August 29 - Deadly Design Flaws Kill 88 Workers

Labor History in 2:00 · Aug 29, 2026 · 1m

On this day in Labor History the year was 1907.

That was the day that became known for the Quebec Bridge Disaster in Canada.

Workers were building a cantilever bridge over the St. Lawrence River.

This was not an easy task.

The river was two miles wide at its narrowest point.

The river was deep, moved quickly, and was icy in the winter.

But in the late 1880s, businessmen in Quebec who wanted to keep up in trade with Montreal, decided the river had to be spanned.

The project did not begin for more than a decade due to a lack of funds.

Finally, the Canadian government supported the project to…