Grainy black and white photo of J.S. Woodsworth, an older man with a mustache and light-colored hair, seated in profile. He is wearing a dark three-piece suit and appears to be reading or looking down at a document. The lighting is low, casting shadows that emphasize a contemplative mood.

"The general public has not been innocent. It has been guilty of the greatest sin: the sin of indifference.” J.S. Woodsworth, June, 1919

He didn't just call out strikebreakers, but the silence that cost lives.

Words mattered. They still do.

#SolidarityRoots #1919Strike #RoadToBloodySaturday

Black and white portrait of J.S. Woodsworth, a bearded man in early 20th-century attire. He stands with one hand in his pocket and the other resting on an ornate chair. He wears a dark three-piece suit, a white shirt with a high collar, and a flat cap. The image is framed in an oval with a textured border, evoking a formal and historical presentation.

Long before he founded the CCF (now the NDP), J.S. Woodsworth was in Winnipeg, writing fiery editorials in support of the strike.

He was arrested for “seditious libel", for his words. Even speaking for workers was seen as a threat.

#SolidarityRoots #RoadToBloodySaturday

Black and white photo of an older man and woman standing side by side in front of a wooden building. The man, George Armstrong (Helen "Ma" Armstong's husband) is on the left and is wearing a white shirt, polka-dot tie, suspenders, and high-waisted trousers. The woman, Helen “Ma” Armstrong, is on the right and is wearing a patterned dress and smiles slightly. Both appear relaxed, surrounded by tall flowers and plants.

She is a reminder that the strike was about more than wages, it was about who got to be seen, heard, and protected.

She stood her ground when few others would, and made sure women were not left behind in the fight
#SolidarityRoots #LabourHistory #WomenInLabour #MaArmstrong #RoadToBloodySaturday

Two black and white newspaper clippings from 1919. The top headline reads: “Girl Strikers Urged to Stand Firm by Unions — Winning, Dixon, Ivens and Mrs. Armstrong Address Victoria Park Meeting.” The lower headline reads: “Mrs. Armstrong to Stand Trial — Case Against Woman Labor Leader Is Sent to Assize Court.”

Ma Armstrong organized strikes, ran a labour café, and offered shelter to jobless women. Arrested during the General Strike, she kept organizing from her cell.

Shes quoted as saying: “The men cannot win this fight alone.” And she was right.

#SolidarityRoots #RoadToBloodySaturday

Black and white portrait of Helen “Ma” Armstrong, a middle-aged woman with neatly styled grey hair. She wears a patterned dress with a decorative brooch on the shoulder and a calm, confident expression.

While the streets of Winnipeg filled with striking workers in 1919, Helen "Ma" Armstrong was raising hell in the heart of the fight. A feminist, labour organizer, and wartime critic, Armstrong fought for working women, who were often excluded from union halls.

#SolidarityRoots #RoadToBloodySaturday

A large group of striking railway workers pose outside a stone building. Three prominent protest signs read: “Strike of C.N.R. Carmen – Keep Away from Shops & Yards,” “We Asked for Bread and Received a Stone,” and “No Surrender Until We Receive Our Rights.” Most of the men wear suits, hats, and serious expressions.

In 1919, Winnipeg workers faced skyrocketing inflation, stagnant wages, and unsafe conditions. Veterans returned from war to find poverty instead of opportunity.

On May 15, more than 30,000 workers shut down the city in a mass general strike.

#SolidarityRoots #RoadToBloodySaturday #LabourHistory

A large crowd of workers and supporters gathers outside the Bank of Commerce in downtown Winnipeg during the 1919 General Strike. People fill the street and sidewalks, standing shoulder to shoulder beneath power lines and building signage.

In two weeks, we’ll mark the 106th anniversary of the government’s violent crackdown on the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, #BloodySaturday. In the lead-up to June 21, I’ll be sharing stories of resistance, repression, and worker-led transformation.
#SolidarityRoots #RoadToBloodySaturday