Skip to content

Trail Times Celebrates 120 Years - Strikes make 1974 headlines

This month’s front page reflects a decade of social change that happened in Trail, and the rest of North America, from 1965 to 1975.
56430traildailytimesNovember1-1974web
Strikes make 1974 headlines

As the Trail Times continues to celebrate 120 years of reporting local news, we’ve donned white gloves and browsed through historical newspapers, looking to highlight some of the City of Trail’s landmark events.

This month’s front page reflects a decade of social change that happened in Trail, and the rest of North America, from 1965 to 1975.

During these years, Canadians were issued Social Insurance Cards for the first time, the government adopted a multiculturalism policy, the Canada Pension Plan was established, the county inaugurated its current flag, “Trudeaumania” was still a thing, and union strikes were commonplace.

It was a time for the working man and growing acceptance of all people who make up a community.

We’ve chosen the Nov. 1, 1974 Trail Daily Times edition for one simple reason – the headline says it all.

“It’s Over” describes the heated 15-week battle between Cominco and striking Steelworkers in Trail, Kimberley and Salmo as well as 500-plus clerical members in the Association of Commercial and Technical Employees (ACTE) union. Factually, the Trail local of United Steelworkers of America signed a new contract Oct. 16, but declined to return to the plant until a new ACTE agreement was signed.

The Trail Daily Times reported, “With 85 per cent in favour of going back to the grind, old Smoky will start up again after four months of hibernating with clear, calm summer days.”



Sheri Regnier

About the Author: Sheri Regnier

Read more