Labour Day: More Than Just a Day Off

Labour Day Weekend is already upon us. We think of it as the last chance to pack in some summer activities before school starts; however, the origins of the holiday lie in the Labour Movement of the 19th century. As industrialization took hold and cities became more crowded, workers were subjected to long hours, poor conditions, and unfair wages. Unions were formed to represent workers' interests, eventually resulting in improved working situations through collective bargaining as well as labour laws.

Canadian Labour Day can be traced to March 25th, 1872, when the Toronto Typographical Union went on strike for a nine-hour work day. Joanna Dawson of Canada's History Magazine writes, "On April 14, a group of 2,000 workers marched through the streets in a show of solidarity. They picked up even more supporters along the way and by the time they reached their destination of Queen's Park, their parade had 10,000 participants - one tenth of the city's population... The parade that was held in support of the strikers carried over into an annual celebration of workers' rights and was adopted in cities throughout Canada. The parades demonstrated solidarity, with different unions identified by the colourful banners they carried. In 1894, under mounting pressure from the working class, Prime Minister Sir John Thompson declared Labour Day a national holiday."

Archbishop Pocock collected various pamphlets dealing with different labour issues. Below is a sampling:

"A union can secure the laws you need - laws to protect your safety and health at work, to protect your rights, to protect your children against harmful work, to protect you as a consumer, and other laws to prevent your being exploited."
...A Union Catechism: 1939

"Will your wages provide the education he needs? Or will he have to work at fourteen? Will his mother have to go out to earn money and leave him to someone else's care? Will your wages give him the food and clothing he needs and add a few books and playthings? ... Because a union represents the united strength of men and women in your trade it can set high standards of wages and work conditions, higher than you could obtain alone. It can maintain these standards against reductions. It can assure you income during sickness of unemployment, and life insurance or death benefits. In times of need, you can count on your union to stand by you and your family."
His Future: [1924-1952?]

"If a little more wages will help me get the things you have, and shorter hours will allow me to have a little garden and time for the family, then I've made up my mind."
As Man to Man: [19-?]

"It does not require any elaborate social philosophy or great discernment to know that a wage of $3 a day and a workday of eight hours in sanitary workshops are better than $2.50 a day and a workday of twelve hours under perilous conditions. The working people will not stop when any particular point is reached; they will never stop in their efforts to obtain a better life for themselves, for their wives, for their children, and for all humanity. The object is to attain complete social justice."
The American Labor Movement: Its Makeup Achievements and Aspirations: 1914

"In no other walk of life does the idea exist that a man must arbitrarily accept any offer that may be made by another. There are two sides always to an agreement. Each side ought to have equal chances to propose and insist upon what is considered a fair agreement."
Collective Bargaining: Labor's Proposal to Insure Greater Industrial Peace With Questions and Answers Explaining the Principle: 1920

"The Federal Department of Labor informs us that a recently invented "money-saving machine" will do "in less than three hours the work that used to take one man seventy-seven hours," and adds, that "the labor-saving represented by this new machine is a net gain for the cotton farmer." ...."The question spontaneously presents itself," ... "What of the thousands of persons who made a living, however meager, by gathering the cotton? And will it be of any advantage to the farmers to offer their cotton at a lower price on account of this invention, if through its utilization a large number of people are deprived of the means of purchasing the product?"
The Machine and Unemployment: 1934

"Of late, inventions are rapidly invading the sphere of clerical work. A calculator, invented by Professor Charles D. Fawcett, having 75,000 parts and weighing three tons, recently solved a problem in 15 minutes on which five expert mathematicians of the U.S. Army worked four months before finding the solution."
More Machines and More Unemployment: 1934

The Labour Movement gave us many things which we now take for granted. Weekends, child labour laws, fair pay, benefits, sick days, paid vacations, lunch breaks, pensions, harassment laws, unemployment insurance, the 40-hour work week, occupational health and safety rules, minimum wage, and paid holidays. This Monday when you are relaxing, take a moment to be thankful for the working environments we now enjoy in Canada!

For more information, check out the Canadian Museum of History's online exhibit.

Island Living: St. Rita's Mission Church

The Toronto Islands have been a summer recreation destination since they came under the City’s jurisdiction in 1867.  By the late 1800s, the Islands boasted resort hotels, amusement areas and Toronto’s first cottage community.  Many of Toronto’s wealthiest families built large Victorian summer homes here.

