A. A. Heaps
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Abraham Albert Heaps (December 24, 1885 - April 4, 1954) was a Canadian politician and labour leader.
Born in England, Heaps immigrated to Canada and worked in Winnipeg as an upholsterer. He was one of the leaders of the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and was elected to Winnipeg's city council as a Labour alderman. 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 Labour MPs 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 Cooperative 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.
His grandson, Adrian Heaps, was elected to Toronto City Council in 2006.
