CANADA HISTORY

Relief Camps

The Great Depression of the 1930s stands as one of the darkest periods in Canadian history, bringing with it widespread economic hardship, especially in the form of mass unemployment. The ripple effects of the global economic collapse were felt across all sectors of Canadian society, and no region was spared. With unemployment rates soaring, many Canadian industries found themselves in a position of dominance over the labor market. Employers could easily decide which workers to keep and which to let go, knowing that for every job vacancy, there were many desperate applicants. This stark imbalance in supply and demand for labor gave employers the leverage to impose wage cuts on their workers, who had little choice but to accept lower wages to avoid the very real prospect of joblessness.

Union activity, which had been gaining momentum in Canada during the early 20th century, was effectively stifled during this period. Workers who might have turned to unions for protection found that labor organizations were largely powerless in the face of the vast economic downturn. The government, too, was initially reluctant to intervene in what many believed was a temporary downturn. Thus, workers were left vulnerable, trapped between the demands of employers and the increasing scarcity of jobs.

As the Depression worsened, many local communities and provincial governments stepped in to provide some measure of relief to their residents. This was often in the form of direct relief payments, designed to help families purchase food and other essentials. These payments varied by region. For example, families in the Maritimes received around $19 per month, while those in Alberta could receive as much as $60. However, this relief was far from universal. Crucially, single, unmarried men were not eligible for these payments, reflecting the societal values of the time that prioritized assistance for families over individuals. The bulk of these payments came in the form of vouchers, which could be exchanged for basic necessities like food and clothing.

By 1932, with the unemployment rate averaging 30% nationwide and reaching 40% in some regions, the federal government under Prime Minister R.B. Bennett finally acknowledged the severity of the unemployment crisis. Up until this point, the government had done little to address the deepening economic catastrophe. The decision to act was influenced, in part, by the success of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal in the United States, which saw large-scale government intervention aimed at providing jobs and relief for the unemployed.

At the heart of Canada's response was a proposal from Major General Andrew McNaughton, the army’s chief of staff, to establish relief camps for unemployed men. These camps, modeled in part on Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, aimed to provide young, single men with a place to live, food, and a modest wage in exchange for labor on public works projects. The goal was twofold: to address the growing problem of unemployment and to provide the government with a mechanism to maintain social order.

These relief camps, which began operating in October 1932, were semi-military in nature. The men who enrolled were housed in barracks and provided with three meals a day. They were paid 20 cents per day, and in return, they were required to work 44 hours a week. The work was often grueling and consisted of manual labor in remote locations. Many were tasked with replanting trees in areas that had been heavily logged, building roads and bridges in the western provinces, and working on public construction projects, including the construction of public buildings. Within the camps, there was also a need for skilled laborers such as carpenters, metal workers, and farmers, though even those with specialized skills were paid the same modest wage of 20 cents per day.

The relief camps were an essential component of Canada's early efforts to combat the worst effects of the Depression, but they were far from a perfect solution. The conditions in the camps were harsh, and the men who worked there—many of them disillusioned by the lack of opportunity—quickly grew frustrated. The wage of 20 cents per day was seen as insufficient, and the grueling work conditions only deepened the resentment. Trade unions, which had been sidelined during the early years of the Depression, began to gain influence in the camps, organizing the men and advocating for higher wages and better working conditions.

By April 1935, the growing discontent reached a tipping point. Many of the camps in British Columbia went on strike, and the unrest quickly spread. The striking workers consolidated in Vancouver, where they formed a large and vocal protest movement. Their demands were simple: better wages and improved living conditions. The protest soon evolved into the On-to-Ottawa Trek, a bold plan in which hundreds of men marched across the country toward Ottawa, determined to present their demands directly to the federal government.

The On-to-Ottawa Trek captured the nation’s attention and became a symbol of the widespread discontent brewing across Canada. As the protestors made their way east, they were met with support from local communities, but their journey was cut short in Regina. On July 1, 1935, the federal government, fearing a larger uprising, ordered the RCMP to stop the trekkers. A violent confrontation broke out between the police and the protestors, in what would later be known as the Regina Riot. The confrontation resulted in the death of one police officer and left dozens of protestors and law enforcement officials injured.

Despite the violence, the protest did not end in Ottawa. While the trekkers never reached the capital, their actions sent a clear message: the 20 cents per day wage and the harsh conditions in the relief camps were no longer acceptable. The Regina Riot marked a turning point in Canadian labor history and forced the federal government to reconsider its approach to addressing unemployment and worker grievances.

Although the relief camps remained operational until 1936, their legacy is complex. On one hand, they provided temporary shelter and work for over 170,000 men during a time of economic devastation. The public works projects undertaken by the relief camps helped build infrastructure that would benefit Canada for decades to come. On the other hand, the camps symbolized the government’s failure to address the root causes of unemployment and its unwillingness to offer meaningful financial assistance to those affected by the Depression.

The closure of the relief camps in 1936 coincided with a shift in Canadian politics. R.B. Bennett, whose Conservative government had overseen the camps, was defeated in the 1935 federal election by Mackenzie King and the Liberal Party, who promised a more compassionate approach to the economic crisis. Bennett’s heavy-handed response to the On-to-Ottawa Trek and the Regina Riot contributed to his political downfall, while the Liberals’ victory marked the beginning of a new era in Canadian social policy.

The Relief Camps and the events surrounding the On-to-Ottawa Trek played a crucial role in shaping Canada’s response to the Great Depression. They highlighted the deep divisions within Canadian society and exposed the limitations of government policy during the early years of the economic crisis. The discontent that arose from the camps also helped to catalyze the growth of the labor movement in Canada, which would become a powerful force in the decades to come.

In the broader context of Canadian history, the Relief Camps were a precursor to the welfare state that would emerge after World War II. The Depression had exposed the inadequacies of Canada’s social safety net, and the failures of programs like the relief camps demonstrated the need for more comprehensive solutions to poverty and unemployment. By the 1940s, Canada would begin to develop a range of social programs designed to prevent the kind of suffering that had been so widespread during the Depression.

The Relief Camps of the Great Depression were a significant chapter in Canadian history. They provided a temporary solution to the unemployment crisis, but their harsh conditions and meager wages sparked widespread discontent and ultimately led to one of the most significant labor protests in Canadian history—the On-to-Ottawa Trek. The legacy of the camps, the protest, and the Regina Riot would have a lasting impact on Canadian politics and labor relations, helping to shape the country’s approach to social welfare in the decades to come.