During a long parliamentary career, Abraham Heaps worked steadily to foster the introduction of social programs such as old age pensions and unemployment insurance.

Born to a poor Polish immigrant family in Leeds, England, Heaps was forced to leave school at the age of 13 to help support his family. He learned the trade of furniture upholstering. Heaps saw little future for himself in Britain. He had limited education, and as a Jew, faced racial intolerance. He immigrated to Canada in 1910. By 1911, his fiancée, actress Bessie Morris, joined him in Winnipeg and the pair settled in the city's North End.

Here, Heaps encountered a number of socialist groups. He found himself sympathetic to a political and social agenda that sought to end worker exploitation by industrialists who demanded long hours at low wages without providing safe working conditions, compensation in case of injury, or pensions. By 1912, Heaps was working as a statistician for the Winnipeg branch of the Trades and Labour Congress (a union). In 1919, he became one of the leaders of the Winnipeg general strike. Arrested as a result, Heaps was forced to clear himself through a 10-month ordeal in jail and court.

In 1925, Heaps ran as a Labour candidate and became Winnipeg North's representative to the Canadian parliament, where he joined forces with J.S. Woodsworth to force the Liberal minority government to introduce old age pensions. Heaps kept his seat until 1940.

In the House of Commons, Heaps tirelessly spoke out on behalf of working people, the poor, and the underprivileged. He also fought for civil liberties. For instance, he was involved in the struggle to repeal the notorious Clause 42 of the Immigration Act, which allowed the government to deport individuals without a trial.

After his defeat in the 1940 election, Heaps retired in Montreal. He died at the age of 69, during a visit to England.

Like Woodsworth, Abraham Heaps collected the salary paid to Members of Parliament, and would have earned $4,000 in 1926 (about $77.00 per week). What was the purchasing power of such an income? To find out, visit the page on typical 1920s prices.