Abraham Albert Heaps

Who was Abraham Albert Heaps?

Abraham Albert Heaps was a Canadian politician and labour leader.

Born in Leeds, England, Heaps immigrated to Canada in 1911 and worked in Winnipeg as an upholsterer. He was one of the leaders of the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and was a Labor alderman on the Winnipeg City Council from 1917 to 1925. He ran for the Canadian House of Commons as a Labour candidate in 1923 in the riding of Winnipeg North but was defeated. He was elected in the 1925 election and joined J.S. Woodsworth as the sole Labor MP in Parliament. The Liberal government of William Lyon Mackenzie King was elected with a minority government. Heaps and Woodsworth agreed to support the Liberals in exchange for the government creating Canada's first old age pension. Heaps and Woodsworth joined other left wing MPs to form the Ginger Group.

He was a founding member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in 1932, and was a charter member of the CCF's caucus.

One of the few Jews in Parliament, Heaps pressured the government to allow Jewish refugees from the Nazis into Canada.

He was defeated in the 1940 election due to a strong candidacy in Winnipeg North by the Communist Party's candidate.