Hundreds head to North Bay waterfront for Labour Day picnic

Hundreds of people flocked to the waterfront in North Bay on Monday afternoon for the annual Labour Day picnic.

It's the first picnic in two years due to the pandemic and officials from the North Bay District Labour Council told CTV News it was good to be back together again.

"This is a really good turnout. Every year, we have a really good turnout," said Henri Giroux.

"We're glad that people came out. It's time to celebrate again. We haven't seen people for two years, so it's good to see everybody out here celebrating."

Many union representatives were on hand.

"We want to get the message out there to the government that our province's health care system is in a real crisis. To address the healthcare crisis, we're looking to repeal Bill 124 and to have better foundations for mental health supports within our health care system," said Rhonda Savarie, representing the Services Employment International Union.

"Good paying jobs are hard to come by and, usually, they're unionized, so it's good to promote that. Also, it's important just to have a good community event," said Sharie Cloutier, of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

Events at the picnic included bouncy castles, free lunch and live music.