Canada & the Dirty Thirties
Name ___________________
New Political Parties & Cultural Distractions
25 marks (classwork)
Dissatisfaction with Governments
•
Neither the federal nor provincial governments were able to come up with
any _____________________________ to deal with the Depression in
Canada
•
People were very frustrated with the lack of
________________________ shown by existing parties (Liberals,
Conservatives) and their leaders
•
Protest parties rose up in parts of the country hardest hit by the
Depression – i.e., the West
New Political Parties
•
The public was looking for strong local leadership who understood the
hardships they were experiencing in their regions and who was prepared to
______________________________ to deal with enormous economic and
social problems.
Social Credit
•
Formed government in _____________________ in 1935
•
Leader was William Aberhart, a Calgary high school teacher and charismatic
____________________________
•
A deeply religious man, Aberhart became well known from his popular radio
show
•
Theory of _______________________ was based on the writings of
Major C. H. Douglas.
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Theory of Social Credit
•
Douglas contended that the basic problem of the economy was that people
did not have enough money to spend on goods that were being produced
•
The solution, according to Douglas, was to give every citizen a “social credit”
__________________________________.
•
With this extra cash, people would spend more and the economy would
improve
Aberhart & Social Credit
•
Aberhart was a convert to the theory of social credit
•
He planned to give every adult in Alberta
______________________________ and he wanted people to spend the
extra cash so that businesses would increase production
•
Eventually the economy would recover and the Depression would be over
Courts Halt Social Credit
•
Aberhart’s prosperity certificates were often called “funny money” after
the courts declared them ________________ and they were never paid
out
•
Social Credit remained in power in Alberta for 35 years and gained power in
BC in 1952
•
Became a federal party and won some seats in Alberta and Quebec in a few
federal elections
•
Social Credit was a political force in _____________________ from 1961
through the 1970s -- it was known as Ralliement des Creditistes
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Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF)
•
Formed in 1932 by farmers, ______________________ groups, university
professors, and a few Members of Parliament (MPs)
•
CCF founders wanted social and economic reforms to end the human
suffering caused by the Depression
•
First leader was James S. Woodsworth, the passionate minister, social
reformer, and labour leader
•
__________________________ had been arrested during the Winnipeg
General Strike and was elected an MP for Manitoba
•
CCF set out its ideas in 1933 in a document called the Regina Manifesto
•
Ideas included:
•
________________________________ of banks and major services such
as transportation and electric power
•
Improved health and social welfare services
•
Greater government support of agriculture and conservation
•
To deal with the devastating problems of the Depression, it suggested an
immediate start to slum clearance and extending electrical services to rural
areas
•
These projects would provide jobs and permanently benefit Canadians
Democratic Socialism
•
CCF was a ________________________________ party
•
Socialists believe government should own and control the means of
production (factories, machines, etc., that produce goods)
•
CCF supported more government control of the economy
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•
Democratic because it did not advocate revolution, but said changes should
come through free elections and the parliamentary system
•
The CCF’s opponents often accused them of being communists – but they
rejected armed _______________________________
•
Mackenzie King and the Liberals quietly adopted some CCF ideas
•
CCF won provincial seats in BC and Saskatchewan in 1933-34
•
In the 1940s, CCF was able to get some support in Ontario and it came to
power in Saskatchewan in 1944
Other Parties Adopt CCF Policies
•
Both Liberals and Conservatives, over the years, adopted policies first put
forward by the CCF
•
These included:
•
_____________________________ insurance
•
Family allowances
•
Unemployment insurance
•
Compensation for injured workers
•
_________________________________
CCF → NDP
•
By 1961, the CCF had reorganized itself under a new name, the New
Democratic Party, which is active at both the federal and provincial levels
•
The idea of the welfare state gained force in Canada during the Depression
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Welfare State
•
Supporters of the welfare state believe that society should support its
citizens to prevent ______________________________ hardships
•
Today, we have unemployment insurance, old age pensions, workers’
compensation, and medicare
Union Nationale
•
During the 1920s, Quebec evolved from an _________________________
to a more industrialized society
•
More and more people left the farms to find work in the large hydroelectric,
mining, and pulp and paper industries
•
Province’s natural ______________________, industries, and finances
were largely in the hands of the English-speaking business owners
•
Depression hit Quebec hard
•
By 1933, ______________________ of Montreal’s workforce was
unemployed
•
Economic and social grievances felt by many French Canadians led to the
formation of a new political party, the Union Nationale
•
Leader was lawyer, ________________________ Duplessis
Maurice Duplessis
•
Duplessis blamed Quebec’s social and economic problems on the
_______________________________ minority and the federal
government
•
He vowed to defend the French language, Roman Catholic religion, and
culture against the English-speaking businesspeople, the federal government,
and _______________________________
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•
He wanted more _____________________________ power for Quebec
so it could follow its own economic policies
•
Duplessis promised to improve working conditions, find new markets for
agricultural products, and build affordable housing
•
In 1936, Duplessis and the ________________________________ swept
to power in the provincial election
•
Except during World War II, Duplessis dominated Quebec politics until his
death in 1959
•
During his time in power, Duplessis passed _______________________
laws to put down labour unions
•
In 1937, his government passed the __________________________
which gave the government the power to padlock the premises of any
“subversive” organizations – law was aimed at communists, but also used
against labour unions, Jewish people, and Jehovah Witnesses
•
In spite of these attacks on people’s civil liberties, many Quebeckers
admired and supported Duplessis for his ________________________
The Great Escape
•
Many people looked for opportunities to escape from the daily struggle to
survive during the Depression
•
1930s were the “golden age” of ______________________
•
For a 25¢ movie ticket, some people could get away from the day to day
grind of unemployment, ______________________, and trying to get by
on relief payments and enter the fairytale world of the Hollywood stars
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Radio – Popular Pastime
•
Radio was a popular form of home _________________________ and was
an important escape from the “dreariness of ordinary life”
•
Many Canadians enjoyed tuning into popular American radio shows such as
“Jack Benny,” “George Burns and Gracie Allen,” “The Lone Ranger,” and “The
Inner Sanctum”
Protecting Canadian Culture
•
Canadian airwaves were _________________________ by American
culture
•
Prime Minister R.B. Bennett appointed a royal commission in 1928 to examine
the ________________________ situation in Canada
•
Commission found that most radio programs were coming from outside
Canada and that radio was unavailable in large parts of the country
•
Commission recommended that a national,
______________________________ company should own and operate all
radio stations in Canada
•
1933 – Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC) established – its goal
was to counteract __________________________________ of the
airwaves and ensure that more Canadian programs were developed
•
Government built more stations across country to improve service and
coverage
•
1936 – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was established – CBC
became effective in establishing a sense of
___________________________ across Canada
•
CBC ran Canadian-produced music and entertainment programs in French and
English
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National Film Board (NFB)
•
Set up in 1939
•
Goal was “to ________________________ the production and distribution
of films in the nation and in particular ... to interpret Canada and Canadians
to other countries.”
•
Government of Canada believed that country needed its own film production
company to counter the influence of Hollywood
•
NFB is ___________________________ worldwide and has won many
awards
Governor General’s Awards
•
Established in 1937 to promote Canadian ____________________
•
At first, awards were only given for literature in English
•
In _______________, this was changed to include works in French
•
One of the most ______________________ literary awards in Canada
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