canadiary Winnipeg

Diary of Events and Happenings in Winnipeg, Manitoba.


Strike 1919: Divided City

June 23, 2019 to February 5, 2020Winter Hours (Jan 7 to May 17): Tues to Fri 10 am - 4 pm / Sat, Sun & Holidays 11 am - 5 pm / CLOSED Mondays. June 23, 2019 to February 5, 2020Winter Hours (Jan 7 to May 17): Tues to Fri 10 am - 4 pm / Sat, Sun & Holidays 11 am - 5 pm / CLOSED MondaysThe 1919 Winnipeg General Strike was a major event in the history of Winnipeg and the nation. Canada's largest strike, encompassing over 30,000 workers, took place in downtown Winnipeg and shut down the city on May 15, 1919 for 40 days.The Manitoba Museum's Urban Gallery, which was created to depict Winnipeg in 1920, will be transformed as time is virtually rolled back to 1919. Using digital architectural projections of Strike scenes, authentic artifacts from the Strike, photographs, archival interviews with Strike participants, and audio creations of "discussions" between Winnipeggers of 1919 populate the space. Visitors will be placed at the epicenter of a city divided. The General Strike was spurred on by businesses resistant to union organization, poor working conditions, stagnant wages, and unemployment. It started with marches and counter-marches, then escalated into a brawl, then riots. At the heart of the Strike was a deep social question: who was in control of Winnipeg? Was it the strikers? The government? Or business interests? For six weeks, it was an open question. The answer came in the form of violence organized by traditional authorities. The Strike was broken after the arrest of labour leaders, the shooting deaths of two strikers, and the initiation of military patrols on our city streets. While the strikers lost the battle, they would eventually win the war for workers' rights. Many strike leaders, even those arrested, became leading politicians working for the labour cause, helping set the standard for Canadian labour laws of today.Guided Tours: April 20 – June 29Thursdays: 7 pmSaturdays: 2 pmIncluded with Museum admission, preregistration not required.Tours are approximately 45 minutes.Back . Event Details. Location: 190 Rupert Avenue, Winnipeg