EVENT
Great Depression
1930sEVENT TYPE World History
The period of high unemployment and extreme poverty that followed the stock market crash of 1929 brought hordes of jobless Canadians to Vancouver. Attracted by the city's hospitable climate and lower prices, these destitute men settled in "hobo jungles" and shantytowns, where widespread suffering resulting from the "failure of capitalism" (Vogel 83) led to an outpouring of support for leftist political groups. Vancouver became "one of the most politically radical cities on the continent" (Vogel 83), with several violent, large-scale clashes occurring between police and the poverty-stricken underclass.
Many construction projects pursued during the early 1930s were put on hold as funds dried up. Work on the third Hotel Vancouver, the future home of the Panorama Roof Ballroom, was halted for five years because of the Depression. Its "unfinished shell,…which dominated the skyline for more than ten years" (Vogel 81), became symbolic of the difficult times, as did the rusting remains of the Second Narrows Bridge. A shipping accident in 1930 had made the bridge inoperable, and it was left as such until the eventual completion of repairs in 1935.
The slow-down of development projects in Vancouver forced men to work at province-wide government road camps for a paltry twenty cents a day. In an attempt to force wage increases, camp workers went on strike in 1935 and marched on Vancouver. A resulting rally in Victory Square received the attention of both the Mounted Police and Mayor McGeer, who saw the strikers' action as a "prelude to a revolution to bring about a soviet government in Canada" (Macdonald 44). McGeer reacted by reading the Riot Act to the protesters, which were then dispersed by the police using clubs.
When these work camps were closed in 1938, the unemployed returned to Vancouver, only to be arrested by the hundreds for panhandling. In response, unemployed men occupied both the Post Office and the Art Gallery in the hopes of attracting the support of the federal government. However, Ottawa did not react. On "Bloody Sunday," police again intervened to disperse protesters, using both clubs and tear gas (see image).
The Depression had additional consequences for the entertainment industry. Venues were competing not only with one another for the patronage of the small number of individuals that still had money to spend, but also with the Hollywood film industry. As Vancouver musician and bandleader Dal Richards remembers, the local vaudeville productions that were presented following screenings of lavish Hollywood musicals began to look shabbier and shabbier as the Depression wore on. They were eventually abandoned altogether, leaving pit orchestra musicians looking for work.
The renewed development of the late 1930s and the enactment of the Unemployment Insurance Act in 1940 brought an end to the city's economic woes. However, the Depression "left Vancouver more scarred than any other city in Canada" (Macdonald 44).
Many construction projects pursued during the early 1930s were put on hold as funds dried up. Work on the third Hotel Vancouver, the future home of the Panorama Roof Ballroom, was halted for five years because of the Depression. Its "unfinished shell,…which dominated the skyline for more than ten years" (Vogel 81), became symbolic of the difficult times, as did the rusting remains of the Second Narrows Bridge. A shipping accident in 1930 had made the bridge inoperable, and it was left as such until the eventual completion of repairs in 1935.
The slow-down of development projects in Vancouver forced men to work at province-wide government road camps for a paltry twenty cents a day. In an attempt to force wage increases, camp workers went on strike in 1935 and marched on Vancouver. A resulting rally in Victory Square received the attention of both the Mounted Police and Mayor McGeer, who saw the strikers' action as a "prelude to a revolution to bring about a soviet government in Canada" (Macdonald 44). McGeer reacted by reading the Riot Act to the protesters, which were then dispersed by the police using clubs.
When these work camps were closed in 1938, the unemployed returned to Vancouver, only to be arrested by the hundreds for panhandling. In response, unemployed men occupied both the Post Office and the Art Gallery in the hopes of attracting the support of the federal government. However, Ottawa did not react. On "Bloody Sunday," police again intervened to disperse protesters, using both clubs and tear gas (see image).
The Depression had additional consequences for the entertainment industry. Venues were competing not only with one another for the patronage of the small number of individuals that still had money to spend, but also with the Hollywood film industry. As Vancouver musician and bandleader Dal Richards remembers, the local vaudeville productions that were presented following screenings of lavish Hollywood musicals began to look shabbier and shabbier as the Depression wore on. They were eventually abandoned altogether, leaving pit orchestra musicians looking for work.
The renewed development of the late 1930s and the enactment of the Unemployment Insurance Act in 1940 brought an end to the city's economic woes. However, the Depression "left Vancouver more scarred than any other city in Canada" (Macdonald 44).
PHOTO GALLERY
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ReN10-10.jpg "Great Depression")
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Macdonald, Bruce. Vancouver: A Visual History. Vancouver: Talonbooks, 1992.Richards, Dal. Personal Interview with John Orysik. Vancouver, BC. 16 Nov. 2005.
Vogel, Aynsley and Dana Wyse. Vancouver: A History in Photographs. Vancouver: Altitude Publishing. 1993.
