The Boiling Point of North Point Douglas:
The Vulcan Iron Works  1874 - 2023

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History

​​Established in 1874, the Vulcan Iron Works building was home to one of the largest metal foundries in Western Canada. The building grew larger over the years through the addition of different shops and storage areas, eventually taking up more than three blocks of North Point Douglas. It played an important role in building our city: Many of the huge metal beams and other parts used in Winnipeg’s older buildings were manufactured at the Vulcan Iron Works. The arrival of the railway to Winnipeg in the 1880s made trade and shipping easier. This caused the city to experience an economic boom and huge demand for industrial/building materials.

Cartoon of the Vulcan Iron Works in the early 20th century

The strategic location of the Vulcan Iron Works was key to their success, as they positioned themselves next to the railway tracks and near the Canadian Pacific Railway shipping yards. With an increased demand for labourers and the introduction of new immigration programs by the Canadian government, Winnipeg saw a massive increase in its population, growing from 7,000 in 1881 to 42,000 in 1901 then to 170,000 in 1921.

Role In the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike

​L.R. Barrett was the general manager of the Vulcan Iron Works for many years and tended to be hostile to his employees, causing several strikes in the early 1900s. By 1910, the desire to unionize began growing within the city, and the employees of the Vulcan Iron Works were at the forefront of the workers movement in Winnipeg. They made less money and worked in harsher conditions than those employed with the railway. They also saw that frustrations were beginning to boil over in other industries, and by 1918 they started thinking about the possibility of a larger strike. In early 1919, employees at the Vulcan Iron Works joined with the members of the Metal Trades Council and others around the city in a strike.

Workers in other trades were inspired by these early union organizers, and on May 15th, 1919, between 25,000-35,000 employees walked out of their jobs and began the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike. Eventually, even the police joined the strikers in support. One of its most infamous moments was on June 21st, a day known as Bloody Saturday, when strike-breakers and “special police” organised by the City government viciously attacked protesters. This pivotal moment is commemorated by the tipped rail car monument on Main Street, opposite City Hall. It is worth noting that this monument stands on land that was donated to the City by the Ross family.
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The General Strike lasted 42 days, ending on June 26th when leaders called it off due to fear of further violence and deaths at the hands of the authorities. Tensions between social classes in the city continued, and the Strike did not cause immediate improvements for workers’ rights. In the long term, it inspired the formation of larger, politically-active unions, and other organised large-scale strikes across Canada. Eventually these movements led to new laws better-protecting workers’ rights.

Tipped Streetcar during General Strike

Bernie Miller and Noam Gonick's 2019 piece "Bloody Saturday"

Today's Impact

The Vulcan Iron Works were bought and sold multiple times during the mid 1900s, and by the 1960s the company started to move production to Vulcan Avenue in North Kildonan. In the 1970s, the Vulcan Iron Works closed and the building was left abandoned. Since the large complex was no longer occupied, many of the buildings were demolished in the mid-1970s. In the 1980s, the city proposed the development of a heritage park on the land. This became Joe Zuken Heritage Park, where our museum is now located.

Joe Zuken was the longest serving elected member of the Communist Party in North America, whose main focuses were on workers’ rights and housing equality in Winnipeg. He was well liked and respected by almost everyone in politics, and remained involved in city politics from his election in 1961 until his retirement in 1983. The proposed Heritage Park was to be a tourist destination including the Vulcan Iron Works, Ross House Museum, railway history, agricultural history, and development in Winnipeg. The project was abandoned shortly after Ross House Museum was moved and restored. Today the only remnant of the Heritage Park, other than its name, are the many historical markers and plaques spread around the grounds. 

​Merit Iron was established in 1999 and operated out of the old Vulcan Iron Works building until 2021, when they moved due to concerns involving a leaky roof. Merit sold the building to Gateway Industries who used the space as a storage facility until it burnt down on July 4th, 2023. Gateway Industries had suffered small fires within the building in the past, and was advertising the property for sale when it burned. The remains of the building are in the process of being torn down as of August, 2024. 

The Vulcan Iron Works left long lasting impacts on our community, with lingering ruins and serious heavy-metal contamination around North Point Douglas. Tests done in the 2000s showed high levels of lead contamination in Joe Zuken Heritage Park, meaning that plants grown in the park’s former community garden were not safe to eat. More recently, new testing showed that there has been very little change in lead levels over the past decade. This legacy of long-lasting environmental impacts is part of the industrial past of our historic North Point Douglas.

The Vulcan Iron Works, July 2023

The Vulcan Iron Works, August 2024