Nirja. S
History
Immediate effects: How it impacted Canada
The 1930s was a time of significant change in Canadian history. Underlying causes such
as dependence on natural resources, buying on credit, and overproduction were undeniably
causing some discomfort and challenges to Canadians, however, I believe that the immediate
effects and the occurrence of natural calamities such as droughts, stock market crashes, and
over-farming had impacted Canada most in the 1930s. It was a sudden and immediate change in
everyone’s lives. Moreover, the immediate effects were unforgiving and did not give anyone
enough time to prepare for them. Over the course of this essay, I will be explaining why the
occurrence of these 3 factors resulted in such catastrophic living conditions for Canada.
The 1930s was a time of extreme lows socially, economically, and emotionally. While
Canada stands tall today as a bastion of democracy and a stronghold of philosophical
independence, much has changed since 90 years ago. In the 1930s, Canada was facing some
turbulent times. The cataclysmic event of the drought was one of them. One of the most tragic
droughts in Canadian history was the drought of the thirties. This transformed Canada into a
dustbowl. No rain had jeopardized the financial stability of farmers. Nevertheless, with
far-reaching ramifications, it had serious health, social, economic, and political effects. The
cornerstone of the future of mankind is water. To lead a stable life, it is one of the most important
commodities. The supply of water is unhealthily limited when there is a drought, creating a
shortage of water. This endangered many lives in the 1930s. Farmers had not been able to sustain
the growth of their crops because of the lack of water. This issue had undermined and ruined
produce, threatening food security. Individuals can go for weeks without food, but what about
water? Water shortages caused problems with hygiene, and ultimately disrupted the foundation
of life. The lack of hygiene and sanitation had encouraged the spreading of illnesses. They were,
at times, also life-threatening. A whole set of issues were faced at once in the 1930s. The drought
had resulted in soil erosion, wildfires and animal habitat destruction, soil exhaustion, and
degradation. Many of these concerns were solely the product of the 1930s drought.
Over Farming and the Grasshopper, the plague was also an immediate problem that
affected Canada. Over-farming in the 1930s led to damaged land, to the point of desertification.
The land was used unsustainably. It led to dust storms, soil erosion, and degradation. Farmers
had over predicted and planted too many crops, which was unmanageable. Since Farmers were
not able to buy factory goods such as tractors, all their work had to be done manually. The
vegetation and produce were exponentially declining, especially with the simultaneous
occurrence of drought. Consequently, it led to conflict among people to obtain the basic
necessities of living. Over the top of that, farmers were now pouring fertilizer and pesticides
over their crops, in hopes of some success, which inevitably dried out the land even more. As a
result, the eroded soil found its way into the rivers and lakes, causing serious damage to the
freshwater ecosystems and marine habitats. Overfarming in the 30s resulted in decreased
borderline irreversible soil infertility and economic distress. Farmers in other parts of the world
had huge wheat harvests, which resulted in a loss for Canadian wheat farmers, as the price fell
down from $1.36/bushel to $0.34. It was so stressful that some farmers thought it was best to
burn their crops instead, as harvesting them would cost them a tremendous amount of money.
Just when people thought things couldn’t get worse, the grasshopper plague occurred. Swarms
of Grasshoppers flew at over 150km/hr, making them look like dark clouds in the sky. Little did
they know, these grasshoppers would eat anything and everything, leaving their farms destroyed
in hours. In a span from 1931-1941, 250,000 Canadian farmers had abandoned their farms. This
History
Immediate effects: How it impacted Canada
The 1930s was a time of significant change in Canadian history. Underlying causes such
as dependence on natural resources, buying on credit, and overproduction were undeniably
causing some discomfort and challenges to Canadians, however, I believe that the immediate
effects and the occurrence of natural calamities such as droughts, stock market crashes, and
over-farming had impacted Canada most in the 1930s. It was a sudden and immediate change in
everyone’s lives. Moreover, the immediate effects were unforgiving and did not give anyone
enough time to prepare for them. Over the course of this essay, I will be explaining why the
occurrence of these 3 factors resulted in such catastrophic living conditions for Canada.
The 1930s was a time of extreme lows socially, economically, and emotionally. While
Canada stands tall today as a bastion of democracy and a stronghold of philosophical
independence, much has changed since 90 years ago. In the 1930s, Canada was facing some
turbulent times. The cataclysmic event of the drought was one of them. One of the most tragic
droughts in Canadian history was the drought of the thirties. This transformed Canada into a
dustbowl. No rain had jeopardized the financial stability of farmers. Nevertheless, with
far-reaching ramifications, it had serious health, social, economic, and political effects. The
cornerstone of the future of mankind is water. To lead a stable life, it is one of the most important
commodities. The supply of water is unhealthily limited when there is a drought, creating a
shortage of water. This endangered many lives in the 1930s. Farmers had not been able to sustain
the growth of their crops because of the lack of water. This issue had undermined and ruined
produce, threatening food security. Individuals can go for weeks without food, but what about
water? Water shortages caused problems with hygiene, and ultimately disrupted the foundation
of life. The lack of hygiene and sanitation had encouraged the spreading of illnesses. They were,
at times, also life-threatening. A whole set of issues were faced at once in the 1930s. The drought
had resulted in soil erosion, wildfires and animal habitat destruction, soil exhaustion, and
degradation. Many of these concerns were solely the product of the 1930s drought.
Over Farming and the Grasshopper, the plague was also an immediate problem that
affected Canada. Over-farming in the 1930s led to damaged land, to the point of desertification.
The land was used unsustainably. It led to dust storms, soil erosion, and degradation. Farmers
had over predicted and planted too many crops, which was unmanageable. Since Farmers were
not able to buy factory goods such as tractors, all their work had to be done manually. The
vegetation and produce were exponentially declining, especially with the simultaneous
occurrence of drought. Consequently, it led to conflict among people to obtain the basic
necessities of living. Over the top of that, farmers were now pouring fertilizer and pesticides
over their crops, in hopes of some success, which inevitably dried out the land even more. As a
result, the eroded soil found its way into the rivers and lakes, causing serious damage to the
freshwater ecosystems and marine habitats. Overfarming in the 30s resulted in decreased
borderline irreversible soil infertility and economic distress. Farmers in other parts of the world
had huge wheat harvests, which resulted in a loss for Canadian wheat farmers, as the price fell
down from $1.36/bushel to $0.34. It was so stressful that some farmers thought it was best to
burn their crops instead, as harvesting them would cost them a tremendous amount of money.
Just when people thought things couldn’t get worse, the grasshopper plague occurred. Swarms
of Grasshoppers flew at over 150km/hr, making them look like dark clouds in the sky. Little did
they know, these grasshoppers would eat anything and everything, leaving their farms destroyed
in hours. In a span from 1931-1941, 250,000 Canadian farmers had abandoned their farms. This
