Camps for Trans-Canada highway workers, all of whom were unemployed men on relief in Ontario forced to build roads for their meagre welfare. All from the Toronto Star, issues of September 26, September 12 and October 2, 1931. 

Notably these photos have all been produced from negatives that were painted or retouched for publication.  

Toronto Public Library, Toronto Star Photograph Archive.

1) One of the box-like buildings of frame and tarpaper. A canvas top or tent will be placed over this to complete it. TSPA_0018484F.

2) Trans-Canada highway camps to house workers on the North Bay-Pembroke section of the Ontario route are nearing completion. TSPA_0018482F

3)  Forerunners of Highway camps; This board-walled tent camp is typical of those which probably will be built along the northern Ontario route of the trans-Canada highway to house the workers erecting buildings of a more substantial type for the road-workers. TSPA_0018481F.

Mattawa Water Tower

This is upstream from Ottawa (photo taken in Bissett Creek). Ottawa is flooded by the way. And upstream from this photo?

black and white weekends

An exhibit featuring Dr. Saint Firmin Monestime begins at City Hall Tuesday night. Monestime came to Quebec in 1945 as one of a small group of Haitian professionals and took training and interned to obtain his full Canadian medical accreditation. He was elected mayor of Mattawa in 1963. The show will run until Feb. 23 as part of Black History Month.

More on Monestime: A Photo Exhibit