The Islands are considered part of the parish of St. Michael’s Cathedral.  At first, Catholic summer residents were ferried back to the mainland to fulfill their Sunday obligation. Following WWI, there were almost 200 Catholics summering here, which justified the building of a local mission church.  The cornerstone was laid in 1921 and Mass was held in a cottage while the church was completed.

The rustic building was designed by architect James P. Hynes in the half-timbered style of exposing the wood frame.  The interior woodwork was of British Columbia pine and the walls were not originally plastered. The oak pews came from St. Michael’s Cathedral.

This is the earliest photograph we have of St. Rita-on-the-Island, published in the Toronto Evening Telegram on 15 July 1922, the date before its dedication.  The building was surrounded by trees and boasted British Columbia cedar shingles.

The church of St. Rita-on-the-Island was dedicated by Archbishop Neil McNeil on July 16, 1922. Thereafter, in the summer months, a priest from the Cathedral would come by ferry each Sunday to celebrate Mass and share brunch with the cottagers.  The women of the parish were very involved in the church’s upkeep, donating flowers in rotation, providing music and running fund-raisers.  In fact, the patron saint of the church was chosen by a Mrs. French, who had obtained a large building donation from the O’Keefe Estate. (The late Eugene O'Keefe, founder of the O'Keefe Brewery Company, was a Catholic philanthropist and benefactor of St. Augustine's Seminary.)

In the late 1950s, the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto decided to make the Islands more accessible to the general public by eliminating private homes (with some exceptions on Algonquin Island and Ward’s Island). Land leases were not renewed, residents were paid compensation, and the summer homes were razed.  As part of this parkland rezoning, the churches of St. Rita’s and St. Andrew by-the-Lake (Anglican) were relocated to another part of the Centre Island.

St. Rita's Mission Church in its new Centre Island location, 23 August 1981
The blue paint is a much later addition.
Photographs Collection, PH0287/1-30CP

By 1968, both churches had fallen into structural disrepair and attendance had dropped. The Toronto Parks Commissioner proposed keeping only one building for both Anglican and Catholic services. In 1983, the Municipality decided to demolish St. Rita's and renovate St. Andrew’s because of its historical significance as the first church on the island. Some of the furnishings from St. Rita's were placed in the restored church, including the traditional oak pews and the Stations of the Cross. The refurbished building was re-dedicated as an interdenominational church, bearing both saints' names, in an ecumenical service on June 24,1984.

This news clipping shows St. Rita's Church prior to demolition and the refurbished St. Andrew on-the-Lake Anglican Parish, which was rededicated as an interdenominational church after the City paid to have it restored.
The Catholic Register, 14 July 1984

Though Catholic services have not been offered since 1995, St. Andrew by-the-Lake is still an active Anglican parish that can be attended today. 

For a complete history of the St. Rita’s and St. Andrew’s churches, please see:

Mallon, Mary Frances. “A Tale of Two Churches.” The York Pioneer Volume 85 (1990): 1-10. 

Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the First World War

This week Canadians commemorated the 100th anniversary of our nation's entry into the First World War. On August 5, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany, which meant that Canada was also involved. Before the war ended in 1918, 620,000 people were part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. 67,000 were killed, and 250,000 were wounded.

The Catholic Church considered itself impartial, and condemned the fighting. However, it did play a part. Many chaplains were fielded, and parishes participated in relief efforts.

At ARCAT we have records of another way the Catholic Church tried to help. Within the office of the Secretary of State of the Holy See, the Ufficio Provvisorio per Informazioni sui Prigionieri de Guerra (Temporary Office for Information on Prisoners of War) was formed. As detailed in an article "The Vatican and The Missing" in The Sacred Heart Review (Volume 58, Number 13, 8 September 1917 pp. 8-9), the office was formed in response to letters that Pope Benedict XV had been receiving from many countries with pleas for assistance in finding information about captured and missing soldiers. Catholic officials across Europe were able to visit prisoners of war and gather information, which was meticulously filed and made available to family members.

Archbishop McNeil assisted Catholics of the Archdiocese by personally writing to the office. Below is an example of a response which was received:

A letter to the Archbishop of Toronto acknowledging receipt of a telegram requesting information regarding Esmonde Clarke and instructing him to wait with patience while the necessary research is undertaken.

Below is a letter to Archbishop McNeil from an official of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, writing on behalf of Sir John Aird for information about his son, Hugh R. Aird.

