Workers in the late 1900’s and early 1900’s built the temples with money they raised themselves. They are built all over the place, but were especially prevalent through the PNW (including Canada) and California.

Later, especially during the Popular Front era of the mid‑1930s, the same spaces began to be marketed more broadly as “Maisons du peuple” (“Houses of the People”) or “Palais du peuple” (“The people’s palaces”) and eventually became known as “Union Halls”.

They were symbols of self‑management – embodying the libertarian‑socialist ideal that the working class could create its own cultural and educational institutions outside state or capitalist control. The global working class movement of the Industrial Revolution started with these buildings.

These temples du travail were typically worker‑run venues that were managed collectively by the people who used them. They were used as multipurpose halls – hosting political meetings, lectures, concerts, cinema screenings, libraries, and cooperative cafés. They were the peoples “third place”.

Yes! The PNW had them all over! We were VERY organized back then. Almost every city had one of these halls. They originated in France, in the early French labour‑movement tradition. The autonomous meeting places that were originally called “temples du travail” (literally “temples of work”)

I wish ours had a cool neon sign! It really makes it pop!

Many militant labour activists visited the Labor Temple in Vancouver, including Mother Jones, Big Bill Haywood, Lucy Parsons and Albert Parsons, often giving speeches or lectures to local BC workers. The building also housed a print shop, a co-op shop, and a lounge for unemployed workers.

When Ginger Goodwin, VP of the BC Fed. of Labour was shot by police in July 1918, it sparked Canada's first general strike. Workers across BC walked out Aug. 2, and business owners encouraged returned WWI soldiers to attack the Labor Temple, where they tried to throw the VTLC Sec-Tres out the window

The modern building today:

Me rn