When the tension broke in Newfoundland, it was not with a huge riot or some other local event. And what took Newfoundland out of its hard times was not a government plan or a bright new industry. Instead, the event that saved Newfoundlanders from the Great Depression was the Second World War.

When Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, Newfoundland got a chance of new prosperity. War requires many products and raw materials. It takes industries and labour to fight a war. It takes those who are ready and willing to fight.

Newfoundland had many men who were ready to go and fight, and many more ready to stay and work. Many of them had not made a decent living in many years. They had been waiting for something-anything-that would allow them to work for a living and get off the dole. The war gave them this chance.

Military bases brought some of the brightest hopes. On the edge of the Atlantic, Newfoundland was in an important location. Troops moved in and bases were built. This created many new jobs at good wages. The money from outside brought new life to the Newfoundland economy.

Could it Happen Again?

The Second World War ended the Depression in Newfoundland. But memories of those hard times stayed. When the war ended, some people wondered if hard times like the 1930s would come again.

Things never got quite that bad again. In 1949, Newfoundland joined Canada. It became part of a larger country that had already begun to build what we now call the "social safety net." This is made up of services and programs that help people in need. This net grew stronger in the 1950s and 1960s. As Canadians, Newfoundlanders could get pensions, family allowances and unemployment insurance. Public medical care was in place. The new elected government of Newfoundland worked to build better social services. The government would now decide how much help people got by looking at what they needed to live on. The changing dole rates and quick decisions of the 1930s were replaced by something more planned and stable.