Estevan riot

The Estevan riot, also known as the Black Tuesday Riot, was a confrontation between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and striking coal miners from nearby Bienfait, Saskatchewan which took place in Estevan, Saskatchewan on September 29, 1931. The miners had been on strike since September 7, 1931 hoping to improve their wages and working conditions. They had been organized by the Communist Party of Canada's trade union umbrella, the Workers Unity League. Several hundred assembled in Estevan with their families to parade through the city in order to draw attention to their strike. The RCMP confronted them and attempted to block and break up the procession. Police violence broke out and the police opened fire on the strikers, killing three of them. Many strikers were wounded and arrested.

The Riot was depicted in the controversial documentary Prairie Giant: the Tommy Douglas Story, although Douglas was not actually present.

It remains a controversial event to this day in Estevan. The three striking miners who were killed have the inscription "murdered by RCMP" on their headstone, and locals have alternately erased and restored these words up to the present day. The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour has created a plaque memorializing the strikers.

Estevan

Estevan (Assiniboine: į́yoȟnoga ) is the eighth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located approximately 16 km (9.9 mi) north of the Canada–United States border. The Souris River runs by the city. This city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Estevan No. 5.

History

The first settlers in what was to become Estevan arrived in 1892, along with the expansion of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was incorporated as a village in 1899, and later became a town in 1906. On March 1, 1957, Estevan acquired the status of a city, which, in Saskatchewan terms, is any community of 5,000 or more.

The name origin is attributed to George Stephen's Registered Telegraphic Address, Estevan. George Stephen was the first President of the Canadian Pacific Railway from 1881 to 1888.

On December 22, 1915, the 152nd (Weyburn-Estevan) Battalion, CEF was authorised and recruited men from the area before departing to Great Britain on October 3, 1916.

Estevan was the site of the notorious Estevan Riot in 1931. Although most of the strikers were from nearby Bienfait, the strike is associated with Estevan because it was in this city that the demonstrators were met by members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. After the subsequent riot, which lasted 45 minutes, three strikers lay dead. It was later proven that the three miners had been killed by the RCMP. The miners had been organized by the Workers' Unity League.

Estevan (electoral district)

Estevan is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada.

The city of Estevan (pop. 10,084) is the largest centre in the constituency. Known as Saskatchewan's "Energy City", the area has rich deposits of oil, natural gas, and lignite coal. Provincial Highways 39 and 47 connect Estevan with the American state of North Dakota.

Smaller centers in the riding include the towns of Bienfait, Midale and Radville; and the villages of North Portal, Goodwater, Macoun, Oungre, Halbrite, Torquay and Lake Alma.

Members of the Legislative Assembly

Election results

External links

Coordinates: 49°15′N 103°40′W / 49.250°N 103.667°W / 49.250; -103.667

Estevan (disambiguation)

Estevan is an alternative spelling of Esteban, the Spanish variant of the first name Stephen. It can refer to:

See also