Mid 20th century, rayon and synthetic fibres
Donation of the UNITE Ontario Council

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Cornwall, Ontario, was known for textile production. Textile mills operated by Canadian Coloured Cottons Limited provided the majority of jobs to the town’s working people until they were closed in 1959.

Cornwall’s textile mills reflect patterns of immigration. In the late 18th century, the workforce was mostly made up of French-speaking Québecois, and textile workers from New England. By the 20th century, immigrants from Italy, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Japan, the Netherlands, and people of Jewish and First Nations (Mohawk) descent formed the industry’s workforce. 

Cornwall’s Textile Workers Union of America Local 799 was made up of workers from the Courtaulds Canada Inc. rayon manufacturing plant, which operated until 1992. This banner is made of rayon, also known as “fake silk”. It was made by Dominion Regalia Co. Limited.