BREAD AND Roses, a board game that teaches people about the Great Depression, might just impart the skills needed to survive our crumbling social support system.

During the 1930s' Depression, working-class families faced with low wages, unemployment and no social security, survived by sharing with others, and by tapping into an underground economy. Today these strategies may prove useful in Ontario too, suggests social science professor Craig Heron.

Heron designed his board game in 1995 as part of the opening exhibit for the Ontario Workers Arts and Heritage Centre in Hamilton.

He says he envisioned an interactive game that would teach visitors how working-class households survived on limited finances. At the time, OWAHC was cash-strapped itself and couldn't afford state-of-the-art displays. "We wanted everything in the exhibit to be touchable and accessible so we had to make some cheap choices," says Heron.

    To play the game, two to six players assume the role of the family member who controls
the household finances. Like Monopoly, players roll the dice and move around the board, spending or receiving money depending on where they land. For example, pass "Pay Day" and collect $25 to $28 (but only if you're unionized). Then fork out $15 for basic expenses like rent, utilities and food. If the breadwinner loses a job, try to survive somehow until you land on "New Job."

The game, which Heron tested on everyone he knew, took about six months to complete. "I had to work out rules that allowed people to live without going bankrupt, but also prevented them from ending up with too much money."

After playing, people often wanted to buy a home version, he says. However, the production costs - about $100 per game - made it impractical to produce.