Local 97 History

Local 97’s history goes back to the spring of 1906. Steel was an exciting new building material, and it allowed British Columbia to enter into an extended boom period that started to transform our province into what it is today. In the early days, wood was everywhere. When steel arrived on the scene, it enabled ironworkers to erect much larger structures, bridges, and trestles. As the years went on, steel became the construction material of choice for everything from hospitals to office towers to pulp and paper mills.

Originally, Local 86 in Seattle had jurisdiction over British Columbia. It was not an ideal arrangement, however; the distance made it difficult for 86 to police jobs, and operating in two different countries with two different sets of laws was problematic. And so it was that on May 11th of 1906, fifteen men signed the Charter that gave birth to Ironworkers Local 97.

Through two World Wars and a Great Depression, Local 97 remained committed to ensuring fair wages and worker safety. British Columbia became a hotbed for activity during WWII: factories were running full out, and the shipyards were busy both building and refitting. Following the armistice in 1945, Vancouver enjoyed another boom that lasted for several years. Vancouver grew by leaps and bounds during this period as multiple projects were completed: Ocean Falls Mill, Woodfibre, the Granville Street Bridge, the Cleveland Dam, a new airport, and a new post office on Georgia Street. Empire Stadium was also built at this time so that the city could host the 1953 British Empire Games.

As Vancouver grew, the West End started converting to high-density housing, a process that employed scores of 97 ironworkers for many years. Meanwhile, pulp mills began to spring up all over the province; in Port Alberni, Elk Falls, Taylor Flats, Prince George, Prince Rupert, on Vancouver Island, and in the interior as well. Projects on the Columbia River and the Peace River kept large numbers of 97 members busy during these years, but perhaps the largest undertaking of this era was the colossal Kemano Project, which would provide electricity for the Alcan Aluminum Smelter.