Living History

The Depression Years ( in Canada)

I was 6 - 7 years old or younger. Money was scarce and consequently our entertainment was 'home made' and lots of fun.

School continued in its usual pattern although every child was frightened for their fathers as so many were committing suicide! One week we would be very financial and able to have a treat! Dad would suggest on Sunday afternoon that we might like to go for a walk and nine times out of ten we would end up at our favourite restaurant and great excitement Dad said it would be nice to have dinner out. A three course dinner for 25 cents and that was not considered cheap. Dad would always see that we were rewarded for the lean weeks by a treat on a good week.

As was the custom in Ottawa, parents were expected to pay for their children’s education and as the depression was on a great number of children never got the opportunity to fulfil their potential and some were quite bitter and passed this attitude on to their friends etc.

Once we gained high school fashion came into out lives, but once again the depression hit home and more than one of my Mother’s best dresses was cut and was sewn by hand and I thought I had the prettiest dress at the party.

Some Mothers had to make a big sacrifice and go to work - something that was unheard of before the depression. This was very hard on the children as well as parents but they managed. I think I was very lucky as my Mother was a wonderful cook of 'plain Jane and no nonsense' cooking and she could sew. I don’t think I suffered in any way.

It would be very sad reading about friends who had 'fallen' under the pressure.

One thing I remember was the threat of war with a soldier called "Hitler" - a name I was never to forget!

KJP Mornington, Victoria

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