This book is for the multitude of hard-working immigrants who came to Canada from their devastated countries after the Second World War.
They received no government assistance, paid for their own doctors and medical care, and bought their own homes. While many were exploited and discriminated against, they were still grateful to Canada and to Canadians for giving them a second chance in life. They had limited education and could not speak either of Canada’s official languages, yet with their sweat, sacrifices, and know-how they built great cities and started untold numbers of manufacturing businesses and commercial enterprises. They enriched this country culturally and economically and created the prosperity necessary to establish the great social benefits we all take for granted today.
I wrote this book to tell the story of how this generation of immigrants built the foundations of the construction-business labour unions in Toronto, and to describe the enormous impact our movement has had on Canada and its economy.