Reader: Ch. 6 – Life during the Great Depression
Primary Documents
- From The Wretched of Canada: Letters to R.B. Bennett, 1930–1935
- From “Ella Liscombe Diary, 1935”
Historical Interpretations - From “Canada’s ‘Gulag’: Project #51 Lac Seul (A Tale from the Great Depression),” Laurel Sefton MacDowell
Primary Documents - From The Wretched of Canada: Letters to R.B. Bennett, 1930–1935
LETTER FROM THOMAS GIBBS
• December 1st, 1930
• Ottawa, Ontario
Professor MacDowell is Professor of History at the University of Toronto (Mississauga) and an author
who researches Canadian history, focussing in particular upon the history of the Canadian labour
relations, and the environmental history of North America, particularly as it interacts with unions.
History
• Asking for a job
• Letter to Hon. Mr. Bennet about how the food shortage is affecting his family of 6
• Didn't receive attention from township
• Was in second Canadian infantry Battalion as a private
• He is a butcher by trade (farmer for 12 years)
• Says he has to steal
LETTER FROM MRS HENRIETTA BROWN
• November 30th, 1932
• Ottawa, Ontario
• She is writing to the Prime Minister
• Has a 10 year old daughter
• Is trying to escape her abusive husband
• Asking for a loan
LETTER FROM MRS THOMAS PERKINS
• September 28th, 1933
• Ottawa, Ontario
• Prime Minister RB Bennette
• Wife is asking for her husband's underware to be sent
• Her husband has nuritis and is 64 years old
• Couldn’t produce enough crops in the past 3 years to pay taxes and to live
• No telephone, newspaper, radio
• Husband draws wood on the waggon and sleeps under it
[Reply]
Personal & Confidential Ottawa, October 7, 1933.
• Secretary placed the order for underware
• Said to keep it confidential
[Reply]
Kingdom Nov 15/33
Prime Minister R.B. Bennett.
• Thanking for underware
BRIEF BY UNEMPLOYED OF EDMONTON
December 30th, 1933 Prime Minister of Canada
History
BRIEF PRESENTED BY THE UNEMPLOYED OF EDMONTON TO THE HON. R.B. BENNETT
• War miliritization
• Mr. Bennett part of Conservative Party
• Elected because (2)
- Promised to end unemployment
- Make it into foreign markets
• Speaker is saying that Prime Minister has failed to: - Cure dangerous disease
- Calling out his method to deal with unemployment Direct Relief System
- Present a solution: Non-contributary Unemployment Insurance
• Has to be non-contributary because the already unemployed will receive no benefit
• If you will send work at a living wage to strikers instead of tanks and machine guns your economic troubles will be considerably lessened
Demands
• We protest against this Fascist terrorism, and demand the rights of free speech and free assemble.
• When a young and great country like Canada with only Ten million population finds itself in the position where it must deport labor power there must be something wrong with its economic system.
fed up with being on relief
The material is here, land, lumber, iron, steel, etc. and so are we. If you can’t supply the tokens of exchange that will bring us together, you had better resign and hand the country over to the workers.
LETTER FROM ELIZABETH MCCRAE
Hamilton, Ontario
April 6, 1934
To His Excellency The Rt. Hon. R.B. Bennett, Parliament Buildings,
Ottawa, Ontario.
Att: Mr. Bennett.
• Starving
• Names reference of character for job opportunity
• I have received a high-school and Business-college education and I have had experience as a
Librarian.
• Discusses how her parents have no money and have been supporting them with the
unemployment home aid
• Starved herself to buy clothes for employers to take her seriously
o o
History
• Begging for employment
LETTER FROM ROBERT JACKSON
Montreal 10-22-34
To his Excellency: The Premier
•
• •
Feed, Clothe and House the foreign, while the natives starve and freeze is the slogan of our local politicians.
Robert Jackson wrote this letter
Chinese men could apply to the relief cause don’t understand English and French
LETTER FROM MR AND MRS JONATHAN STEWART
Magdalen Islands Quebec July 19 1935
Honaurable mr Bennett
• Poor woman who is 70 years old with sick husband asking for money to get coal and flower for one winter
• Promising their vote Primary Documents
2.
