Toronto of the 1930s was as photographically rich as it was economically poor. The stock market crash of 1929 had profound effect on Torontonians and by 1933, the unemployment rate in the city was a whopping 30 per cent, and those that did have jobs saw their wages drop by as much as 60 per cent.
What was life like in the 1930s in Canada?
In Canada, the changes were dramatic. Between 1929 and 1933, the country’s Gross National Expenditure (overall public and private spending) fell by 42 per cent. By 1933, 30 per cent of the labour force was out of work. One in five Canadians became dependent upon government relief for survival.
What was Toronto known as before 1834?
From August 1793 to March 1834, the settlement was known as York, sharing the same name as the county it was situated in. The settlement was renamed when Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe called for the town to be named after the Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.
What did Toronto look like in the 1900s?
In the 1900s, Toronto had a population of approximately 210,000 people, horses and carriages were still common on city streets, and the city suffered one of the worst fires in its history, losing almost all of the main commercial district (bounded by Bay, Wellington, Yonge, and Front Streets).
When did Toronto start booming?
In the postwar era Toronto’s economy boomed, fuelled by consumer spending, the baby boom, house construction and the Korean War of 1950–53. The city’s population swelled further, to over a million in Greater Toronto, by 1951. The service needs of this urban complex and its suburbs led to a metropolitan government.
Why were the 1930s called the Dirty Thirties?
If you’ve ever wondered why the 1930s are called the “Dirty Thirties,” it’s because of massive dust storms that defined the decade. The Dust Bowl was the perfect storm of poorly calculated federal land policies, changes in regional weather, and the economic devastation of the Great Depression.
What was the worst year of the Great Depression in Canada?
In 1932, industrial production was only at 58% of the 1929 level, the second lowest level in the world after the United States, and well behind nations such as Britain, which only saw it fall to 83% of the 1929 level. Total national income fell to 55% of the 1929 level, again worse than any nation other than the U.S.
Why is Toronto called T dot?
Use of T.O., TO, or T Dot seems to originate from a desire to shorten the name of the city. It’s either short for “TOronto” or “Toronto, Ontario,” depending on who you ask.
Why is Toronto called Little York?
In 1804, settler Angus MacDonald petitioned the Upper Canada Legislature to restore the name Toronto, but this was rejected. To differentiate it from York in England and New York City, the town was known as Little York.
What is the oldest city in Canada?
Annapolis Royal, N.S., is Canada’s oldest town, but it only looks like it hasn’t changed in centuries. A new documentary shows it was a rundown “dump” in the 1970s.
What is the oldest part of Toronto?
While there were numerous Native trails around the Toronto area at the time that York was settled – most notably the Carrying Place portage route – as far as streets go, Yonge St. is generally considered oldest in the city.
What is considered old Toronto?
Old Toronto is an administrative district and the retronym of the area within the original city limits of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from 1834 to 1998. It was first incorporated as a city in 1834, after being known as the town of York, and became part of York County.
What is the oldest city in Toronto?
What is this? Located in the Canadian province of Ontario, the original city of York was established in 1793, but has since been absorbed into modern-day Toronto.
What is the hottest Toronto has ever been?
These records were observed in downtown Toronto and go back to 1841. The highest temperature measured during that time was 41 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit) on July 10, 1936 and also earlier that year.
When was the worst weather in Toronto?
Here are some of the worst winters and storms in Toronto’s history:
- THE WINTER OF 2013-2014.
- THE WINTER OF 2007-2008.
- MEL LASTMAN CALLS IN THE ARMY.
- THE FREEZING WINTER OF 1976-77.
- THE DEADLY BLIZZARD OF 1944.
- THE WINTER OF 1937-38.
- JAN. 10, 1859.
Is Toronto bigger than Chicago?
Chicagoland is 28,120 square kilometres, but the Greater Toronto Area is only 7,125km2, and doesn’t include the likes of Oshawa, Hamilton and a range of other nearby cities.
What were women’s lives like in the 1930s?
Women’s wages were meagre compared with those of men. The civil service, the education sector and nursing all operated a “marriage bar”, which meant women had to resign when they married. Unmarried women were “spinsters”, a disparaging term. Same-sex relationships were not to be mentioned.
What stopped the Dust Bowl?
By 1934, an estimated 35 million acres of formerly cultivated land had been rendered useless for farming, while another 125 million acres—an area roughly three-quarters the size of Texas—was rapidly losing its topsoil. Regular rainfall returned to the region by the end of 1939, bringing the Dust Bowl years to a close.
What was the most popular color in the 1930s?
One of the most popular colors of the era was bright orange. Orange was often paired with cream or green, the latter of which can be seen below. The intense greens were influenced by the knock-your-socks vibrancy of the Emerald City in the Technicolor feature The Wizard of Oz.
What nation was got the hardest by the Great Depression?
But one country arguably suffered more than any other: Canada. By the time its economy reached bottom in 1932, Canada had suffered a staggering decline of 34.8 percent in per-capita gross domestic product. No other developed nation was as hard-hit.
What finally ended the Great Depression in Canada?
It ended as dramatically a decade later on September 3, 1939, when the Second World War began. The widespread poverty and suffering during the 1930s—the result of unemployment, drought and lack of a social safety net—transformed social welfare in Canada.