Calgary & Southern Alberta

The On-To-Ottawa-Trek 1935
Courtesy of the Glenbow Collection

Alberta experienced its greatest period of social and economic crisis during the 1930s, better known as the "Dirty Thirties." Trigger by Europe's cut in Canadian food imports the Depression saw wheat prices plunge and that combined with a drought that destroyed many family farms. Railways and mines cut back on their operations and shop laid off employees. Both rural and urban communities were in crisis sending many families to seek relief aid from the government to keep from starving. Many unemployed men began wandering the country, riding the train boxcars, looking for any kind of work. A number of these men ended up working in government relief camps that were no better than hard labour internment camps.

Riding the boxcars to Regina
Courtesy of the Glenbow Collection

The men resented these harsh conditions and organized the Communist-led Relief Camp Workers Union of the Worker’s Unity League organised the On-to-Ottawa-Trek in 1935. Unemployed single men left the relief camps of British Columbia in June on board east-bound trains. The marchers halted at Regina when its leader, Arthur Evans (a former OBU organizer), and others went to Ottawa to express their grievances to Prime Minister R. B. Bennett. Having little sympathy for the protesters, Bennett ordered the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to ambush the protesters and force them to return to the relief camps. Bennett’s order resulted in the Regina Riot of 1 July 1935. Disappointed, 1250 of the protesters volunteered for the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion to fight for the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. At least 25 of these men were from Alberta. Many of the Spanish Civil War veterans returned to offer their battle experience to the Canadian Armed Forces and fought as heroes during World War II.