Labour Day Parade urges workers to unite

The longest running Labour Day parade in Canada goes Monday in Sarnia's downtown. The 117th annual procession, hosted by the Sarnia and District Labour Council, begins at 9 a.m. at Wellington Street and Christina Street. Labour Council President Jason McMichael said this year's theme is "Workers Unite Now." "The theme represents the fact that, in the face of right-wing government throughout North America, it's never been more important for workers to stand together, and so we're calling on workers to unite and show the real power of workers in this country." McMichael said they typically have around 6,000 participants in the parade each year. "The parade really just recognizes the hard work that's done by the workers of Lambton County every year. It's actually the longest running Labour Day parade in Canada and it's one of the largest," said McMichael. "It's just an opportunity for workers to get together, show their solidarity, present themselves for the public and give the public an opportunity as well to reflect on the accomplishments of workers in our community." McMichael says Sarnia’s Labour Day procession is the third biggest parade of its kind in Canada, behind only Ottawa and Toronto. The parade will travel down Wellington Street to Front Street and and then down Front Street to Centennial Park.