1 lugl 1935 anni - The Regina Riot (Economic)

Descrizione:

Who:
over 1000 single, unemployed, homeless men, Prime Minister Bennett and the Canadian government.

What:
These unemployed men were put in relief camps where they had to do hard labor jobs, such as construction. They had to live in terrible conditions. They became frustrated and went on strike. The leaders of the strike were invited to Parliament for a meeting with the government once Prime Minister Bennett heard about the strike. The meeting didn't even last one hour. The government refused to listen to the demands of the strikers. A rally was organized to raise support, as well as food, for the strikers so that they could go back home or to relief camps. This broke out into a riot when the police arrived. One policeman died, dozens of people were injured, and 130 strikers were arrested.

Where:
Relief camps in British Columbia, rally/riot in Regina, Saskatchewan, meeting in Ottawa, Ontario.

Why:
The men had to live in auditoriums crammed with bunk beds. They had to eat soup everyday, and occasionally they would get moldy bread that was considered a treat. They were to do hard labor jobs in these relief camps. They also only got paid a 20 cents per day. These were the reasons why the men went on strike. They were fed up of the way they were being treated and wanted to fight for real jobs, or at least better pay and more nutritious foods.

How:
The strikers rode the rails to Regina, where they were stopped and only the strike leaders were allowed to continue on to Ottawa to talk to the Canadian government.

This was significant because this was the worst riot in Canada during the Great Depression. The riot consisted of months of protesting while the men traveled across Canada to take the issue up with the federal government. This protesting was a big step toward unemployment insurance and welfare. This built a safety net for those who were unemployed. They would get money from the government to help them for a certain amount of time until they were able to find a good job. This is still very important in Canada today.

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