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Ep 36: Signatures from Spain

On the Line: Stories of BC Workers

On the Line: Stories of BC Workers
Ep 36: Signatures from Spain
Jul 26, 2026 Season 1 Episode 36
Mabbott John

A rare hand-painted fan donated to the Museum of Vancouver holds the signatures of roughly 35 Canadian volunteers who fought fascism in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) — most from British Columbia, and 13 of whom never came home. In this special episode of On the Line: BC's Labour History Podcast, retired labour lawyer and historian David Yorke traces the stories behind the names on the fan, from BC loggers and miners who joined the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion ("Mac-Paps") of the International Brigades, to the union movements of the Depression era that sent them to Spain, to the RCMP surveillance and decades-long fight for veteran recognition they faced on their return. Hosted by Rod Mickleburgh, and based upon an interview by Patricia Wejr and Donna Sacuta of the BC Labour Heritage Centre.

Topics covered: Spanish Civil War · Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion · Mac-Paps · International Brigades · BC labour history · Museum of Vancouver · anti-fascism · Great Depression · union history · Canadian volunteers in Spain

Host: Rod Mickleburgh

Research and writing: Patricia Wejr

Technician: John Mabbott

Theme song: "Hold the Fort” (traditional) - Arranged & performed by Tom Hawken & his band, 1992.

Episode music:  "¡Ay Carmela!" (traditional) - Performed by Gómez Naharro

Sources: 

Wejr, Patricia and Donna Sacuta. (2026). Interview with David Yorke [Audio Recording]. BC Labour Heritage Centre.

 Liversedge, Ronald. Mac-Pap: Memoir of a Canadian in the Spanish Civil War. Edited by David Yorke. Vancouver: New Star Books, 2013.