Labour landmarks are monuments, memorials, plaques and
other sites that commemorate the past experiences of workers in society. These sites are also
manifestations of the collective memory of labourers. In industrial Cape Breton, which has a
long history of labour and class struggle, an analytical survey of labour landmarks reveals how
the industrial past has been remembered and memorialized. This overview reflects the narratives
that have been attached to these sites, the ways in which historical memory has been localized
and constructed in industrial Cape Breton, and the new layers of meaning that are revealed as
these communities transition into post-industrialism.
