J.S. Woodsworth
Maurice Duplessis
Homeless Canadian family in Western Canada during the heart of the Depression
A Soup Kitchen during the Depression What do you think about when you see this picture?
27% Unemployment
MacKenzie King
Canadas Reaction
R.B. Bennetts plans made the depression worse as his protectionism cut off Canadian exports. Many Canadians could not afford to put gasoline in their cars. Instead, their cars were pulled by horses! Canadians called these cars Bennett Buggies
A riot breaks out in Regina as the Government tries to stop the On to Ottawa Trek
Bill Aberhart was a preacher and school teacher from Alberta He thought that the Depression was caused by people not having enough money to buy goods and services; especially farmers. His idea? Give every citizen $25 per month prosperity certificate so people could buy more products and help the economy. His party was called the Social Credit Party. His party was elected in 1935 in Alberta, but they never paid out the certificates. The party was a major force in the west and stayed in power until the 1970s in Alberta. It was also a major force in BC politics
The CCF
He was a conscientious objector during WW1 and worked as a minister in Winnipeg helping the homeless. He believed that the free enterprise system had failed the people during the depression and that the government needed to take a greater role during the depression. He proposed: Unemployment insurance, free medical care, family allowances and old age pensions. Many of his ideas have been adopted in Canada. His Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) Party later was renamed the NDP in 1961.
J.S. Woodsworth