Aha! It’s September, agreed and thus one can easily say, August was gone before we knew that summer was over. The Pacific National Exhibition (opened in 1910) was inundated with happy visitors savouring the last days of summer. Majority of families were getting ready for the last long summer weekend. “Labour Day weekend” Yes, that long weekend, when campers, camp sites, RVs, hotels, motels and cabins are jam packed with people squeezing last moments of relaxation before school commences. Many know the relevance of the weekend as that last hurrah for summer but what about the original meaning?
Short refresher on Canadian “Labour Day” It had to do with the nine (9) hour work day. Disgruntled with the 12 hour work day, printers in Hamilton, Ontario started the action that then spread to Toronto. The request, by petition to its members in 1869, was refused by the printing shop owners became a demand, with threat of a strike, in 1872. (The situation pitted wealthy owners, politicians and workers with existing Canadian laws stating union activities were a criminal offense. ) If you’re curious, further details are in the link below.
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/origins-of-labour-day-feature
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