Sep 6, 2018 · 1 min read
I lived on Harrison Street in Waterloo from 1938 until I left home in 1956. I well remember the Rath Strike. Many of my school friends had parents on the strike line, plus the ongoing fear of violence spreading from the plant into the community. But I also remember the solidarity, the comments from other kids, teachers and my parents that the army was there to oppress the workers and their legitimate grievances.
Living on Harrison Street, with my dad working on the IC, I also was very aware of a very different community on the other side of the yards. It meant very little to me at the time. Only later, as an adult living elsewhere, did I think about the implications and consequences of segregation, what I saw but did not see….