Join WAHC for a tour of Hamilton’s storied past this Labour Day!
On the afternoon of Saturday, September 5th, we’ll be honouring the 80th anniversary of the 1946 Stelco Strike with a tour led by Professor Rob Kristofferson .
In 1946, 20% of Hamilton’s labour force walked off the job, including workers at Westinghouse, Firestone and eventually Stelco. But the solidarity and ability to do that didn’t just happen overnight. How did the city’s working class reach this breaking point? And how did their community rally behind them during weeks on the picket line?
Our tour will begin at the Playhouse Cinema , where the USW 1005 strike vote took place on July 18th, 1946. Dr. Kristofferson will lead the tour down Sherman Ave North, exploring the unique industrial and social history of the corridor that helped make the strikes of 1946 some of the most significant labour actions of their time, ultimately impacting labour relations in Canada for decades to come.
Following the tour, we will arrive at Pinch Bakery and Plant Shop for a community meal and original monologue performed by theatre artist and food security activist Emily Zimmerman. Inspired by the community kitchens and commissaries that emerge during labour unrest, Emily will explore the way food nurtured solidarity not only between the strikers, but their friends, neighbours and family too.
Event actions are closed
Responses and planning are no longer available for this event.
Save your spot on the tour today!
Accessibility notes:
Please let us know if you require any accessibility assistance for the event and we can work to make arrangements. There will be limited opportunities to sit during the walking tour. If you need a break at any point during the tour, you’ll be able to access Pinch beginning at 3:30pm.
Pinch is physically accessible with barrier free entry to the venue and an accessible washroom.
If we experience inclement weather the event will be moved indoors to Pinch and will begin at 4 pm. Notice of this change will be announced with as much lead time as possible.
Image Credit: Facsimile of Photograph of Men Wearing Prop Masks and Carrying Signs in 1946 Hamilton Labour Day Parade from Industrial Images Exhibition, WAHC Permanent Collection.
Rob Kristofferson
Rob Kristofferson has been working with the WAHC since before it opened its doors in 1996. In the mid-1990s he was part of the team that mounted the Centre’s opening exhibitions. It also included assembling a series of walking tours for WAHC under the title The Workers’ City which have a permanent home at www.workerscity.ca.
He is Professor of History and Social Justice at Wilfrid Laurier University, and currently serves as President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association, which represents the over 18,000 professors and academic librarians in the province.
His coauthored book with Simon Orpana – SHOWDOWN: Making Modern Unions – is a graphic history based on some of the events that will be recounted on the tour. He is also the co-editor of the collection The Art of Solidarity: Labour Arts and Heritage in Canada, alongside Dr. Stephanie Ross of McMaster University. Both books were published by Between the Lines in 2016 and 2024 respectively.
Emily Zimmerman
Emily Zimmerman is a multimedia and performance artist based in Hamilton, Ontario. Her art draws on her background in experimental theatre, community organizing and food access activism. Earlier this year she presented “How to Cook Like a Starving Artist” as part of the2026 Hamilton Frost Bites Theatre Festival. Recent presentations on the intersection of food, culture and history include “The Victory Burlesque Theatre” at The Museum of Toronto as part of the Tastes of Toronto: A Culinary History of the City project and “Schmears and Caviar” at the Joseph Brant Museum, as part of their “eat make share” exhibit. She can also be found performing as “Goldie Luxemburg, the wisecracking, song-belting, commie rabble-rousing Yenta of Burlesque”. She has also been a longtime Chef, cooking instructor, and event planner at The Depanneur in Toronto.
