Economic Recovery
Economic conditions began to improve throughout the world in 1936, and the effects of this recovery were felt, at least briefly, in northern New Brunswick. Generally, the colonists received higher wages for work done on local roads and better prices for their wood. In addition, there were greater opportunities for finding roadwork and employment outside the settlement. By the late 1930s the number of colonists totalled more than 1,200.
With the flicker of economic improvement, the Dysart government began focusing on eliminating direct relief. The programme was a heavy burden on municipalities, officials claimed, and tended to destroy morale and contribute to government dependency. In any event, the programme had only been implemented as a stopgap measure to relieve extreme economic distress during the worst years of the Depression. A new programme of public works was implemented with increased financing from the federal government.