By James Adair
On May 1st, over 500 people gathered in Ottawa to celebrate May Day, otherwise known as International Workers’ Day.
Colourful signs and banners of different community organizations and labour unions filled Confederation Park for a rally before a march winding throughout the downtown core. The May Day events, organized by the May Day Organizing Committee, including Punch Up Collective and endorsed by over 30 partner organizations, celebrating the day historically linked with workers and labour movements, set out around 5:30 PM heading down Elgin Street.
Amanda Quance, one of the organizers for the event, said that the aim was to have an event that was festive and fun. This was reflected in their playful use of a chicken mascot on May Day posters, as well as colourful bandanas worn by volunteers bearing slogans like “Everything for Everyone.”
“There’s just something magical about being in the streets on May Day.”
“You know it’s spring when we come out, and we see our neighbours again after winter, and not seeing each other, and May Day is part of that, that coming out and connecting with the world around us and the struggles around us.”
Ethan, a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), attended the May Day rally because “it’s a rare coming together of so many different movements within the city. And I think it really beautifully showcases the diversity of social movements and what people are fighting for.”
Editor’s Note: Only first names of attendees and speakers at the May Day rallies were documented by The Leveller.
The May Day march had five stops, each of which represented a different segment of the movement in Ottawa.
What’s the Winter Plan?
The first stop was along Elgin street, where members of the campaign What’s the Winter Plan spoke about the demand for the City of Ottawa to open low-barrier warming centres over the 2025-26 cold season. They were commemorating the location where an unhoused neighbour froze to death.
They were joined by activists from the Ottawa Harm Reduction Collective (OHRC), who spoke against the criminalisation of drugs and the closure of safe consumption sites. Last year, The Leveller reported on the move by Ontario Premier Doug Ford to shut down Ottawa’s last remaining safe consumption sites.
“The rolling back of harm reduction will hurt everyone, most of all, folks who use drugs,” said Pamela from OHRC to the crowd at the May Day march.
Justice for Janitors
Near the Museum of Nature at McLeod and Metcalfe streets, Omar, a member of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2 and their Justice for Janitors campaign spoke about their fight for good working conditions at the museum. The campaign’s goal is for janitors to organize a union “to win better working conditions, respect at work, and to raise industry standards for all cleaners.”
Omar spoke about the conditions and lack of respect he and other workers faced at the Museum. “We are workers, we are people, and we deserve respect, safety, and dignity.”
Tenant Organizations in Ottawa
At the intersection of Bank and Nepean streets, members of multiple tenants’ unions rallies and spoke in front of Bank Block where tenants fought against N-13 eviction notices, as reported by The Leveller. Speakers from Centretown Tenant Power (CTP) and Off The Defensive – Ottawa spoke to collective power against landlords and the failures of Ontario’s Landlord-Tenant Board. Notably, Lowertown Tenants’ Union and Tenants of Sandy Hill, whom The Leveller also reported on recently, also had banners and signs at the rally point.
“We are the working people, who are the backbones of our neighbourhoods, in stark contrast to the parasitic landlords who exploit and feed off of us while leaving entire city blocks to rot,” said CTP organizer Julie, to a loud and responsive occupation at the intersection.
Tenant organizations in Ottawa have increasingly adopted militant tactics, including Bank Block Tenants protesting outside of landlords’ offices and homes.
“They already brought their war to us; today, we celebrate the capacity to fight back,” Julie announced through a megaphone.
Shut Down CANSEC
In front of the Canadian Association of Defense & Security Industries building at Laurier Avenue and O’Connor Street, three organizations spoke against Canadian military investments and the city’s hosting of the weapons expo, CANSEC. No Cuts to Care!, a network of healthcare workers campaigning to keep the Interim Federal Health Program and ensure healthcare for all. Recently, The Leveller reported on Prime Minister Carney’s cuts to the refugee healthcare program as part of Liberal anti-migrant policies.
They were joined by the coalition Shut Down CANSEC and Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos of the Peasant Movement of the Philippines. about their protest against CANSEC on May 28th. Ramos highlighted the grave use of weapons sold to the Philippines for human rights abuses, including the recent “Toboso 19” massacre, where 19 people were murdered by the government’s armed forces.
Labour Unions
Labour unions were also highly present at the march, with large contingents from CAPE. Its members who told The Leveller that they saw their work as public servants and union members match many of the demands of May Day. CAPE is approaching a significant round of bargaining, the first since the election of their reform slate to the union executive.
“I think public servants have an important role, not only because what we win in our contracts kind of sets the standards for other public service workers, but also other Canadians in general in the private sector. [And] I think there’s a strong link between public servants and advocating for providing good services to the people living in Canada,” said Rebecca, a CAPE member and policy analyst for the federal government.
Eugene, an organizer with Science for the People, attended May Day because “I think it’s important that people unite right now around issues of affordability, opposing cuts to essential services like health care, education. and opposing wars that cost a whole lot of money and SAP resources that could be better used to benefit people.”
He was happy to see the turnout as well, saying, “it’s a huge turnout, lots of unions represented, lots of different organizations, political parties, groups, it’s great to see.”
The Ottawa & District Labour Council banner was notably not present, nor an endorsing body. Local union activists have criticized the council for their lack of engagement with the movement organizing.
While former Liberal Party of Canada leader Michael Ignatieff stated that our society has never provided an alternative to religious rituals, according to Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm, May Day might be the exception. Religious and political groups have always had their festivals, however, the first of May is the only celebration of workers of the world, and a young one at that.
In Ottawa, the first of May might not bear the cultural and popular weight and significance of May Day celebrations of the past, but there is no denying that the International Workers’ Day in Ottawa is likely to be a joyful celebration of workers and labour movements for years to come.
“Stay tuned,” Quance said “May Day comes around every year.”
Editor’s Note (2026-05-29): We corrected two identification errors: Punch Up Collective we co-organizers with other groups on a May Day Committee, not the sole organizers; the tenants’ union rally hosted multiple tenants’ unions, not solely Off The Defensive-Ottawa.
