What did Canada do to solve the Great Depression?
Canada can stand proud in the world on many issues, but unfortunately, its response to the great depression is an exception. The Canadian Government at the time initially refused to believe that there was a depression, and afterwards rounded up the unemployed into what amounted to slave labour camps, humiliated and demoralized needy families, and allowed wages for those who were working to be slashed below survival levels. I’m Canadian, and defend my nation in just about everything, but this point in history is one thing we can not be proud of. The US suffered less from this global depression. They also did things which would be unthinkable today, but at least within the context of the time were more proactive and positive in their response. Ironically, Hitler “solved” the great depression. War, in all its horror, is good for business. Spending in the first months of the war put the economy back on track. Check out Pierre Berton’s book on the subject – while I’ve read a few, this is my
