Photo of Fred Wilmot (shown left) from the pages of Wallace Shipbuilder, February 1945. Cecil Bull, South Yard Rigger, shown on right. NVMA Series 161

By Andrew Hildred, Volunteer Coordinator

Fred Wilmot’s story begins in the pages of the Wallace Shipbuilder – the wartime publication of the Burrard Dry Dock Company.

Less than two months into his job as a holder-on in a rivet gang, Fred was called into the personnel office of the Burrard Dry Dock Company to meet with Joan Greenwood. She interviewed him for an article she titled Practical Campaigner and captioned, Fred has ideas … and does something about them! Staff photographer, Jack Cash, snapped a candid photo of Fred in his army tunic and tin hat.

“A White Man’s War”

When the Second World War broke out, Fred had tried to join the Canadian Army with some boys from his street, but was told, “it was a white man’s war.” After a few more tries at enlisting, Fred was ultimately drafted and served as a “zombie”.

The “zombies” were Canadian soldiers who were conscripted into the army to serve on the home front. Fred’s military service sent him across Canada to places he had never seen.

Fred’s “Victorian” Upbringing

Born in 1918, one month and one day after the end of World War One, Fred grew up in Toronto. His West Indies parents emigrated to Toronto from Jamaica in 1911. Fred’s Dad worked as an electrical contractor in Toronto – unable to join the electricians’ union due to racism within the American Federation of Labour (AFL) trade union movement – Fred’s father ran his own business.

Fred described his upbringing as “Victorian.” His parents were strict and worked hard to conform to early 20th century social norms. Fred went to school in Toronto at Western High School of Commerce where he was active in athletics, before joining his Dad’s electrical contracting company.

Aspiring Writer

But Fred’s dream was to become a writer. After being discharged from the Canadian military, Fred reported to the National Resources Mobilization Board and was sent to meet Bob Gourley, a supervisor at Burrard Dry Dock. He was assigned a job as a holder-on. The holder-on was responsible for holding the rivets while the riveter used their rivet gun to push the rivets into place. After two days of training, Fred joined a rivet gang on the shell of a Victory Ship.

“[Soon after I started], this American riveter, he had a problem. First thing when he saw me – there weren’t many black guys in the yard – only one other in the whole riveting gang. The fact is the guy wanted to bust me on the job. I was stubborn. He had a funny trick of pushing the rivets right back at me. He was so eager to prove that I wasn’t any good… But he made a mess of it. Somehow I attracted the imagination of the crew I was with. A Scandinavian girl – she was Swedish-Canadian – and the burner. The burner was particularly mad about it. If it hadn’t of been for that crew, I would have been out the front door by Friday. Eventually, this guy realized what he was doing to himself. Instead of having a few loose rivets we had a whole lot – up in the 20s. He was not taking it out on me, he was taking it out on the whole gang. In the end, everyone was rooting for me.”

The back (left) and front cover (right) of the Wallace Shipbuilder, February 1945. NVMA Series 161

Loose Rivets and The Main Deck

“Later, I started writing a column in The Main Deck, the union newspaper, called Loose Rivets based on my experience with the riveter who wanted me gone. I wanted to rub it in about how our loose rivet count went up, thanks to him.”

READ: Wallace Shipbuilder, February 1945

Fred went on to write a regular column in The Main Deck. While he was working in the shipyards, he also wrote for the Pacific Advocate. Later, he worked as a writer and broadcaster for the CBC and became Canada’s first, black, full-time daily newspaper reporter for the Winnipeg Citizen.

Meeting Fred Wilmot

I had the pleasure of meeting Fred Wilmot in December of 2004. At the time he was recovering from hip replacement surgery at his sister’s house, just off Commercial Drive in Vancouver. I was doing research on former shipyard workers.

When I entered the apartment to conduct the interview, Fred was watching the hockey game on TV in a very comfortable looking recliner. At 86 years old, Fred was still committed to the progressive ideas he held both during the war and in its aftermath.

As Fred wrote in his column, Loose Rivets, “the future isn’t dark and gloomy. That’s for sure. In fact, the future has a good chance of being pretty bright and cheery. It won’t be bright and cheery if we sit on our fannies and wait for hard times to catch up with us. It depends on Joe and Frank and Bill, the union guys. It depends on every stiff getting behind progressive political action and lining up against reaction. There’s only one side in this fight brother and if you’re a union man, you’re on it.”

Black History Month

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, the story of Fred Wilmot’s time at Burrard Dry Dock shines a light on just one of the many stories that celebrate Black Canadians and their contribution to Canada’s history.

There are many more stories that need to be told including more of Fred’s story (he lived to be 98 years old!). Let’s continue to tell these stories of inclusion and diversity. In the spirit of Fred Wilmot, let’s make the world a better place.