Welcome to the BC Labour Heritage Centre
The BC Labour Heritage Centre is dedicated to preserving the history of working people in British Columbia. We work to ensure that workers’ stories continue to inspire the labour movement and build public appreciation of its victories for all workers.
FEATURED
Frances Foxcroft: An Englishwoman in Vancouver’s Labour Movement
Frances Foxcroft (1888-1968) is known in the BC labour movement as the woman who courageously stood in the way of a violent mob of soldiers during the "Ginger Goodwin General Strike" centred around Vancouver's Labor Temple in 1918. In this...
These short videos were created by the BC Labour Heritage Centre to highlight important stories from our history. Archival recordings and images are woven with excellent storytelling and contemporary testimonies.
In these videos, you’ll hear incredible stories from people at the heart of labour history in British Columbia, including first-hand accounts of pivotal moments, such as the protests following Ginger Goodwin’s death.
We comb through research and archives to bring you unique insights into everything from the biggest protests to the smallest union pins! Discover fascinating stories and photographs from BC’s labour history in our articles.
Tune into our 30-minute podcast episodes while you’re driving or doing the dishes! We focus on a different topic each time, from pivotal events in labour history to the lesser-known stories of women, Asian, and Indigenous workers.
Our team has catalogued and mapped more than 200 plaques, memorials, and other markers that are significant to working people and their history in BC
Use our free lesson plans, videos, and downloads in the classroom. Teach your students about the labour movement and how working people helped to shape BC Explore topics like social justice, labour unions, and workplace health and safety.
Explore digitized historic union newspapers, preserved audio recordings, videos, films and more to learn more about BC’s working-class.
Discover the BC Labour Heritage Centre Archives, a collection of donated items, including publications, correspondence, photographs and ephemera. Browse the finding aids and view some samples from the archives.
Search the collection
Historical artifacts, booklets, videos, podcasts, plaques and more.
Find our Walking Tours
Learn about the workers who built British Columbia, one story at a time.
Our online BC Labour History Walking Tours guide you through sites of significance that commemorate the importance of labour unions, individuals, collective actions and much more.
Sponsors
The BC Labour Heritage Centre is grateful for the financial support and solidarity of its sponsoring unions in order to continue its operations from year to year.
BC Federation of Labour
BC Teachers’ Federation
British Columbia Building and Construction Trades Council
Canadian Union of Public Employees-BC
CUPE Metro Vancouver District Council
Hospital Employees’ Union
IBEW Provincial Council
ILWU Canada
IUOE Local 115
LiUNA Local 1611
United Steelworkers
Visit by transit
The BC Labour Heritage Centre can be reached via public transit. We are located at 102, 3920 Norland Avenue, Burnaby BC. Our hours are 9 am to 3 pm, Monday – Thursday.
- If coming from the Expo Line, disembark at Metrotown Station and take the #110 LOUGHEED STATION or #144 SFU to the stop at Ledger Avenue and Sprott Street.
- If coming from the Millennium Line, disembark at Sperling-Burnaby Lake Station and take the #110 METROTOWN STATION or #144 METROTOWN STATION to the stop at Norland Avenue and Sprott Street.
- The Centre can also be reached by bus via the #123 or #133 along Canada Way. The Centre is a 350-metre walk from the bus stops on Canada Way.