1930's
...en apart, Homes ruined and people were dying. This is why the depression brought out the very worst in Canadians. Canadians were at an all time low in the 1930’s. Their money was all gone their homes were being taken away and their families were being torn apart. This is when we realized that it brought out the worst in Canadians. And not just the people, but the government as well. At first there was no relief programs at all for people in need, they were left to fend for themselves, but finally Bennett introduced a relief program. Still this was a very poor solution. The Canadian people had to wait in line for hours just to get upwards of $8.67 worth of food vouchers. Before they could receive the vouchers though, they must have had their water and electricity cut of and be under an eviction notice. Then they would have to swear they owned nothing of value, then, and only then, would they receive their vouchers. For some people being under a relief program showed they were weak and that they were unable to provide for their family. Many men would not give up their pride to provide for their family, so they would work double as long and hard to get just as much pay as they had previously earned. Even then it was not good enough to keep families together. One women had left and note to her husband stating that she had drown her son and daughter and poisoned herself, and that she owned the drugstore 44 cents. This woman had been on a relief program and too believed that it had taken all her pride away. This just goes to show how it brought out the worst in Canadians. To think that there life wasn’t even worth living because a loss of pride and dignity! Some men (who were single and had no family) were shipped of into work camps, where they would sleep in very tight quarters with to many men per bunk, eat very little food, just enough to keep them going and make only 20 cents a day. This was only a little better then staying at home and starving. They were worked very hard and earned next to nothing. But his was the government’s way of “helping out.” Now I’m not saying that all Canadians turned for the worst. Some indeed did go for the better. There are always those who were sent to Earth to help those in need and Canadian’s sure were in need. Lots of church groups set up soup tables, for lunches and dinner. They contained mostly cold soup and stale muffins, maybe some old coffee as ...