We don't know what happened to Hugh R. Aird while he was in Turkey, but we do know that the family received a response:

Other things we know about Hugh are that he was born on September 2nd, 1892, and that he was a lumberman when he enlisted in February, 1915. He was 5'8", and had fair hair and blue eyes. His father, John Aird, lived at 89 Madison Avenue in Toronto. This information comes from Hugh's attestation paper, which can be found in Library and Archives Canada's Soldiers of the First War database.

Hugh's name can be found in a list of men who were in Eaton's Machine Gun Battery, but we know from his father's letter that he eventually became a part of the Royal Naval Air Service and served in the Gallipoli Campaign.

We do know that Hugh was able to make it home safely, because he went on to marry, and he became the father of John Black Aird, the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

We also know that Hugh died in 1971 and is buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, as found on the website findagrave.com.

The 'Great War' was extremely brutal and devastating to human life. By remaining impartial, the Catholic Church was able to bring comfort to soldiers and their families. As Archbishop McNeil explained in his 1918 pastoral letter The Pope and the War, "The Pope is necessarily neutral in this war. He is in justice obliged to be impartial. Catholics are patriotic in their respective countries. The war has made this clear. Whether right or wrong in judgement, they are convinced of the justice of their respective countries' cause, whether French or German. If the Pope publicly condemned either group of belligerents at the outbreak of war or at any stage of it, he would thereby place many millions of Catholics in the agonizing necessity of choosing between their Church and their Country, and he would favor one section of the Church at the expense of another. The war would go on in any case."

As we take time to commemorate this event in history, we pray that the lessons that were learned between 1914 and 1918 will be remembered and that peace can be attained for all people.

Wedding Bells Are Ringing!

As the sacramental record books show, July is a very popular month for weddings. Everywhere are the nervous affianced who are looking for advice. How do we solve disputes? How do we divide household chores? What if my betrothed turns out to be a lunatic? As it turns out, the Archives is a great place to find matrimonial advice for the bride and groom:

Matrimony, 1928: "There is nothing which contributes more to the social well-being of man than the right ordering of the family. Human society will thrive only in so far as parents fulfil and realize their obligations as husbands and wives and as fathers and mothers."

The Catholic Doctrine of Matrimony, 1929: "In the union of the twain whom love has inspired to walk the pathway of life hand in hand the Church beholds a definite and living representation of the sacred bond that unites her inseparably to her Divine Spouse, Jesus Christ."

Marital Morality, 1931: "And so that they will not deplore for the rest of their lives the sorrows arising from an indiscreet marriage, those about to enter into wedlock should carefully deliberate in choosing the person with whom henceforth they must live continually. They should in so deliberating keep before their minds the thought first of God and of the true religion of Christ, then of themselves, of their partner, of the children who are to come, as also of civil society, for which wedlock is as a fountain-head."

The Tangle of Marriage, 1932: "Man and maid! You who clasp your hands together at the altar of the Lord and join your lives that, like two rivers, they may run together into one, for better, for worse, until death shall you part, look to the plans that God has shown you on His Holy Mount, the Church. Look to the Home of Nazareth. Look to Mary and to Joseph. Model your lives upon theirs. So will you sanctify your future habitation. So will the children playing around your knees show the likeness of Christ in them. So will Heaven's blessing rest like sunlight on your path, whatever be its course.

The Wedding Ring, 1933.

Marriage: A Dialogue on the Christian Ideal, 1935.

The Duties of Married Life, 1935: The world is wide enough to contain and support the swelling generations of the children of men, but it does not yield up its treasures overwillingly - they must be wrested from it by main force. The earth is not a heap of treasure, which men may share among themselves in such sort that each one's portion should increase according as the number who ought to have a share grows less. No but the treasure grows greater in proportion to the spirit, the ability, the courage of those who do battle to acquire it. Man's life is a relentless warfare... and civilization is the fruit, progress the reward of conquest." 

Beginning Your Marriage, 1956: "Husbands and wives who cooperate generously in building a happy, successful life together necessarily perfect themselves in the process."

Courtship and Marriage, [1925-1956?]: "When courtship is being protracted to unseemly length, the father of the girl should inquire of the young man what his intentions are - and incidentally what is the reason for the delay." 

After the Honeymoon What?: "Marriage, humanly speaking, is a job. Happiness or unhappiness has nothing to do with it."

