In the 1930s, Canada faced significant economic challenges, notably during the Great Depression, which was exacerbated by the Dust Bowl drought. This period of poverty greatly influenced the Canadian identity and perception.
Big Question: Identity
How have people, ideas, and events shaped our view of what it means to be Canadian?
Sports
First and only medal
in basketball at Berlin Olympics.
The Canadian Men's Basketball team
participated in the 1936 Olympics held
in Berlin, Germany and won their first
and only medal in the sport. Their team
was led by Gordon Aitchison and Ian Allison.
Kenneth Moore, First Native
Olympian wins gold in hockey.
Improves relations with White Canadians
and indigeneous people. Natives starting to
become more accepted in society and this showed
when Kenneth Moore won gold with his Canadian team
at the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.
Hamilton hosts first
"Commonwealth Games"
British Relations
Statue of Westminster formed, granted Canada
full autonomy.
The Statute of Westminster was a British law
clarifying the powers of the Commonwealth countries'
government. After it was signed in 1931, Canada had full legal freedom and did not need to consult Britain to make decisions.
Canada starting to remove itself from British identity, Bank of Canada formed, not a dominion anymore.
Canada's Role in WW2
We did not send in troops
immediately after the British did,
which shows more autonomy than
in WW1
Raid on Dieppe: Failure.
Shows Canada cannot
defeat Axis power (at
the beginning of WW2)
The Dieppe Raid was a failed
Ally attack (with over 6000
Canadian soldiers participating)
on Nazi Germany in
1942 and took place in Dieppe, France.
The result was an Axis victory and the
Nazis were at an all-time high following
this victory. This was also a low point
for Canadian military forces.
Politics
Different parties being formed
eg. Communist Party, to help
get out of depression.
Canada viewed as a Liberal country
at the time along with the USA due
to Bennett's New Deal
Bennett's New Deal
was a welfare system
inspired by US President
Roosevelt to attempt to
pull Canada out of the
depression and feed the
middle-class citizens now
going hungry.
R.B Bennett
New Deal: Master plan created by Bennett
to attempt to relieve Canada from depression,
inspired by Roosevelt.
On to Ottawa Trek: Group of men rode the rails
(hopped on freight trains) on a mission to inform
the PM of the poor conditions at relief camps. The
trek was somewhat successful and changes were
made to reflect better conditions at the camps designed
to feed and give work to poor men.
During the depression, Bennett was blamed
for the hardships and this was evident in the
Bennett buggy, a car pulled by a horse. This
showed Canada was struggling.
Dust Bowl was a weather
phenomenon caused by the lack
of rain over the course of three
farming seasons from 1934-1936,
and poor application of farming
processes in the Canadian and
American prairies. This drought was
one huge factor that played into the
depression because people had no food.
During the depression, most Canadians were
poor, and so poverty was associated with being
Canadian, and the Western world in general.
