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Dates of creation area
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1904 - 2023 (Creation)
- Creator
- Peterborough and District Labour Council
Physical description area
Physical description
1m of textual records (4 boxes)
194 volumes
55 photographs
1 folder of photographic negatives
6 posters
46 floppy disks ; 36 MB
1 CD 1 CD ; 111 MB
6 video tapes
3 reel-to-reel tapes
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Archival description area
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Administrative history
Organized labour in Peterborough dates to the late nineteenth century, including the Trades and Labour Council, formed in 1889, and the Peterborough Trades and Labour Council, formed in 1902. The Council became involved in municipal politics and other issues affecting workers in the community.
In early 1945, local unions formed the Allied Labour Council of Peterborough and District. The Council brought together unions with differing national and international affiliations and acted as a forum for organized labour in municipal affairs and union organizing. It later dissolved. A Peterborough and District Labour Council affiliated with the Canadian Congress of Labour (CCL) was subsequently established and operating by January 1951. That year, unions affiliated with the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada (TLC) formed a separate Peterborough Trades and Labour Council. The two councils cooperated on local issues and established a merger committee as the CCL and TLC moved toward amalgamation nationally.
In 1956, the CCL and TLC merged to form the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), and the two Peterborough councils also amalgamated as the Peterborough and District Labour Council (PDLC). The newly formed CLC granted the Peterborough council its charter in May 1956.
The Council has served as a central organization for affiliated unions in Peterborough and the surrounding area, undertaking labour advocacy and education, participating in political and municipal affairs, and supporting community initiatives and labour actions. On May 13, 1968, the Peterborough Labour Centre officially opened, fulfilling longstanding efforts to establish a permanent meeting place for local organized labour. The Peterborough and District Labour Council continues to operate as a labour council affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Fonds consists of records documenting the administrative and social activities of the Peterborough District Labour Council, with particular emphasis between 1990 and 2003. Canadian, provincial, and local labour histories are well-documented. Records include correspondence between PDLC executives and other labour leaders; published (e.g., books) and unpublished (e.g., grey literature) material relating to labour rights, legislation, and union activities; photographs of community events and partnerships in Peterborough; and ephemera, such as posters and brochures.
Administrative records include correspondence, by-laws, agendas and minutes of meetings, motions and resolutions, reports, financial statements, membership forms, and directories. Of note are PDLC minutes between 1974-2013 (incomplete) and correspondence relating to activism and outreach. Some PDLC newsletters are included amongst administrative records, where they were part of the original order.
Published material includes books, periodicals, and reports relating to labour history, social issues, and legislation. Published material also includes the PDLC newsletter (1975-1996), copies of Labour Review (1970-2009), and copies of the Trades and Labour Congress journal (1954-1955).
Unpublished material includes research papers, submissions to provincial and federal government, presentations, collective agreements, and manuals.
Photographs and other media include records relating to annual Day of Mourning events, Canada Day, Labour Day, fundraising initiatives, local partnerships, and material intended for publication in Labour Review magazine.
This fonds is organized into six series: (1) Administrative records; (2) Newsletter collection; (3) Magazine and journal collection; (4) Canadian Labour Congress constitutional conventions; (5) Photographs, sound recordings, and video recordings; and (6) Pamphlet collection.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Donated to the Trent University Archives in March 2024 by the PDLC, by Dave Warda (PDLC President) and Marion Burton
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Restrictions on access
File 24-006/001(22) is restricted until January 1, 2095. See file-level description for access details. All other files are open. Contact the Archives to arrange access.