Ginger Goodwin, Labour Heritage Moment Video
Ginger Goodwin’s murder is a cornerstone of BC’s labour history, resonating for over a century.
Goodwin is remembered as BC’s first labour martyr, a leader who took a principled stand against a war he didn’t believe in, advocating instead for the working class. His death has been immortalized in movies, plays, books, novels, and even school curricula.
To this day, the community gathers annually to place flowers on his grave in Cumberland, solidifying his legacy as an enduring symbol in labour history.
This video is part of our Labour Heritage Moments series
Peter Campbell Munro, a fellow unionist at the time of Goodwin’s death, explains that in 1916, amidst the Great War, the Canadian government enacted conscription, mandating military service for men aged 20 to 45. British Columbia’s labor movement largely opposed conscription, viewing it as a “capitalist war” rather than a “workers’ war”.
He recalls Ginger Goodwin, a 31-year-old mine union organizer in Trail,BC. Goodwin, a socialist and “first-class trade unionist,” was called for conscription despite having only one lung, which should have disqualified him from service. However, after he organized miners in the area, he was called up again. Goodwin refused to go and sought refuge on Vancouver Island.
Ginger Goodwin was shot in the back and killed by a special constable named Dan Campbell. His death led to the first general strike in Canada, as all trade unions in British Columbia initiated a 24-hour strike, demonstrating the strong sentiment of the rank and file.