Labour Day

Home / Explore / Arts, Culture & Society

The year 2019 marked the 125th anniversary of Labour Day being recognized as a statutory holiday in Canada. This long weekend that includes the first Monday in September is typically celebrated with end-of-summer barbecues or pool parties. However, Labour Day’s origins are found in the nineteenth-century union movement.

25,000

Average number of participants expected at the annual Labour Day Parade in Toronto, the site of the first unofficial Labour Day events.

9

Number of Canadian cities that hosted Labour Day-related events before it was designated a statutory holiday: Toronto, Hamilton, Oshawa, Montreal, St. Catharines, Halifax, Ottawa, Vancouver, and London.

1894

The year the government of Prime Minister John Thompson designated Labour Day a statutory holiday. Early Labour Day events involved parades — reminders of the marches for workers’ rights — as well as games, picnics, speeches, and even church services.

5

Length in kilometres of the 1894 Labour Day parade in Winnipeg.

Help keep Canada’s stories strong (and free)

We hope you will help us continue to share fascinating stories about Canada’s past.

We highlight our nation’s diverse past by telling stories that illuminate the people, places, and events that unite us as Canadians, and by making those stories accessible to everyone through our free online content.

Canada’s History is a registered charity that depends on contributions from readers like you to share inspiring and informative stories with students and citizens of all ages — award-winning stories written by Canada’s top historians, authors, journalists, and history enthusiasts.

Any amount helps, or better yet, start a monthly donation today. Your support makes all the difference. Thank you!

Support Canada's History