Labour Day – Origins
Labour Day originally grew out of an 1872 printers’ strike in Toronto, fighting for a nine-hour work day. The printers won their battle, a major milestone in the changing relations between Canadian workers and their government.
Just over 20 years later, on July 23, 1894, the government of then-Prime Minister John Thompson passed a law making Labour Day official. In Canada, Labour Day is still a statutory holiday observed each year on the first Monday in September.
In the early days, Labour Day was celebrated with parades and other festivities. While celebrations are now more low-key, Labour Day is still observed across Canada and is viewed as the unofficial end of summer.
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