CORNWALL, Ontario – Lamoureux Park was alive with energy this Labour Day Monday, as residents piled in to enjoy the Cornwall and District Labour Council’s Annual Labour Day Picnic.
While the weather was slightly gloomy, it didn’t stop kids from enjoying the multiple bouncy castles, train rides, or face painting the event had to offer. With festivities taking place all day long, free hotdogs were handed out throughout the day.
While the day’s activities were a fun way to wind down from summer, Labour Council President, Elaine MacDonald says they were small parts of a bigger celebration.
“It’s a celebration of all the gains that workers have made working together for the last 150 plus years in Canada,” said MacDonald. “The thing about making progress in society is that things don’t tend to stay fixed – you have to be eternally vigilant.”
The theme of this year’s parade is “We Stand for Fairness,” highlighting the importance of improving pensions, shrinking number of good jobs in Canada, as well as the lack of access to paid sick leave.
“The world changes, and the workplace changes, and sometimes things that may have worked in previous times need to be reinvented,” said MacDonald. “So many issues like healthcare just fade into the background, and they become vulnerable.”