Saturday, September 5
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please let us know if you require any accessibility assistance for the event and we can work to make arrangements. There will be limited opportunities to sit during the walking tour. If you need a break at any point during the tour, you’ll be able to access Pinch beginning at 3:30pm. Pinch is physically accessible with barrier free entry to the venue and an accessible washroom. If we experience inclement weather the event will be moved indoors to Pinch and will begin at 4 pm. Notice of this change will be announced with as much lead time as possible. Image Credit: Facsimile of Photograph of Men Wearing Prop Masks and Carrying Signs in 1946 Hamilton Labour Day Parade from Industrial Images Exhibition, WAHC Permanent Collection. Rob Kristofferson Rob Kristofferson has been working with the WAHC since before it opened its doors in 1996. In the mid-1990s he was part of the team that mounted the Centre’s opening exhibitions. It also included assembling a series of walking tours for WAHC under the title The Workers’ City which have a permanent home at www.workerscity.ca. He is Professor of History and Social Justice at Wilfrid Laurier University, and currently serves as President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association, which represents the over 18,000 professors and academic librarians in the province. His coauthored book with Simon Orpana – SHOWDOWN: Making Modern Unions – is a graphic history based on some of the events that will be recounted on the tour. He is also the co-editor of the collection The Art of Solidarity: Labour Arts and Heritage in Canada, alongside Dr. Stephanie Ross of McMaster University. Both books were published by Between the Lines in 2016 and 2024 respectively. Emily Zimmerman Emily Zimmerman is a multimedia and performance artist based in Hamilton, Ontario. Her art draws on her background in experimental theatre, community organizing and food access activism. Earlier this year she presented “How to Cook Like a Starving Artist” as part of the2026 Hamilton Frost Bites Theatre Festival. Recent presentations on the intersection of food, culture and history include “The Victory Burlesque Theatre” at The Museum of Toronto as part of the Tastes of Toronto: A Culinary History of the City project and “Schmears and Caviar” at the Joseph Brant Museum, as part of their “eat make share” exhibit. She can also be found performing as “Goldie Luxemburg, the wisecracking, song-belting, commie rabble-rousing Yenta of Burlesque”. She has also been a longtime Chef, cooking instructor, and event planner at The Depanneur in Toronto. Join WAHC for a tour of Hamilton’s storied past this Labour Day! On the afternoon of Saturday, September 5th, we’ll be honouring the 80th anniversary of the 1946 Stelco Strike with a tour led by Professor Rob Kristofferson . In 1946, 20% of Hamilton’s labour force walked off the job, including workers at Westinghouse, Firestone and eventually Stelco. But the solidarity and ability to do that didn’t just happen overnight. How did the city’s working class reach this breaking point? And how did their community rally behind them during weeks on the picket line? Our tour will begin at the Playhouse Cinema , where the USW 1005 strike vote took place on July 18th, 1946. Dr. Kristofferson will lead the tour down Sherman Ave North, exploring the unique industrial and social history of the corridor that helped make the strikes of 1946 some of the most significant labour actions of their time, ultimately impacting labour relations in Canada for decades to come. Following the tour, we will arrive at Pinch Bakery and Plant Shop for a community meal and original monologue performed by theatre artist and food security activist Emily Zimmerman. Inspired by the community kitchens and commissaries that emerge during labour unrest, Emily will explore the way food nurtured solidarity not only between the strikers, but their friends, neighbours and family too. Save your spot on the tour today! Accessibility notes: Please let us know if you require any accessibility assistance for the event and we can work to make arrangements. There will be limited opportunities to sit during the walking tour. If you need a break at any point during the tour, you’ll be able to access Pinch beginning at 3:30pm. Pinch is physically accessible with barrier free entry to the venue and an accessible washroom. If we experience inclement weather the event will be moved indoors to Pinch and will begin at 4 pm. Notice of this change will be announced with as much lead time as possible. Image Credit: Facsimile of Photograph of Men Wearing Prop Masks and Carrying Signs in 1946 Hamilton Labour Day Parade from Industrial Images Exhibition, WAHC Permanent Collection. Rob Kristofferson Rob Kristofferson has been working with the WAHC since before it opened its doors in 1996. In the mid-1990s he was part of the team that mounted the Centre’s opening exhibitions. It also included assembling a series of walking tours for WAHC under the title The Workers’ City which have a permanent home at www.workerscity.ca. He is Professor of History and Social Justice at Wilfrid Laurier University, and currently serves as President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association, which represents the over 18,000 professors and academic librarians in the province. His coauthored book with Simon Orpana – SHOWDOWN: Making Modern Unions – is a graphic history based on some of the events that will be recounted on the tour. He is also the co-editor of the collection The Art of Solidarity: Labour Arts and Heritage in Canada, alongside Dr. Stephanie Ross of McMaster University. Both books were published by Between the Lines in 2016 and 2024 respectively. Emily Zimmerman Emily Zimmerman is a multimedia and performance artist based in Hamilton, Ontario. Her art draws on her background in experimental theatre, community organizing and food access activism. Earlier this year she presented “How to Cook Like a Starving Artist” as part of the2026 Hamilton Frost Bites Theatre Festival. Recent presentations on the intersection of food, culture and history include “The Victory Burlesque Theatre” at The Museum of Toronto as part of the Tastes of Toronto: A Culinary History of the City project and “Schmears and Caviar” at the Joseph Brant Museum, as part of their “eat make share” exhibit. She can also be found performing as “Goldie Luxemburg, the wisecracking, song-belting, commie rabble-rousing Yenta of Burlesque”. She has also been a longtime Chef, cooking instructor, and event planner at The Depanneur in Toronto.
Playhouse Cinema · 177 Sherman Ave. North
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