CANADA HISTORY - DOCUMENTS FRONTIER

1933 Conditions in the Canadian West During the Depression

Analysis of the Document - (The Document follows below the Analysis)

The Great Depression of the 1930s hit the Canadian West with brutal force, exacerbating the region's already fragile economy. By 1933, conditions had deteriorated drastically. The agricultural sector, which formed the backbone of the western economy, suffered catastrophic blows as crop prices plummeted, and the prairies were ravaged by drought. The "Dust Bowl" created an environmental disaster, turning fertile farmland into barren, arid dust plains. This combination of economic and environmental ruin drove thousands of families into poverty, and rural communities found themselves unable to sustain their livelihoods.

The collapse of wheat prices, which had been the West’s most significant export, particularly devastated farmers. Between 1929 and 1933, wheat prices fell by nearly 75%, leading to widespread foreclosures on farms and agricultural lands. Many farmers, unable to pay their debts, lost their land, homes, and means of income. The government introduced programs such as relief payments and public works projects, but they were insufficient to address the scale of the disaster. Entire communities became dependent on these meager relief efforts, and the sense of despair and hopelessness spread across the region.

Unemployment rates soared to unprecedented levels. With industries reliant on agriculture, the decline of farming rippled through the western economy. Jobs disappeared not only in agriculture but also in railways, processing plants, and other sectors connected to the agricultural economy. The social impact was stark: people moved to urban centers in search of work, but cities like Winnipeg and Regina, already overwhelmed by the economic downturn, offered little opportunity. Transients, known as "hobos," rode the railways across the West, seeking any form of employment or relief in the major cities.

Political and social unrest grew during this time, as the hardships of the Depression began to galvanize discontent among the working-class population. In 1933, the social fabric of the Canadian West was unraveling. Protest movements, such as the On-to-Ottawa Trek in 1935, began to emerge, expressing the frustrations of a population that felt abandoned by both provincial and federal governments. The Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), a socialist political party, gained momentum during this time, calling for radical changes to address the economic disparity and social inequality made worse by the Depression. In Saskatchewan, the rise of the CCF under Tommy Douglas would set the stage for future reforms in Canadian social policy.

The Depression also deepened the divide between rural and urban communities, with rural areas bearing the brunt of the environmental catastrophe and economic collapse. Many rural communities felt isolated, neglected by governments focused on industrial recovery in central Canada. The federal government, under R.B. Bennett, attempted to introduce reforms through relief camps and public works projects, but the West remained economically marginalized. As poverty worsened, migration from the Prairies became commonplace, with many heading to British Columbia or the United States in search of a better life.

In the long term, the struggles of the Great Depression in the West reshaped Canadian political, social, and economic history. The 1933 crisis laid bare the vulnerabilities of a resource-based economy and revealed the necessity for social safety nets, agricultural reform, and economic diversification. The hardships experienced in the Canadian West also inspired the development of key political movements, such as the CCF and its eventual evolution into the New Democratic Party (NDP), which would advocate for broader welfare policies, healthcare, and labor rights.

In conclusion, the 1933 Depression in the Canadian West was not only an economic catastrophe but also a turning point in Canadian history. It revealed deep structural weaknesses in the Canadian economy, particularly in its reliance on agriculture, and set the stage for future political and social reforms. The despair and struggle of those years are etched into the memory of the West, serving as a reminder of the resilience of its people and the necessity of a strong, supportive state in times of crisis. The lessons of the 1930s would resonate for decades, influencing the policies and attitudes that would shape modern Canada.

How families in stricken prairie areas have managed to live during these trying times. Those too proud to accept relief have exhibited considerable ingenuity in devising ways and means of augmenting the family income. For one thing the old spinning wheel has come back into use again. In a small Manitoba town a blacksmith took advantage of this sudden demand for spinning wheels to revamp his shop into a spinning wheel factory and business boomed so quickly he had to take on additional help. In the Edenwold district, east of Regina, one family with butter and eggs to sell debated whether it was worth while to spend the money for gasoline to take their produce to Regina. They solved the problem by filling the old Model T Ford with cut firewood and the sale value of the wood paid the expenses of the trip. Another farmer near Rouleau, Sask., despaired of selling his hogs in the ordinary way for the price was at rock bottom. He conceived the idea of manufacturing the entire hog into sausage and the word spread that his sausage was good, so he was forced to go out and buy the hogs of his neighbours. The spinning industry was revived because the price of wool was so low as to make it unprofitable to sell. The government instructors quickly adapted their training to the changed conditions and showed the farm women how to make blankets out of the raw wool. Unable to buy new cars and by the same token unable to buy gasoline for the old car, or even to buy a buggy, the farmers have taken the engines out of their old Model T Fords, hitched a tongue and whiffle-trees to the front axle and called it a "Bennett" buggy. Others have put a seat on the front wheels of a Model T and have christened this an "Anderson" cart. Probably Premiers Bennett and Anderson will not feel flattered at the use of their names in this connection, but it is a reflection of the spirit of the times.... One item of expense the farmer has eliminated is that of flour. With thousands of bushels in his granaries that the market price doomed to remain there, the farmer took five or ten bushels to the small grist mill for his own flour. If he had no money to pay for the milling he left the bran and shorts with the miller in payment. The average farm family has limited its purchases to sugar and tea, for which no substitutes can be found on the land. A few dozen eggs or a few pounds of butter can take care of these requirements. Some enterprising businessmen, such as local theatre and skating rink managers offered to take wheat and barley as payment for admission prices. They tell the story of a Manitoba farmer who met two acquaintances outside a beer parlor. "Lets go in for a beer," he suggested. The three quaffed their bottles of beer and when the host arose to go he turned to the hotel-keeper. "I'll bring you ten bushels of barley to pay for that." he said. Until organized relief measures came to the aid of the farmer the fuel problem was his greatest worry. You can drive a day at a time in some parts of Saskatchewan and never see a tree or a bush. Those farmers burned coal in the good days, but in their necessity they had no money with which to buy coal. So they burned barley. But they have caught a vision of better times, with the upward trend of the wheat market. Those courageous enough to hold their crop over from last year have sold it this summer, mostly in small lots, for a carload shipment would excite comment and perhaps invoke a seizure order from the bank, the implement agent or the mortgage company. So they have sold a lot of their grain a hundred bushels at a time and they are paying their small debts, preferably their store bills. They feel the banks, the implement companies and the mortgage companies can wait a bit longer for their money.... There will be money to spend in western Canada this year if the market price of grain keeps up. The farmer is starved for everything that contributes to the comfort and well-being of his family and as soon as he gets some surplus cash he will turn it loose into the avenues of trade....