The "On to Ottawa Trek" was a protest march and strike by unemployed men in 1935 in Canada, which had its roots in the political and economic conditions of the time. The Great Depression had hit Canada hard, and the country was facing high levels of unemployment and poverty. Many of the protesters were single, unemployed men who were frustrated with the lack of support and assistance from the government. The protest was organized by the Relief Camp Workers' Union (RCWU) who was demanding better treatment and conditions for unemployed men living in government-run relief camps. The RCWU also wanted to draw attention to the poor conditions in the relief camps and the lack of work opportunities for the unemployed men. Vancouver was the starting point for the "On to Ottawa Trek" of 1935. The trek was organized by the Relief Camp Workers' Union (RCWU) and led by Arthur "Slim" Evans, Roddy Mann and other leaders. The trek began in Vancouver with around 1,000 unemployed men who were frustrated with the poor conditions in government-run relief camps and the lack of work opportunities.

The protest march was organized to draw attention to the plight of unemployed men living in the relief camps and to demand better treatment and conditions from the government. The protesters hoped to make their way to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, to present their demands directly to the Prime Minister.

In Vancouver, the protesters were met with support from the local labor community and some political figures. They left Vancouver on June 3, 1935, and traveled eastward, hopping freight trains to make their way across the country. Along the way, they were met with support from other labor organizations and sympathetic communities.

However, the trek met with violent resistance from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Regina, Saskatchewan, known as the "Regina Riot", and was ultimately unsuccessful in achieving its main goal of bringing unemployed workers' issues to the attention of the government. Despite this, the On to Ottawa Trek is an important event in Canadian labor history, as it brought attention to the plight of unemployed workers during the Great Depression, and the government's lack of support and assistance for them.

The protest began in Vancouver and made its way eastward, with the protesters hopping freight trains to travel across the country. The trek gained attention and support along the way, but it was ultimately met with violent resistance from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Regina, Saskatchewan, known as the "Regina Riot." The trek is an important event in Canadian labor history, as it brought attention to the plight of unemployed workers during the Great Depression, and the government's lack of support and assistance for them.

The leaders of the "On to Ottawa Trek" of 1935 were mostly members of the Relief Camp Workers' Union (RCWU). The main leader of the trek was Arthur "Slim" Evans, who was a miner and labor organizer. He was a charismatic leader who was able to rally the unemployed men and lead the march from Vancouver to Regina. He was arrested during the Regina Riot, but later released.

Another key leader of the trek was Roddy Mann, who was a union organizer and journalist. He played a significant role in organizing the trek and also wrote articles about the trek that were published in newspapers across Canada.

There were also several other leaders of the trek, including Bill Pritchard, who was a union organizer, and Bill Hughes, who was a leader in the RCWU.

The trek was also supported by several other labor organizations, including the Communist Party of Canada and the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, a political party that advocated for socialist policies.