Labour Day comes on the first Monday in September. It celebrates workers’ rights. For most people, it also means the end of summer.
Labour Day goes back over a hundred years. In 1872, trade unions were illegal in Canada. Some union leaders had started a strike to get a nine-hour working day. They were put in jail.
Other workers protested this by holding a parade in Toronto on April 5th, 1872. Another parade was held in Ottawa on September 3rd that year. The same year, the Federal government made unions legal. The parades and celebrations began to take place every year. In 1894, Labour Day became a statutory holiday.
Now, everyone in Canada celebrates Labour Day. Since it’s always on a Monday, many people have a long weekend. Usually the weather is 
still warm, so picnics and barbecues are popular. In many places, children go back to school the day after Labour Day.
Many people also think about what workers now have, and what they still want.
