University of Calgary Press, Calgary, 2011
336 pp., illus., $34.95 paperback
Like many early prairie settlements, Happyland, Saskatchewan, once had all the signs of a prosperous frontier town — a hotel, barber, post office, and the all-important pool hall. Today, however, Happyland represents the common fate of many prairie towns, where frontier dreams faded into dusty memories.
In his latest book, Happyland: A History of the “Dirty Thirties” in Saskatchewan, 1914–1937, Curtis McManus examines the physical, economic, and political climate that caused many prairie settlers to finally board up their homes and head for greener pastures.
McManus takes readers back to the early twentieth century, when tens of thousands of Europeans, and even Americans, were streaming in to the great plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan during “the last great land rush of modern times.” However, in 1914, the settler-farmers experienced the worst (but not the first) drought in their new homeland. The resulting crop failure and dire economic conditions forced provincial governments in both Alberta and Saskatchewan to design and implement relief programs.
The droughts happened again and again, and McManus identifies three main periods of drought (1914, 1917–1924, and 1929–1937) that contributed to the dirty thirties in Western Canada. While the droughts were certainly acts of nature, Happyland is a thorough and engaging look at the bad policies, misguided politicians, and poor practices that failed Canada’s western pioneers.
— Joanna Dawson (Read bio)
Joanna Dawson is Canada's History Society's Acting Director of Programs.