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Canada's Drought of the 1930's

Economics Impacts

Human Impact

Environmental Impacts

The economic impact from the drought was incredibly high, as nothing could grow and no products to sell or export. The Prairie Provinces were almost totally dependent on the export of their wheat, with the crops destroyed, there was not enough money to cover all the costs; such as taxes, planting, interest and loan payments. The impact in Saskatchewan provincial income dropped by ninety per cent in two years. The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) was established in 1935, to help stabilize wheat prices. Also, it was set up for Prairie farmers who grow and sell wheat and barley. Farmers had to only sell their products to the CWB, it was illegal to sell their products through any other facility.

A total of 7.3 million hectares of arable land was destroyed from the drought. The erosion was due to both man made and natural causes. Throughout the years of the drought, the wheat could no longer be planted because it would shrivel and die out; exposing the bare earth to the winds. The topsoil was blown away from wind erosion, lifting away any nutrients left by previous crops. This important factor made it difficult for plants to grow, as well as the native plants were destroyed from over plowing.

About 1180 people died in Canada due to starvation, dehydration, dust related illnesses, and lack of shelter. The soil lacked proper nutrients to grow any crops; resulting in a food famine for the Prairie Provinces. The small amount of food that was grow was obliterated by the swarms of grasshoppers. The dust storms forced families to move out of the Prairies to the west coast of British Columbia. Many people became homeless and traveled into the cities for the few jobs available.

My Opinion

Recommendations If a Drought Occurs

Over View

Disaster Management Plan

The drought of the 1930’s in North America was considered the worst drought of the twentieth century. The drought lasted for a decade and caused an economic, environmental and political crisis. The areas this drought affected were the Interior Plains; also known as the Prairies. South-western Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan and south-eastern Alberta were severely affected by the drought; these areas were specifically named Palliser's Triangle.

The disaster management plan of the 1930's drought could have been handled more efficiently. Proper education of the land and execution plan could have been created more quickly; therefore, the drought would not have lasted for a decade. The government should have taken control of the Prairies and revitalized the land to its original state, instead of abandoning the land for several years before action was taken.

With our modern technology it is possible to predict future droughts and dust storms by the use of satellite imagery. People can be warned several hours before a dust storm may occur by weather advisories. It is recommended to stock up on water bottles, conserve water more efficiently, prepare your yard for a drought to reduce soil erosion, and lastly listen to any rules or regulations in your area if a drought may occur.

Emergency Systems That Occurred Before the Drought Happened

During the 1930's, technology was far less advanced than our modern society. There were no weather satellites or broadcasting; therefore, little warning could be made to help citizens prepare for any situations. Over time, precipitation was becoming more scare, so farmers conserved their resources more efficiently. A cascading failure that can occur during a drought is a dust storm. If oncoming dust storms were forming, neighbours would phone each other, if they acquired a phone, or in rare cases, a weather report warning could be heard over the radio if farmers could have afforded a radio.

Conclusion

The conditions of the 1930’s drought were a hardship physically, mentally and emotionally for anyone living in the Prairies. The impact of this drought effected 7.3 million hectares of arable land both man made and natural causes, created province wide famine, destroyed shelters, forced people to migrate, killed 1180 people in Canada from starvation and dust related illnesses and lastly, decreased the overall economy. The drought prepared the nation to be better aware of their actions and developed technology to predict the chance of another natural disaster.

Disaster Management Plan

During a dust storm, people took several precautions to protect themselves from the oncoming natural disaster. The Saskatchewan government established a program to assist farmers who wished to move out of the drought area to the Northern Crown lands and even outside of the province. Between 1931 and 1941, about 200,000 people left the Prairie Provinces entirely. Farmers who chose to stay behind were given advice as to how to protect one selves from the dust storms. It was recommended to find shelter, board doors and windows, and barricade any cracks with clothes. The dust was so fine that it was almost invisible to the eye. A tactic for not suffocating on the dust was to dampen a blanket and cover the body to act as a shield.

Disaster Management Plan

After the Drought and Dust Storms Occurred

An action the Canadian government made was to plant thousands of trees to prevent the wind erosion of the soil and act as wind breakers to stop and slow down the dirt. These trees were donated by the Indian Head Tree Nursery.

The Atlantic Provinces and Ontario willingly sent parcels of canned food, clothes, and, in season, fresh fruit to people in need. Water was also sent to these provinces. The government, then constructed storage reservoirs such as dugouts and small dams, as well as, the new practice of farm irrigation to help conserve the water quantity effectively.

Homes severally affected by the drought and dust storms were torn down because they were buried in layers of sand inside and out, making them uninhabitable.

Disaster Management Plan

The yellow/red/brown colours indicate progression of relatively decreased precipitation from normal, over the period of the 1930’s.

Lessons Learned

The drought of the 1930's brought to the federal government's attention that farmers were poorly educated in agricultural techniques. To ensure that this decade drought did not occur again; farmers were properly educated about crop rotation, fallow fields, and how to cover the crops to prevent wind erosion. They also learned that it is important not to over plow the fields and to ensure no nutrients are lost in the soil.

<-----Canada before the drought

Factors That Contributed To The Drought

Canada after the drought

Canada during the drought --->

Climate Conditions

Geography and Land form

There are several reasons as to why this drought occurred including; lack of precipitation, failure to apply proper farming methods to prevent wind erosion, and lastly, over cultivating the soil. The farmers had insufficient understanding of the ecology in the Interior Plains, which led to deep plowing of the topsoil, destroying the deep-rooted wild grasses that trap moisture and nutrients. The top soil, over time, lost nutrients, dried up, and was blown away by the wind, creating massive dust storms lasting hours at a time.

The climate of this region is continental; therefore, averaging temperatures are very wide ranged depending on the season. The amount of precipitation is about 250mm in the arid grasslands and three quarters of it falls during severe thunderstorms. While high winds are common in these areas; dryness and high evaporation patterns are present, resulting in soil erosion.

The Prairies' land is very flat, low in elevation and is dominated by wild grasslands and flowers. The soil characteristics of the Prairies are supported by brown and black soil types; these soils are full of nutrients for agriculture, but are prone to droughts. There are also very few rivers and lakes throughout the Interior Plains.

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