ABOUT THE SUMMER OF ’86 VIDEO AND “PACKINGTOWN”
The Summer of ’86 video produced by Canadian Association of Labour Media award-winning producer Don Bouzek tells the story of that summer in the words of the people who were on the front lines. This half-hour video touches on all of the major strikes of that period and attempts to place them all in the context of an employer offensive during a prolonged recession.
The video ballad, “Packingtown,” tells stories of the lives of workers in North Edmonton meatpacking plants from the 1900s to 1980s, including the Gainers strike. With lyrics written and performed by Juno-nominated songwriter Maria Dunn, “Packingtown” has video footage and interviews collected by Don Bouzek and historian-curator Catherine C. Cole with the assistance of longtime northeast progressive politician Janice Melnychuk.