Which of the following was NOT one of the four common features of the Great Depression in Canada?

• A. Industrial strikes
• B. Riding the rails
• C. Dust storms
• D. Lining up for meals

Answer: (A)

Three experiences stand out for Canadians during the Great Depression: people riding the rails in search of work, dust storms sweeping the Prairie provinces, and lines for meals as poverty and hunger spread. These three illustrate mobility, environmental disaster, and widespread deprivation that many families faced across the country.

Industrial strikes did occur in some places, but they aren’t the defining, nationwide pattern of the era in the same way as those other hardships. The Depression’s hallmark across Canada is better captured by unemployment, displacement, drought and dust, and starvation relief efforts, rather than a broad, sustained wave of labor stoppages. So this option doesn’t fit with the four common features.