Theft at Ukrainian Labour Temple mars General Strike centennial

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/01/2019 (2495 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The president of the Ukrainian Labour Temple is calling for the return of a plaque that marks the landmark as a national historic site after someone stole it over the weekend.

“It’s disappointing because the city faces a lot of challenges in terms of its reputation and its image as a city. The North End is a very vibrant, very good community. It’s very safe in many respects,” said Glenn Michalchuk.

“To see this, it’s kind of an insult to the local community. Winnipeg is a better city than this.”

The federal government designated the building, at 591 Pritchard Ave., as a national historic site in 2009. A few years later, a bronze plaque was donated by Parks Canada. It explains the landmark’s neo-classical architecture and the important role it played in the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, which was one of the most influential strikes in Canada’s history. 

On Saturday morning, when organizers of a Ukrainian New Year’s gathering arrived at the building, they discovered the plaque had been taken.

“It sits in a large metal frame outside the hall. The frame is still there. The plaque is very heavy and the way it sits in the frame, it has to be unbolted from the back,” Michalchuk said.

“It’s not a one-person job to lift it and take it out. It’s really disappointing that this was just stolen for someone’s selfish interest to make a few bucks.”

Michalchuk said he filed a police report and notified Parks Canada about the theft.

There are a number of important events being celebrated at the hall this year and he said it will be disappointing to not have the plaque there for the gatherings. Next month, they will gather to mark the 100th anniversary of the building. 

The hall will also hold events to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1919 general strike. The building served as an important hub during the strike; it’s where Ukrainian workers helped to organize the labour movement.

Michalchuk said he’s encouraging whoever took the plaque to return it, with no questions asked.

“They can just leave it outside the building. Just prop it up outside against the wall. They should return it and realize that its importance is far more than some metal that can be used for scrap,” he said.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe