What statement did Mackenzie King publicly make about Canada's economy during the Depression?

• A. Unemployment would be solved by provincial governments alone.
• B. Canada's economy would recover only with American investment.
• C. Business was never better, nor faith in Canada's future more justified.
• D. The federal government announced sweeping new relief programs.

Answer: (C)

During the Depression, Mackenzie King often tried to reassure Canadians and maintain faith in the country's future, even while tough economic conditions persisted. The chosen statement reflects that stance: presenting the situation in a way that emphasizes resilience, optimism, and belief that Canada would recover. It captures the mood King aimed to project—confidence over admitting deep crisis and a hope that confidence itself would help drive recovery.

The other ideas don’t fit that contemporaneous approach. King did not publicly argue that unemployment would be solved by provinces alone, nor did he frame recovery as dependent solely on American investment, and he did not announce sweeping new federal relief programs at the height of the Depression. His rhetoric was about sustaining morale and trust in Canada’s future, even as policy responses were more cautious.