Social Studies 10 Lessons

By: Gen L

Lesson 4a: 1930's Canada, Part I

PM King

• King, like other leaders, was unprepared
• Refused to fund assistance programs, claiming it was the provincial government's responsibility.
• Declared he would not give "a five cent piece" to any province without a Liberal Government.
  • That attitude contributed to the Liberal's loss in 1930.
• King lost the 1930 election to R.B. Bennett (Cons)

PM Bennett

• Bennett didn't support government assistance.
• However, he gave the provinces $20M for work projects
• Raised tariffs by 50%; encouraging other countries to do the same.
  • Canadian Goods locked out of international markets
• The Government feared communists might take advantage of the situation & promote revolution.

PM Bennett, cont.

• Bennett outlawed the communist party & arrested its leaders
• His inability to solve the economy made him the target of discontent.
  • "Bennett Buggy": A car pulled by a horse
  • "Bennett Barnyard": A deserted prairie farm
  • "Bennett Blanket": A newspaper
  • "Bennett Coffee": Roasted wheat
  • "Eggs Bennett": Boiled Chestnuts

1930's Work Camps

• Bennett created work camps for the unemployed
• Camps were isolated (kept unemployed out of the cities)
• Worked on public projects like roads, clearing land & digging drainage ditches
• Workers paid 20c/day + room & board
• Food & living conditions were very bad.

On-to-Ottawa Trek

• 1935 - over 1 000 BC camp workers left camps in protest.
• From Vancouver, they decided to go to Ottawa
• They rode freight trains, picking up supporters along the way.
• RCMP stopped them in Regina, allowing the leaders to continue.
• Leaders met with an angry Bennett, who promptly threw them out.
• RCMP ordered to clear the area, the trekkers resisted.

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