Submitted by Kathryn on
Labour Day occurs each year on the first Monday of September, often signalling the end of our precious summers and a new beginning for those heading back to school. For those very reasons I think that Labour day gets the short end of the stick, holiday-wise. Everyone loves a long weekend, but when Labour Day comes around, it is often bittersweet. It's one more day to spend soaking up the dwindling sunshine, but it is also a reminder of cooler days to come. In spite of our longing for summer and our dread of the new school year and the (dare I say it) snows that are sure to follow, I think it is high time that Labour Day gets the honour it is due.
Did you know that Labour Day first originated in Canada in the 1880s? It's origins trace back to the solidarity shown between striking unions, lobbying for shorter work days, higher wages and better working conditions. So in honour of all those who toiled before us in field, factory or snow here are our top 10 favourite images of working life in Innisfil and surrounding areas over the years.
1. Sawing wood at the Beatty homestead in the early 1900s near Lefroy.
2. A great group of hard workers at the Ice House in Belle Ewart, also circa 1900
3. Lillian and her pal Tommy, making short work of pumping water using "dog power" in 1937.
4. The Lefroy Grain Elevator was built in the early 1900s
5. This one is a little grainy, but a rare shot of butchery from 1890.
6. Women milking cows in early Cookstown.
7. Harvesting lettuce in the Holland Marsh.
8. Another Holland Marsh flashback, a packing house.
9. A great shot from the 1970s of a blacksmith in Thornton.
10. Imagine the Herculean efforts it took from the whole community to pull up this stump!
Whether returning to work or to school after this Labour Day weekend we hope you've made the most of your holiday!