Thursday, 3 Jan. 1935
• No one is recognizing her work at the Bank of Montreal
• She says that Eric is doing better lately with his work
• Doris is a stranger to her now
Saturday, 5 Jan. 1935
• Felt discouraged when leaving the Bank of Montreal
• Davidson and the others are bullies
• Ollie and her only have their jobs to be thankful for
• She came home and found a letter from Getrude due to low spending money and wants a job
at the Bank again
Tuesday, 15 Jan. 1935
• Awful weather conditions but Bank of Montreal forced their employees to go in
• Doris doesn’t look well after the ordeal
• Busy for her cause closed typewriter at 6 despite not being many customers
• She went home for dinner but 2 other women ate lunch upstairs nearly frozen to death
Sunday, 20 Jan. 1935
From “Ella Liscombe Diary, 1935” in No Place like Home: Diaries and Letters of Nova Scotia
Women, 1771–1938
History
• Stayed in bed
• Sunny day
• 3 people in her class are sick with measles
• Cant afford a winter coat but other have to do without more and taxes
Wednesday, 23 Jan. 1935
• Eric and her did not get along due to nervousness form balance day
• Plumbing issue remedied
• Boss ordered typewriter
Saturday, 26 Jan. 1935
• Worked on Saturday but out by 1:30 pm cause no mail
• Bought a map to learn the countries
• Office is dusty due to plumbing work
• Office installed "Aristocrat" seat
Sunday, 27 Jan. 1935
• Went to church with Mary and her mother
• Grant the temperance man spoke about the downsides of alcohol
• While walking home with Aunt Clara and Mary she was reminded when she would make
toothpaste to win a prize fund
• Did not go to Sunday school, slept and read
Thursday, 31 Jan. 1935
• Still slippery and no typewriter
• Office is cold
• Worked until 6
• Next morning met Ms. Rigby at 7
• Smitty worked late who is a new boy willing to help out and got huge paycheques
Thursday, 7 Feb. 1935
• Mr. Hollyer caused a stir in the office by moving his banking affairs to Montreal
• Everyone had a choice for vacation except for her
• Eric and Smitty get first choice for vacation
Friday, 8 Feb. 1935
• She thinks Davidson was holding back from mentioning October as time for her break
• Eric is excited about the dance
• She planned to wash her hair today but would catch a cold
• Her hair is dirty and needs cutting but has no money
Thursday, 28 Feb. 1935
History
• Bank of Montreal gave a raise of $25 a year
• Bosses expect women to work harder than men
• Started to move her desk but Davidson said would move the Messenger and put her in his place
• Finished work at 9
Wednesday, 6 March 1935
• Ollie did not go to work today cause still has a cold
• She lives with her mom
• Boss asked her to work late so went home then rushed to church
• Miss Rigby applied for 2 month sick leave cause is miserable
• Knits herself a sweater and Ollie a skirt
Tuesday, 19 March 1935
• Davidson not at the office again
• Her bones are aching but doesn’t have a cold
• Hurts to put her overshoes
• Wish she could stay home
Wednesday, 20 March 1935
• Mr. Stead is sick
• She hinted to Mr. Stead to go home but did not, asked her to look for a sub in case she gets sick
• Stead gave her lots of work and nearing 6pm found her a typewriter
• Tomorrow a new boy is starting
Friday, 22 March 1935
• Day in bed and its cold outside
• Trying not to overthink how easily her job could be given to someone else
• Miss McDermott called up and said Filliter was taking my place (typist)
Monday, 25 March 1935
• Recovered after her sick spell
• City covered in snow
• Frozen in the office
• Furnace guy has the flu
• Always ran to hug radiator but better in afternoon
• Eric and Filliter are miserable and not as friendly as they used to be
• Ollie ready to start her sweater
Thursday, 18 April 1935
• Had time to order a cupboard after work
• Floyd is taking over Ms. Rigby's job
History
• Ms. Rigby back to type reports and protagonist is glad she wont have to do them on her own so now the boys will leave her alone
• Finished at 6pm
• Went shopping for a hat after
Friday, 26 April 1935
• She typed the boy's reports
• Ollie home for a change in the evening
• Went to go see a show
• Gertrude looks better but Ms. Rigby is taking another week off