The great depression in Canada

Causes

Overdependence in US’s market, Political fragmentation, heavy debts by governments and individuals, wheat overproduction

Overdependence on the US’s market

USA’s automobiles and electronica depended on minerals from Canada’s mines, increased US’s tariff declines Canada’s trade.

Politicial fragmentation

change of leadership in main parties as well as rise of popularity of non-traditional parties.

Bennett’s reponse

Increased tariffs, relief camps and Bennett’s New deal failure

Relief Camps

single unemployed men were firected to work camps far from urban centers, earning 20 cents a day.

Bank of Canada

designed to coordinate the government’s monetary policy

Prairie Farm Rehabilitation act

set uo to seek solutions for devastating ecological conditions of the dust bowl

King’s response

Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act, refuse to provide federal aid, social reforms such as continue PFRA.

Reciprocate trade agreement act 

agreement between Roosevelt and King to end the trade wars by reducing trades

Social reforms

Continue with PRFA, family allowance and unemplyment insurances.

Regional movements

Cooperative commonwealth federation, social credit, union nationale and on-to-ottawa trek

Cooperative Commonwealth Federation

socialist that declared that the system needed a reform and not a revolution

Social credit

party that sought to increase consumer spending by issuing credits worth $25 a month. It governed in Alberta

Union Nationale

renewed nationalism that sought to shut down any organisation deemed by the government to be promoting communism. 

On-to-Ottawa Trek 

Protest by unployment relief camps that scalated and wanted to strike in Ottawa but were stopped. It was led by Worker Unity league (WUL), affiliated with the international communist movement