The 1930s were a dark time in Canada’s history. We were in an economic crisis, with 30% of the population without a job. The depression went on for such a long period of time because of how ineffectively Canadians at the time responded to the Great Depression. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King’s Liberal Party was in power at the start of the Great Depression in 1929. Leading up to the 1930s, unemployment was an increasingly worse issue. Bennett, the conservative leader at the time, promised a resolve to it. The Conservative Party of Canada then proceeded to win the 1930s election. Bennett’s government remained in power for 5 years. These 5 years were the worst in the whole depression. Bennett didn’t spend federal money on relief programs, because
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Bennett followed this advice, and started relief camps where men worked manual labor, such as building roads or clearing trees, while getting little pay, working in cold conditions, and living in tight crowded sheds. In April of 1935, many men demanded better working conditions and wages in the BC camps. The men trekked all the way to Regina, where Bennett agreed to speak to the trek leaders in Ottawa if the rest stayed behind in Regina. The Ottawa meeting did not resolve any issues since Bennett insisted that the relief camps where fine and claiming the trek leaders were just communist agitators. There was a public meeting on July 1st where the police and RCMP tried to arrest the trek leaders. A riot broke out damaging property and street cars. Within a few days the trekkers were on their way back to where they came. The citizens attempted to make a change, but the government was unwilling to listen, harming many people who relied on relief camps. Throughout the depression the people's’ faith in the two major political parties dwindled. People took it into their own hands and created their own political
Bennett followed this advice, and started relief camps where men worked manual labor, such as building roads or clearing trees, while getting little pay, working in cold conditions, and living in tight crowded sheds. In April of 1935, many men demanded better working conditions and wages in the BC camps. The men trekked all the way to Regina, where Bennett agreed to speak to the trek leaders in Ottawa if the rest stayed behind in Regina. The Ottawa meeting did not resolve any issues since Bennett insisted that the relief camps where fine and claiming the trek leaders were just communist agitators. There was a public meeting on July 1st where the police and RCMP tried to arrest the trek leaders. A riot broke out damaging property and street cars. Within a few days the trekkers were on their way back to where they came. The citizens attempted to make a change, but the government was unwilling to listen, harming many people who relied on relief camps. Throughout the depression the people's’ faith in the two major political parties dwindled. People took it into their own hands and created their own political