09/07/2026
Here's your history lesson on how Labour Day began:
The Canadian story is closely connected to the Nine-Hour Movement of 1872.
During the 19th century, many industrial workers routinely worked ten hours or more each day, often six days a week. Workplace protections were limited, and unions did not have the legal standing they have today.
The Toronto Typographical Union had been asking the city’s publishers for a nine-hour working day. When employers refused, the printers went on strike on March 25, 1872.
On April 15, approximately 10,000 people marched through Toronto in support of the strikers. It was an extraordinary public display of solidarity at a time when organized labour activity could be treated as a criminal conspiracy. According to the Government of Canada, the march supported the striking printers’ demand for a nine-hour day.
The protest also became a political issue. Some strike leaders were arrested under laws that treated union activity as illegal restraint of trade. The controversy helped build pressure for legal reform, and Parliament passed the Trade Unions Act in 1872, confirming that workers could lawfully associate in trade unions.
The printers did not immediately win everything they demanded. Nevertheless, the movement changed the national conversation. It showed that workers could organize across trades, bring their concerns into public view and force political leaders to respond.
You're Welcome :)
Source: canadiancountrylife.ca
