ibarhest (fixtursiunz

Today one hears continually about unemployment in Canada, especially in the Atlantic Provinces. This has been a major problem since the first settlers came to the area, but with today’s active media system, one has more first-hand knowledge of the situation. Further to this one is bombarded with information as to why a person should. or should not, be entitled to public monies because they are unemployed.

Access to this assistance was not available in the early twentieth century, so the older members of a family were expected to be innovative enough to make money for themselves or to supple- ment the family income. The number of family members was four or five times larger than today. However, each was expected to find work ‘somewhere’. One popular way of getting some extra money was to participate in the harvest excursion. Men who went on these trips to Western Canada all had the same opinion on unemployment, as one said, “There is no unem- ployment today compared to what there was in the Twenties”.

One early Stanley Bridge adventurer gives his story this way.

“1 left our Island from Summerside wharf in 1905, on board the Princess, a steamship that sailed from Summerside to Pointe du Cherie, New Brunswick. The fare was $10.00 to Winnipeg, and the return trip, which was on a regular train, was $18.00. The first harvest excursions that I recall hearing about were as early as 1885. By 1905 some spur rail lines had been added to the Winnipeg line, so some of our men went as far as the end of these lines, rather than stay in Manitoba looking for work on the farms. By 1925, the cost to Winnipeg had risen to $24.00, with a charge of % cent a mile beyond this point.

1 went again in 1906, and on that same day 1100 men left Summerside aboard the Northumberland. Unfortunately, when we arrived at Pointe du Chene, there were only half enough railcars to accommodate the men. There was no way 1 was going to wait there another day for a train, so I squeezed my way onto the platform of the last car with my one and only suitcase tucked under my arm. It also contained my only clothes and meagre supply of food. The suitcase was being shoved beyond the door which could not be closed. I decided to give it a tug to bring it into the car but as fate would have it, I ended up with the 'handle' of the suit- case in my hand.

No women travelled on these trains in 1905, but some took the regular trains to visit family in the West. It wasn’t safe for women to travel. We were bad, but there were some fellows from other Provinces who were far worse than us. ”

Economically, this project of willing young workers, must have created a great amount of spending money within the Province. In 1905, the daily wage for harvest workers was $4.00, Included in this was the board and excellent food. Wages increased to $6.00 by 1920 and $8.00 by 1925. Work of this nature came to an end by the late 1920’s as crop failures and the depres- sion plagued the Canadian people. The ‘free time’ spending ended for that generation although the love of the vast open spaces and huge land acreages took many young people from Prince Edward Island to Western Canada where they became permanent residents.

The Excursion Trains

The trains which were used to transport the workers were nicknamed the"colonist cars”, because of their poor quality. Slats and boards made up the seat. Even more crude bunk beds pulled down from above the double seat collapsing into a form of hard bed. This life was endured by the men for four to eight days from Pointe du Chene, N.B., to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Some men changed in Winnipeg to go further West.

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