Early Labour Newspapers

By David Buchanan

This is a select chronological list of early labour newspapers published in English in Canada from 1872-1919. Each entry includes title, place of publication, and date of publication, followed by former or later titles in brackets when applicable. The aim is twofold: (1) to indicate the number and geographical reach of such newspapers, while also demonstrating their continuous presence in Canada throughout the period; and (2) to provide some context for the labour papers described in more detail in the Newspapers section. As with other sections at this site, I have not included everything available. Instead, I have tried to create a purposeful list of select resources that serves an immediate purpose and points the way to further research. The emphasis here is on newspapers rather than pamphlets or (strike) bulletins, and especially those published in major cities or industrial centres. For now, I have not included papers in other languages, of which there were many. I have listed a few examples of papers that were more specific to a trade or industry, but I have not included others focused on a particular issue (e.g. temperance). I have not seen many of the papers listed; the reference works available are few, forthright about their limitations, and sometimes conflict with each other; the resources otherwise available are scattered across university, provincial, and national sites; and my time, energy, and resources are not infinite—all of which results in a “select” chronology. The sources that follow the list should be consulted for more detailed information as well as related resources. Russell Hann’s Primary Sources in Canadian Working Class History, for example, includes sections on manuscripts, newspapers (incl. ethnic papers), pamphlets, and government documents, and Peter Weinrich’s Social Protest from the Left in Canada, 1870-1970 includes editors, subtitles, organizational support, and location codes. Few of the newspapers listed here are digitized. To find them in print or on microfilm Worldcat is a useful starting point, as is Library and Archives Canada or Canadian provincial sites (e.g. BC Historical Newspapers) listed at Web Links.

