Forms part of Fonds 1. The series consists of reports, communications, small cardboard poster, and lists of schools and workers engaged by the City Health Department to distribute milk during the 1919 strike in Winnipeg.

1 series comprised of 6 interviews (05hh 08mm 40ss) conducted as part of the Communicative Memory of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike Project. The interviews have been indexed and transcribed in full. Some interview files include photographs, correspondence, and archival material.

The project began in response to Janis Thiessen’s involvement on the planning committee for the 1919-2019 Winnipeg General Strike Centenary Conference. In late 2016, she interviewed six descendants of those involved on both sides of the 1919 Strike, asking them to share stories they heard about the strike from their relatives, the lessons they learned from those stories, and how those stories shaped their own understandings of labour issues, unions, and social and economic justice.

Oral history interview with Tom Paulley (00h 32mmm 17ss), conducted by Janis Thiessen in 2016. The interview is indexed and fully transcribed. The Related Interview Documents file contains all documentation contributed by Tom Paulley, including: 2 digital photographs (pdf format), correspondence, a news page (1969), and an unpublished account of the 1919 General Strike: “The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 (Rough draft by Les. Paulley).”

Tom Paulley was born in 1952. His grandfather, Les Paulley, was a participant in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike. Les Paulley was 17 years old at the time, and employed as a telegraph courier. Tom was a high school student and learned about the 1918 strike that preceded the 1919 general strike. Tom asked his grandfather about that time period, which prompted him to share his memories of the 1919 strike with him. These memories were very general, in the form of lessons that “the struggle never really ends for better working conditions, better pay, better everything for working men and women” and the awareness that the 1919 strike was not a Bolshevik conspiracy. Those conversations may have prompted Les Paulley to write a brief, impersonal account of the strike for his family. After the 1919 strike, Les Paulley worked as a car man with the Canadian National Railway and unsuccessfully ran as a CCF candidate in the 1958 federal and 1959 Manitoba provincial elections. Tom Paulley worked briefly in the Northwest Territories for Arctic Cooperatives Ltd. before a career in government with the Community Services and Corrections Department and as a correctional officer at the Headingley Correctional Institution. Tom ran unsuccessfully for the NDP in the 2011 and 2015 federal elections.

Oral history interview with Lisa McGifford (00h 26mmm 59ss), conducted by Janis Thiessen in 2016. The interview is indexed and fully transcribed.

Lisa McGifford was born in 1963. She worked in community health for some time before getting a law degree and coming to work at the UW Faculty Association. Lisa’s mother was a long-time MLA for the NDP. Her great-grandfather, James McGifford, was involved in the strike. His son Bob, Lisa’s paternal grandfather, took part and was about ten at the time. Bob and his friends broke into a boxcar destined for the mayor and ate the bananas they found inside. Lisa’s other paternal great-grandfather was also involved in the strike and apparently lost his job at CP Rail as a result, and was forced to assume a false name. Lisa’s grandfather ultimately became the Chief Electrical Inspector and had mixed feelings about unionism and politics in general. Lisa’s mother was involved in various forms of activism and introduced her to that world. Lisa went to law school because she felt that workers needed better representation. She hasn’t explicitly tried to pass down her family’s stories of involvement in the strike.

Oral history interview with Sandra Oakley (01h 06mmm 58ss), conducted by Janis Thiessen in 2016. Interview is indexed and fully transcribed. Related interview Documents file contains a letter of recommendation from Bridge Over Blue Nile regarding Alex Oakley.

Oral history interview with Kathleen Christensen (010h 43mmm 25ss), conducted by Janis Thiessen, Winnipeg Manitoba, 2016. Interview is indexed and fully transcribed.

Oral History interview with Margaret Owen (00h 34mmm 36ss), conducted by Janis Thiessen, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2016. Interview is indexed and fully transcribed. A Related Documents file contains an article about William Cooper (originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press).

Margaret Owen was born in 1934 and worked in Winnipeg as a teacher. Her father was sent to Hong Kong during WWII as a Grenadier and spent the war in a POW camp; Margaret has published a book about their life at home during this period. Margaret’s grandfather, William Cooper, was a radical socialist who influenced the 1919 strikers. He was originally from Scotland and immigrated in 1905; he worked with CNR. During the strike itself he stayed in the background, but he ran a “Workers’ University” in one of the Labour Temples where he taught socialist theory. Cooper supported the One Big Union movement, and helped to adapt British unionism to the Canadian context and to Winnipeg specifically. He also wrote prolifically on labour issues. Margaret’s mother and other family were quite proud of Cooper and passed down stories about him. Her son has written an article about him for the Winnipeg Free Press.

Oral history interview with Ross Metcalfe (01h 44mmm 25ss), conducted by Janis Thiessen, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2016. Interview is indexed and fully transcribed. A Related Interview Documents file contains three photographs of Judge Metcalfe, and one of Judge Metcalfe's gavel.

Ross Metcalfe was born in 1954 in Winnipeg. He taught history and physical education, as well as having various administrative roles in Winnipeg schools. He has also been involved in various sports, cultural, and motorcycle organizations. Ross’ great-uncle was Justice Thomas Llewellyn Metcalfe, who tried the 1919 strikers. The family settled in Manitoba in the late 1800s. Ross’ grandfather and his family lived near the judge, and his father was a young teen during the trials. The family had to have guards escort them to and from school because of threats received by the judge. Justice Metcalfe was fluently bilingual, and enjoyed hunting, lacrosse, and hockey. Ross believes that Justice Metcalfe has been unfairly depicted in history books, and that he was a fair and extremely diligent judge who wanted to help the strikers while still following the letter of the law. The name Metcalfe caused trouble for some of his family members following the strike. Ross has preserved many artifacts and records passed down from his grandfather and great-uncle, and plans to organize them all. Ross does not feel affected by the strike but more so by his family’s pioneer history, and has never been on strike himself.

The collection consists of a scrapbook of newspaper clippings from both the Winnipeg Free Press and the Winnipeg Evening Tribune regarding the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919. The clippings are from May 27-29, June 2-3, 6, 10-13, 30 and July 1, 1919. One clipping is from November 20, 1965. One complete photocopy of the scrapbook is included.

The fonds contains a playbill from Strike! The Musical signed by playwright Danny Schur. This published material contains biographical information of those involved in the production as well as the itinerary for the opening night of the play, May 26, 2005. In addition, a pamphlet from the union International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE Local 63) is included.