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The On to Ottawa Trek, Kamloops, June 1935

A black and white photograph of workers standing on top of a Canadian Pacific train with others standing by the tracks attempting to climb on the train. The focal point of the photo is of a man climbing up the train to join the group standing on top.
National Archives of Canada, C-29399

In 1935, unemployed men who had been sent to work camps in British Columbia, went on strike demanding improved working conditions as well as a better response to unemployment from the federal government. After two months of getting nowhere, the strikers decided to set forth on an “On-To-Ottawa Trek” to bring their demands to Parliament and Prime Minister R.B. Bennett.