Labour Day
Labour Day, the first Monday in September. Labour Day has been a statutory holiday in Canada since 1894. We were not part of Canada then, of course, but some industrialized towns in Newfoundland began celebrating Labour Day in the early 20th Century. Grand Falls held its first Labour Day parade in 1918. From 1920 onward, parades were held in some towns the last Monday of July. Shortly after we joined Confederation, the holiday was moved to the first Monday in September to align with other Canadian provinces.
In my research of the holiday on Bell Island, nothing shows up until it is mentioned in the Submarine Miner of September 1954. From descriptions of the main Tug-o-War competition over the five years the Company magazine covered it, it seems that the Labour Day Sports Field events had been going on at least since 1950, but no actual history of Labour Day celebrations, and no mention of a parade, were found.
The Labour Day Sports Field events were organized jointly by the Sports Committee of Local 4121 of the Miners' Union and the Lions Club. The main sporting attraction each year was the Tug-O-War event between various mines and mine departments. Other sporting events held included the usual track and field sports plus youth baseball games. Side attractions included games of chance, ticket spins, cotton candy and other food stalls.
In my research of the holiday on Bell Island, nothing shows up until it is mentioned in the Submarine Miner of September 1954. From descriptions of the main Tug-o-War competition over the five years the Company magazine covered it, it seems that the Labour Day Sports Field events had been going on at least since 1950, but no actual history of Labour Day celebrations, and no mention of a parade, were found.
The Labour Day Sports Field events were organized jointly by the Sports Committee of Local 4121 of the Miners' Union and the Lions Club. The main sporting attraction each year was the Tug-O-War event between various mines and mine departments. Other sporting events held included the usual track and field sports plus youth baseball games. Side attractions included games of chance, ticket spins, cotton candy and other food stalls.
Photo above of a parade going past Joe Pynn's Store at "Pynn's Corner," on the northwest corner of Main Street at Memorial Street, sometime in the 1950s or early 1960s, courtesy of Gerald Purcell. Is this a part of the Labour Day parade? If so, you can get in touch at historic.wabana@gmail.com.
The articles below regarding Labour Day celebrations on Bell Island are from the Submarine Miner from 1954 to 1958.
Labour Day, September 6, 1954 from the Submarine Miner, V. 1, No. 4, p. 6.
Labour Day, September 5, 1955 from the Submarine Miner, V. 2, No. 9, p. 7.
Labour Day, September 3, 1956 from the Submarine Miner, V. 3, No. 10, p. 7.
Labour Day, September 2, 1957, p. 8 from the Submarine Miner, V. 4, No. 9, p. 8.
Labour Day, 1958 from the Submarine Miner, V. 5, No. 10, 1958, p. 8.