Responses to the Great Depression
Fortunate vs. Unfortunate The Unfortunate Single Men could not find jobs could not receive relief payments of food vouchers Farmers on the Prairies other countries stopped buying their wheat drought turned fertile soil into dust The Fortunate Professional Peeps doctors, lawyers and bankers had steady jobs wages were not reduced Government Workers wages were not reduced Peeps with Savings prices for food, clothing and shelter were low
Government Response Prime Minister Mackenzie King unwilling to deal with the Depression said he would not give Conservative provincial governments “a five cent piece” to help them deal with unemployment
Citizens’ Response Riding the Rails unemployed men hitched a ride on freight trains (on top or inside) to travel across the country to find work Police attempted to arrest transients for “vagrancy”
Pogey and Vouchers similar to today’s modern-day welfare system assistance in the form of money received from the state a piece of paper that entitles the holder to a discount provided means for: food other essential items sometimes rent and fuel
Unemployment Relief Camps 1930 Bennett (Conservative) became Prime Minister Set up Unemployment Relief Camps for single, unemployed men sent to camps in wilderness under military authority men laboured on public work projects such as building roads $0.20 a day plus room and board
Relief Camps men felt dehumanized and forgotten no freedom of mobility in and out of camps men plotted ways of making the government accountable for the Depression, which led to: the On-to-Ottawa Trek, and the Regina Riot men were kept away from their families and loved ones
Bennett’s New Deal 1935 Progressive Taxation the more you make, the more you pay maximum number of hours in a work week introduction of minimum wage federal government could not enforce hours and wage since provinces were responsible for employment practices
New Deal continued stronger regulation of working conditions unemployment insurance health and accident insurance revised old age pension plan agricultural support a marketing board to regulate wheat prices The Canadian Wheat Board
Story Time 1934 North Bay, Ontario Dionne Quintuplets were the 1st to live for more than just a few days soon after birth, the government took over the welfare of the Quints sent to a nursery / hospital where they were cared for by a special team of doctors and nurses rarely saw their parents of siblings constantly tested and observed Ontario government eventually built a road to the nursery so tourists could watch the kids play estimated that this generated over $500 million in tourist dollars the quints returned home after a 9 year battle 1998 the Ontarian government gave the Dionne family a settlement of $4 million