It’s the Labour Day weekend, the unofficial end to summer. As families launch kids back to school and we say goodbye to cottages, beaches and trailers, some are asking what is Labour Day, where did it come from and more importantly, what’s open and closed on the holiday Monday, Sept. 1.

Labour Day has been a statutory holiday in Canada on the first Monday in September since 1894. However, the origins of Labour Day in Canada can be traced back to numerous demonstrations and celebrations — as early as April 15, 1872.

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That’s when a labour demonstration in Toronto in support of the Toronto Typographical Union (printers) led directly to the enactment of the Trade Unions Act — a law that confirmed the legality of unions — a first for Canada.

Ten years later, on July

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