June marks the 75th anniversary of the On-To-Ottawa Trek. If you need any background on it, here’s a link to the cover story Stephen LaRose did in our June 3 issue (props, by the way, to Dakota McFadzean for his great cover illustration). If you scroll down to the bottom you’ll find a short article by me outlining some of the events that are being held this month to commemorate what was both a tragedy and a triumph for the social democratic movement in Canada.
That conditions were harsh during the height of the Great Depression is an understatement. But to the credit of the men who embarked on the trek, and the citizens of the various communities where they stopped along the way, they didn’t just accept their economic and social marginalization, but instead organized to peacefully protest against federal government indifference to their plight.
Tonight at the Turvey Centre at 7 p.m., those days will be recalled. As well, on July 1 at 11 a.m., a walking tour will set out from the current Regina City police station (where the original site of the riot, Market Square, was once located). The hour-long tour will offer a recap of events as they unfolded on the evening of July 1 1935.