Marriage Problems: "A business man makes many personal sacrifices for the success of his business, whatever it may be. The biggest business of life is the family. No matter what success one may have in trade, in society, or in public office, if family life is not right, one has not made a success of life. On the other hand, if one's family life is what it should be, one is able to face the vicissitudes of life in a spirit of buoyancy, which if it does not ensure material success at least affords strength and courage to cope with every obstacle."

Ok, so maybe marriage advice will have changed since the 1920s, but they're still fun to read!

  

ARCAT Gone Fishin'

In 1951, President Herbert Hoover said:

"The human animal originally came from out-of-doors. When spring begins to move in his bones, he just must get out again. Moreover, as civilization, cement pavements, office buildings, radios have overwhelmed us, the need for regeneration has increased, and the impulses are even stronger. When all the routines and details and the human bores get on our nerves, we just yearn to go away from here to somewhere else. To go fishing is a sound, a valid, and an accepted reason for an escape. It requires no explanation.

"Nor is it the fish we get that counts. We could buy them in the market for mere silver at one percent of the cost. It is the chance to wash one's soul with pure air, with the rush of the brook, or with the shimmer of the sun on blue water. It brings meekness and inspiration from the decency of nature, charity toward tackle makers, patience toward fish, a mockery of profits and egos, a quieting of hate, a rejoicing that you do not have to decide a darned thing until next week. And it is discipline in the equality of men-for all men are equal before fish. And the contemplation of the water, the forest, and mountains soothes our troubles, shames our wickedness, and inspires us to esteem our fellowmen-especially other fishermen."

Our very own Cardinal Carter was an avid angler who enjoyed spending his leisure time on a fishing boat well into old age. The life of an archbishop is very busy and hectic, but Carter knew the value of taking time to relax in nature. Even though he was a "prince of the Church," while fishing he was the same as any other person.

Who wants to go swimming?
September, 1984.

Looks like this angler has had some practice!
1982.

Just getting started!
June, 1992.

The proud fishermen show off a good haul.
1982.

Cooking up a delicious catch.

Photo published in the Toronto Sun, August 3, 2001.

Cardinal Carter was such an outdoorsman that there was a waterfall named after him in 1982 on Oak Lake in Northern Ontario!

Looks like a beautiful spot for a picnic!
1982.

Did you bring the watermelon? Picnic season is here!

In parks and on beaches, in forest clearings and on church lawns, picnics are happening everywhere and Catholics know how to picnic right. Part fellowship and part fundraiser, picnics have taken place in the Archdiocese of Toronto since at least 1865. In that year, Fr. Jamot wrote to Bishop Lynch regarding a picnic that was being planned as a fundraiser for the House of Providence.

"Yesterday evening we had a well attended meeting for the Pic-Nic for the House of Providence; everyone is very much in earnest; those who spoke, did so in a very flattering manner for the good sisters; I believe that [the]  Pic-Nic will be a perfect success."

This photo was taken at a picnic held by the St. Paul's (elementary school) Old Boys Association at the Milne farm in 1929:

Good to know that nose-picking children existed in the 1920s. 

Why so serious? It's a picnic!

These gentlemen are well dressed for a picnic on a farm.
How many bow ties or three-piece suits do you think you would see at a modern picnic?

It would seem that not everyone enjoys posing.

This photo was taken at a Knights of Columbus picnic on Centre Island in 1923:

It's easy to tell who couldn't sit still.

"Look at the camera! Look at the camera!"

Is that a real beard?

These children don't look too impressed. They'd rather be running around!

I hope the straw boater hat comes back into fashion for men. So dapper!

The next two photos are from a St. Bernard de Clairvaux Parish picnic in the 1960s:

The egg-and-spoon race: as much of a classic in the 1960s as it is now. The game originated in England in the 1890s!

They may have been less safe, but playgrounds used to be way more fun!

The chancery office employees had a lovely picnic in the cathedral garden in 1989:

Brenda (centre) remembers this day because it was her birthday, and because she was stung by a bee and couldn't come to work for three days!

Can you spot a famous young archivist?

Let these photos inspire you to get out and picnic this summer! Check out BlogTO for a list of great Toronto picnic spots, or get out of the city and enjoy one of Ontario's many Conservation Areas or Provincial Parks.

In the archives, our favourite picnic spot is the garden at the Rosehill Resevoir followed by a walk through David A. Balfour park.