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The Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada was created in 1967 and given the mandate to "inquire into and report upon the status of women in Canada, and to recommend what steps might be taken by the federal government to ensure equal opportunities for women in all aspects of the Canadian society". The creation of this commission might not have happened without the collective efforts of feminist activists nation-wide, who were fed up with their unequal status and who envisioned a more inclusive Canada in which women could grow, achieve and thrive without limits. ...The groundbreaking Report of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, tabled in Parliament on December 7, 1970, included 167 recommendations on updating the legislative system and addressing critical issues for women within 8 categories: women in the economy, education, women in the family, taxation and childcare allowances, poverty, participation of women in public life, immigration and citizenship, [and] criminal law and women offenders. All recommendations made, such as greater representation of women in politics, universal childcare, and eliminating the wage gap, were meant to increase women’s autonomy, bring women’s voices into positions of power and decision-making, and create a solid foundation upon which women could gain equal status to men in all aspects of Canadian society.

On September 10, 1935, the Honourable Mr. Justice H. H. Davis, of the Supreme Court of Canada was, in accordance with Section 65 of the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act, appointed a commissioner under the provisions of Part I of the Inquiries Act to inquire into an industrial dispute which had been in existence for several months on the Vancouver waterfront, involving the Shipping Federation of British Columbia, Limited, and the longshoremen at that port (Labour Gazette, September, 1935, page 803). Hon. Justice Davis proceeded immediately to the City of Vancouver and there held a public hearing, on notice to all parties concerned, from September 16 to October 9, 1935, inclusive. On October 9, 10 and 11, he conferred with three representatives of each party to the dispute. His report and findings were received in the Department of Labour on October 22. --Introduction

By the terms of our Commission we were required: first, to consider and make suggestions for securing a permanent improvement in the relations between employers and employees; second, to recommend means for insuring that industrial conditions affecting relations between employers and employees shall be reviewed from time to time by those concerned, with a view to improving conditions in the future. 2. For the above purpose the Commission was directed: (1) to make a survey and classification of existing Canadian industries; (2) to obtain information as to the (3) character and extent of organization already existing amongst bodies of employers and employees, respectively ; to investigate available data as to the progress made by Joint Industrial Councils in Canada, Great Britain and the United States. 3. We opened the inquiry at the City of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, on the 26th day of April last, and completed it at the City of Ottawa on the 13th day of June instant. Between those dates we held seventy sessions in twenty-eight industrial centres, extending from Victoria, B.C., to Sydney, N.S., in the course of which we examined 486 witnesses. --Introduction

Commissioned in the aftermath of a strike by female telephone operators in Toronto, the report examined the causes of the strike, including compensation, workload and health.

The Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into the Immigration of Italian Labourers to Montreal and the Alleged Fraudulent Practices of Employment Agencies was called in 1904 to investigate the recent influx of Italian labourers to Montreal and their exploitation by immigration agents. There were at least 6,000 Italians in Montreal in May of 1904, many of them unemployed despite being promised immediate employment upon their arrival in Canada. Large numbers of unskilled Italian labourers came to Canada at the beginning of the twentieth century, predominantly from the economically depressed regions of southern Italy. Although the government preferred agricultural immigrants, unskilled labourers were required to meet industrial demands. Italian migrants primarily went to Montreal and Toronto, finding work on the railway and in the mines. These labourers did not intend to stay in Canada but rather work for a season and make enough money to improve their economic situation in Italy. This system of sojourning labour was facilitated by padroni, Italian labour brokers that recruited Italian workers for Canadian employers and oversaw their transport and employment upon arriving in Canada. The system was rife with corruption as many padroni used deceptive tactics in the recruitment process and inflated fees for brokerage, transportation and food supply. The commission, led by Judge John Winchester, conducted an in depth examination of the padrone system, focusing its investigation on prominent Montreal padrone Antonio Cordasco. Since 1901, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) had engaged Italian labourers almost exclusively through Cordasco. Witnesses alleged that Italian labourers could not obtain work with the CPR until they paid Cordasco a fee for arranging their employment. Once the labourers were hired, additional charges for supplies and food were deducted from their wages and paid directly to Cordasco. The rates Cordasco charged were 60 to 150 percent above cost. Cordasco induced Italian labourers to come to Canada by taking out advertisements in Italian-Canadian newspapers circulated in Italy, promising immediate employment upon arriving in Canada. In 1904, Cordasco recruited more men than the CPR required, creating an influx of unemployed Italian labourers in Montreal. Although Cordasco was aware of the labour surplus, he continued to demand fees from newly arrived Italian migrants under the false pretense of finding them employment. In his final report, Judge Winchester recommended that the city of Montreal pass a by-law requiring immigration agents and offices to be licensed before being permitted to carry out their business. Following the conclusion of the commission, the CPR fired Cordasco as their Italian labour agent. Although the commission effectively ended Cordasco’s career as a padrone, the system as a whole remained intact. The major companies employing Italian sojourners continued to use padroni to obtain cheap Italian labour. --Summary from Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 website (citations omitted)

Annuals reports, 1901-1983

In 1896, the Trades and Labour Congress petitioned the federal government to investigate the sweatshop system in Canada. Commissioner Alexander Whyte Wright inspected factories, workshops, and private homes in Halifax, Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Hamilton. He reported that, although working conditions and wages were generally appalling in factories and shops, workers in their homes toiled even longer and earned less.

Includes analytical index arranged by names of witnesses, and topical index arranged by subject.