On-To Ottawa Trek

• April 1935

  • 1500 men from relief camps went on strike
  • Went to Vancouver and took the city library and the Hudson’s Bay store
• May Day, 1935

  • 20,000 workers and supporters paraded through Vancouver’s city streets. 
  • Couldn’t help them, had little relief money
  • Rode the rails to Ottawa to talk to the Prime Minister (Bennett)
  • 1000 strikers climbed on the top of boxcars for the long ride to Ottawa
  • Bennett wouldn’t help them and only 8 people made their way to Ottawa (everyone else got stopped in Regina)
• July 1, 1935

  • Trekkers and their supporters held a meeting in Regina’s market
  • A riot broke out leaving one person dead, many injured and 130 arrested
• Work with wages

  1. Minimum of $0.50 an hour for unskilled labour

  2. Union rates for all skilled labour

  3. Five-day week

  4. 6 hour working day

  5. Minimum of 20 days per month
• All workers in relief camps and government projects be covered by the Compensation Act
• Democratically elected committee of relief workers be recognized by the authorities
• Relief camps be taken out of the control of the department of national defence
• Genuine system of social and unemployment insurance in accordance with the provisions of the Workers Social and Unemployment Insurance Bill
• All workers will be guaranteed their democratic right to vote