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WWI
Jul 28, 1914 – Nov 11, 1918 -
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William King Prime Minister
The leader of the Liberal Party 1919-48, and prime minister for almost 22 of those years. As Canada’s longest-serving prime minister, King steered Canada through industrialization, much of the Great Depression, and World War 2. By the time he left office, Canada had achieved greater independence from Britain and a stronger international voice and had implemented policies such as unemployment insurance in response to industrialization, economic distress, and changing social realities. -
Employment Rates
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Stock Market Crash
On October 29, 1929, also known as "Black Tuesday", the stock market crashed. It was mainly a result of snowball selling. -
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The Great Depression
Canada was hit hard by the Great Depression. The worldwide depression that started in the United States in late 1929 quickly reached Canada. Between 1929 and 1939, the gross domestic product dropped 40% (compared to 37% in the US). Unemployment reached 27% at the depth of the Depression in 1933. -
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R. B. Bennett Elected
Richard Bedford Bennett, Viscount, businessman, lawyer, politician, prime minister (b at Hopewell Hill, NB 3 July 1870; d at Mickleham, Eng 26 June 1947). He led the Conservative Party 1927-38, and was prime minister of Canada, 7 August 1930 to 23 October 1935. After graduating from Dalhousie in 1893, Bennett went to Calgary and became the law partner of Senator James A. Lougheed. -
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Unemployment Relief Camps
During the Great Depression, the federal government sanctioned the creation of a system of unemployment relief camps, where in exchange for room-and-board, single men did physically demanding labour. The government was criticized for establishing the camps rather than addressing the need for reasonable work and wages. -
Benett's New Deal
In the mid-1930s, at the height of the Great Depression, Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's political demise seemed inevitable. Seeking to reverse the tide running against his Conservative Party, in January 1935 he began a series of live radio speeches outlining a "New Deal" for Canada. -
On-to-Ottawa Trek
The On-to-Ottawa Trek was a long journey where 1 thousand unemployed men protested the dismal conditions in federal relief camps scattered in remote areas across Western Canada. The men lived and worked in these camps at a rate of twenty cents per day before walking out on strike in April 1935. -
Regina Riot
In April 1935 word spread through the relief camps in British Columbia that a gathering of works from the camps in Vancouver was being organized and over 1400 men left the camps and made their way to the city. The Workers Unity League and the WUL organised and led the strike with the intent of getting Ottawa to take more action in providing additional compensation, better work options and improved camp conditions. -
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William King Elected Again
For the second time William King was elected. -
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WWII
1939 to 1945
