prairies had come to an end, although Saskatchewan, being hit the hardest by the depression, was slower to recover than most other places. This, of course, was a result of the deadly drought combined with the severity of the depression and economic lag in the province.

In conclusion, the Great Depression had brought about both physical and mental hardships whose full effects cannot be determined. The security and independence that once came with work was now a myth and people held little control over their incomes. The loss of work, income, and the acceptance of public relief meant a loss of status and self-respect. For many, life consisted of moving from place to place just to find temporary, poor-paying work. Nevertheless, the Canadian people had to make do with what they had and seemed to enjoy the company of one another. All in all, it was the Canadian peoples' display of heart, hope, unity, and determination that still exists today, which ultimately pulled them through the trying times of the Great Depression.

 Endnotes

Michiel Horn, The Great Depression of the 1930's in Canada (Ottawa: Canadian Historical Association, 1984), 3.

Ibid.

Ibid, 4.

Victor Hoar, The On To Ottawa Trek (Vancouver: The Copp Clark Publishing Company, 1970), 2.

Michiel Horn, The Dirty Thirties (Canada: The Copp Clark Publishing Company, 1972), 23.

Lorne Brown, When Freedom Was Lost (Montreal: Black Rose Books Inc., 1987), 36.

Victor Howard, "Citizen Support of the On-To-Ottawa Trek" in The Dirty Thirties in Prairie Canada, ed. R.D. Francis and H. Ganzevoort (Vancouver: Tantalis Research Limited, 1966), 38.

Ibid.

Horn, The Great Depression, 10.

Horn, The Dirty Thirties, 92.

Horn, The Great Depression, 16.

Ibid., 17.

Ibid.

Horn, The Dirty Thirties, 114.

Howard, "Citizen Support of the On-To-Ottawa Trek", 41.

Brown, When Freedom Was Lost, 52.

Horn, The Great Depression, 8-9. Ibid., 13-14.

Ibid.

Brown, When Freedom Was Lost, 319.

Ibid.

Horn, The Dirty Thirties, 83.

Horn, The Great Depression, 14.

Ibid., 15.

Ibid., 15-16.

Howard, "Citizen Support of the On-To- Ottawa Trek", 42-43.

Brown, When Freedom Was Lost, 166.

Horn, The Dirty Thirties, 409.

Ibid.

Ibid., 421.

Horn, The Great Depression, 18.

Horn, The Dirty Thirties, 424.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid, 425.

Ibid., 512.

Brown, When Freedom Was Lost, 77.

Horn, The Great Depression, 16.

Ibid.

Horn, The Dirty Thirties, 393.

Ibid., 395.

Brown, When Freedom Was Lost, 188.

Horn, The Great Depression, 17.

Horn, The Dirty Thirties, 703.

Howard, "Citizen Support of the On-To-Ottawa Trek", 44.

Ibid., 43.

Horn, The Great Depression, 18-19.

Ibid., 19.

Horn, The Dirty Thirties, 711. 

Bibliography

Brown, Lorne. When Freedom Was Lost. Montreal: Black Rose Books Inc., 1987.

Hoar, Victor. The On To Ottawa Trek. Vancouver: The Copp Clark Publishing Company, 1970.

Horn, Michiel. The Dirty Thirties. Canada: The Copp Clark Publishing Company, 1972.

Horn, Michiel. The Great Depression of the 1930's in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian Historical Association, 1984.

Howard, Victor. "Citizen Support of the On To Ottawa Trek." In The Dirty Thirties in Prairie Canada, edited by R.D. Francis and H. Ganzevoort, 33-45. Vancouver: Tantalus Research Limited, 1966.