apr 15, 1935 - The Dust Bowl (Economic)
Description:
Who:
Western Canadians
What:
The Dust Bowl was a period of time (1930-1936) when very severe dust storms would destroy agricultural land. There was very serious drought and dryland farming methods failed to prevent these dust storms. Thousands of farmers lost their property and farms because of these dust storms. The Dust Bowl destroyed farmland, which made it nearly impossible to grow new crops at the time. Many farmed had to leave the rural areas to find new jobs in cities.
Where:
Western Canada (southern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta)
Why:
Converting the prairie grasslands into fertile farmland caused the balance of nature to shift. This caused the prairies to susceptible to the natural cycles.
How:
The combination of drought, erosion, loose soil, and wind caused the dust to fly freely in the air and high speeds.
This was significant because many people lost their jobs as farmers since their farms were destroyed by the storms. This led to many people becoming unemployed. This occurred during the Great Depression, which made it difficult for these farmers to find new jobs.
Added to timeline:
The Roaring, Dirty Decades of the 20th Century
Date:
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