  • The Ontario Workman, Toronto, 1872-1875.
  • Standard, Hamilton, 1872.
  • Western Workman, London, 1872.
  • Dominion Watchman and National Reformer, Hamilton, 1878-1880.
  • Canadian Workman, Orillia, ON, 1879-1930?.
  • The Trades Journal, Spring Hill, NS, 1880-1891. (later The Journal)
  • Trades Union Advocate, Toronto, 1882-1883. (later The Wage Worker)
  • The Wage Worker, Toronto, 1883. (formerly Trades Union Advocate)
  • The Labor Union, Hamilton, 1883. (later The Palladium of Labor)
  • The Palladium of Labor, Hamilton, 1883-1886. (formerly The Labor Union)
  • The Evening Palladium, Hamilton, 1884-1886.
  • Canadian Labour Courier, St Thomas, ON, 1886-1887.
  • Canadian Labor Reformer, Toronto, 1886-1887.
  • Labor Record, Toronto, 1886-1887.
  • The Voice of the People, Prince Albert, SK, 1888-?.
  • The Single Tax Advocate, New Westminster, BC, 1889.
  • The Social Reformer, Toronto, 1889-?.
  • The Voice of the People, Kingston, ON, 1889-?.
  • Headlight, Truro, NS, 1889-1896, 1917-?.
  • The Signal and Workman’s Advocate, Truro, NS, 1890.
  • The Labor Advocate, Toronto, 1890-1891.
  • The Echo, Montreal, 1890-1898.
  • The Social Reformer, Toronto, 1891-?.
  • The Vancouver Typographer, Vancouver, 1891.
  • The Industrial Banner, London/Toronto (as of 1912), 1892-1922.
  • The Workman, St John, NB, 1892.
  • The Free Lance, Ottawa, 1893-?
  • The Wage Earner, Orillia, ON, 1893-?.
  • The Peoples Voice, Winnipeg, 1894-1897. (later The Voice)
  • The Winnipeg Typographer, Winnipeg, 1894-?.
  • The Voice, Winnipeg, 1897-1918. (formerly The Peoples Voice, later The Western Labor News)
  • Miner and News, Hamilton, 1897-1919.
  • Maritime Mining Record, Stellarton, NS, 1898-1926?.
  • Citizen and Country, Toronto, 1898-1902?. (later The Canadian Socialist)
  • British Columbia Workman, Victoria, 1899-?.
  • Searchlight, Truro, NS, 1899-1902.
  • The Independent, Vancouver, 1900-1904.
  • The Labour Gazette, Ottawa, 1900-.
  • The Toiler, Toronto, 1900-1905?. (later The Tribune)
  • The Canadian Socialist, Vancouver, 1902-1903. (formerly Citizen and Country, later Western Socialist)
  • Social Justice, Toronto, 1902.
  • The Bond of Brotherhood, Calgary, 1903-1904?.
  • Western Socialist, Vancouver, 1903. (formerly The Canadian Socialist, later The Western Clarion)
  • The Western Clarion, Vancouver, 1903-1925. (formerly Western Socialist, later The Red Flag, then The Indicator, before resuming publication as The Western Clarion in 1920).
  • Progress, Victoria, 1904.
  • The Week, Victoria, 1904-1920.
  • The Clarion, Winnipeg, 1905-?.
  • The Tribune, Toronto, 1905-1906. (formerly The Toiler)
  • The (BC) Trades Unionist, Vancouver, 1906-1909. (later The Western Wage-Earner)
  • Provincial Workman, Glace Bay, NS, 1906?-1911?.
  • The Review and Labour News, Fairville, NS, 1907.
  • Saskatchewan Labor’s Realm, Regina, 1907-1908. (later Labor’s Realm)
  • Cotton’s Weekly, Cowansville, Que, 1908-1914?. (formerly The Observer, later The Canadian Forward)
  • The Lance, Toronto, 1908-1915.
  • Eastern Labour News, Moncton, 1909-1913.
  • Labor’s Realm, Regina, 1909-1910. (formerly Saskatchewan Labour’s Realm)
  • The Western Wage-Earner, Vancouver, 1909-1911. (formerly The (BC) Trades Unionist)
  • The British Columbia Federationist, Vancouver, 1911-1925. (formerly The Western Wage-Earner, later Canadian Labor Advocate)
  • Lunn’s Weekly, Truro, NS, 1911-1912. (later The Canadian Labor Leader)
  • The Canadian Labor Leader, Truro/Sydney, NS, 1912-1918. (formerly Lunn’s Weekly, later The Labor Leader)
  • The Labo(u)r News, Hamilton, 1912-1955.
  • The Single Taxer and Direct Legislation Bulletin, Winnipeg, 1913-1921?.
  • The Canadian Forward, Toronto, 1914?-1918. (formerly Cotton’s Weekly, later The Social Democrat)
  • The Nutcracker, Calgary, 1916-1917. (later The Alberta Non-Partisan)
  • The Alberta Non-Partisan, Calgary, 1917-1919. (formerly The Nutcracker, later The Western Independent)
  • The Messenger, Vancouver/Victoria, 1917?-?.
  • The Beaver, Montreal, 1918-1919.
  • The Eastern Federationist, New Glasgow, NS, 1918-1919. (later The Workers Weekly)
  • Labor, Montreal, 1918-1919?.
  • The Marxian Socialist, Toronto, 1918-?.
  • The Red Flag, Vancouver, 1919-1920. (formerly The Western Clarion, later The Indicator)
  • Semi-Weekly Tribune, Victoria, 1918-1919.
  • The Social-Democrat, Toronto, 1918. (formerly The Canadian Forward)
  • Western Labor News, Winnipeg, 1918-1923. (formerly The Voice)
  • The Anarchist(ic) Soviet Bulletin, Montreal, 1919.
  • The Camp Worker, Vancouver, 1919.
  • Canadian Labor Press, Ottawa/Toronto, 1919-1963.
  • The Citizen, Halifax, 1919-1953.
  • Edmonton Free Press, Edmonton, 1919-1920. (later Alberta Labor News)
  • The Enlightener, Winnipeg, 1919. (formerly Western Star)
  • The Indicator, Vancouver, 1919-1920. (formerly The Red Flag, later The Western Clarion)
  • The Labor Leader, Sydney, NS, 1919. (formerly Canadian Labor Leader)
  • The Labor Leader, Toronto, 1919-1954.
  • Labor Star, Vancouver, 1919.
  • The New Democracy, Hamilton, 1919-1923.
  • The One Big Union Bulletin, Edmonton, 1919.
  • One Big Union Bulletin, Winnipeg, 1919-1934. (later Labor Leader)
  • The Ontario Labor News, Toronto, 1919.
  • The Worker’s Weekly, Stellarton, NS, 1919-1925. (formerly The Eastern Federationist)
  • The Searchlight, Calgary, 1919-1920.
  • The Soviet, Edmonton, 1919.
  • The Statesman, Edmonton, 1919.
  • The Western Independent, Calgary, 1919-1920. (formerly The Alberta Nonpartisan)
  • Western Star, Winnipeg, 1919.
  • The Worker, Vancouver, 1919-?. (formerly The Camp Worker)
  • The Workers Weekly, Stellarton, NS, 1919-1925. (formerly The Eastern Federationist)
  • Alberta Labor News, Edmonton, 1920-1936. (Formerly Edmonton Free Press, Later People’s Weekly)

Sources

Elliott, Robbins. “The Canadian Labour Press from 1867: A Chronological Annotated Directory.” Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science 14 (1948): 220-48.

Hann, Russell G., et al. Primary Sources in Canadian Working Class History. Kitchener: Dumont, 1973.

Weinrich, Peter. Social Protest from the Left in Canada, 1870-1970. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 1982.