Realities of life in the Great Depression Hard Times Realities of life in the Great Depression

Riding the Rails 30% of Canada’s workforce was unemployed. Many “rode the rails” to find work Work-seeking migrants were called “hobos” Many never found work and never stopped travelling

Work Camps R.B. Bennett saw Communism as a looming threat General Andrew McNaughton’s solution was to use work camps to keep unemployed young men out of cities. Thousands were sent to distant camps, paid a pittance to do busy work and not allowed to leave.

“The Enemies Within” Thousands of immigrants were also accused of Communist sympathies and deported Ironically, the work camps often became hotbeds of political dissent. Fascism also spread throughout the 30s, but was not seen as a threat like Communism.

Workers’ Plight For the rich, life was easy during the Depression. Low prices meant that the already wealthy became even richer. High unemployment meant that they could treat workers however they wanted. Labour Minister H.H. Stevens took an unprecedented stand against the exploitation of the common people.

The Dust Bowl Due to drought, wind and over- cultivation the prairies experienced “the dust bowl.” Black blizzards Poverty Migration

Dear Mr. Prime minister In desperation, some Canadians wrote to R.B. Bennett asking for help. He replied to as many as he could, using his own money to fulfill their requests.

On-to-Ottawa April, 1935, workers in the relief camps in western Canada eventually decided they’d had enough They occupied Vancouver for two months, then started heading east. At Regina, Bennett ordered the trains not to take them The RCMP, acting on Bennets’ orders attacked the workers

Election Meanwhile, down in the U.S., the new president, Franklin D. Roosevelt won the election with promises of a “New Deal” Canadians were finally fed up with Bennett’s lack of any substantial results In 1935, Bennett lost the election to King and the liberals. “King or chaos”