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