![Western Clarion cover 2 January 1922](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Western_Clarion_cover_2_January_1922.jpg)
Socialism in Canada has a long history and along with
conservatism
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...
and
liberalism
Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...
is a political force in Canada.
In its early days, Canada's
socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
movement gained momentum in
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canadaâ ...
. The
Socialist Labor Party
The Socialist Labor Party (SLP)"The name of this organization shall be Socialist Labor Party". Art. I, Sec. 1 of thadopted at the Eleventh National Convention (New York, July 1904; amended at the National Conventions 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924 ...
was formed in 1898 in Vancouver. The
Socialist Party of British Columbia
The Socialist Party of British Columbia (SPBC) was a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada, from 1901 to 1905. In 1903, the SPBC won seats in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
The editor of the SPBC newspaper, the ' ...
in 1901. The
Socialist Party of Canada
The Socialist Party of Canada (SPC) was a political party that existed from 1904 to 1925, led by E. T. Kingsley. It published the socialist newspaper ''Western Clarion''.
History
Establishment
The founding of the Socialist Party of Canada bega ...
was the first Canadian-wide based
Socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
party by native Canadians, founded in 1904. Later, the
Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
(1929â1939) are considered to have fuelled socialism in Canada. The
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada (french: Parti communiste du Canada) is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1921 under conditions of illegality. Although it does not currently have any parliamentary representation, the party's can ...
was founded in 1920 and is the oldest active socialist party in Canada, and the second-oldest active political party in Canada.
The
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF; french: Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif, FCC); from 1955 the Social Democratic Party of Canada (''french: Parti social démocratique du Canada''), was a federal democratic socialism, democra ...
(CCF) was founded in 1932 as an agrarian socialist party. Its first platform was the
Regina Manifesto
The Regina Manifesto was the programme of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and was adopted at the first national convention of the CCF held in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1933. The goal of the Regina Manifesto was to eradicate the sy ...
, adopted in 1930. The CCF gained popularity among industrial workers throughout the 1930s. In 1944, the
Saskatchewan wing of the party formed the first Socialist government in a Canadian party and stayed in power until
1964
Events January
* January 1 â The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...
.
The
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* t ...
(NDP) was founded in 1961, as a merger of the CCF and the interests of the
Canadian Labour Congress
The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC (french: CongrĂšs du travail du Canada, link=no or ) is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.
History Formation
The CLC was ...
. At the end of a five-day-long Founding Convention which established its principles, policies and structures, and
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement Douglas (20 October 1904 â 24 February 1986) was a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as seventh premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and Leader of the New Democratic Party from 1961 to 1971. A Baptist min ...
, the long-time CCF
Premier of Saskatchewan
The premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The current premier of Saskatchewan is Scott Moe, who was sworn in as premier on February 2, 2018, after winning the 2018 Saskatch ...
, was elected its first leader. While the NDP has never won a federal election, its provincial wings have taken power in six out of ten provinces since its inception. In the preamble of its original constitution, the NDP self-described as a socialist party. Since 2013, the party constitution states that "
social democracy
Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...
and
democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self- ...
are influences on the party".
History
Early 20th century socialism
The
Socialist Labor Party
The Socialist Labor Party (SLP)"The name of this organization shall be Socialist Labor Party". Art. I, Sec. 1 of thadopted at the Eleventh National Convention (New York, July 1904; amended at the National Conventions 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924 ...
was Canada's first socialist party, formed in 1898 by Canadian supporters of the ideas of American socialist
Daniel De Leon
Daniel De Leon (; December 14, 1852 â May 11, 1914), alternatively spelt Daniel de LeĂłn, was a Curaçaoan-American socialist newspaper editor, politician, Marxist theoretician, and trade union organizer. He is regarded as the forefather o ...
and the
Socialist Labor Party of America
The Socialist Labor Party (SLP)"The name of this organization shall be Socialist Labor Party". Art. I, Sec. 1 of thadopted at the Eleventh National Convention (New York, July 1904; amended at the National Conventions 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924 ...
. It became a national party in the 1930s and had its headquarters in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. The party never won any seats. The party ran only a small number of candidates (listed below), all of whom placed last in their respective elections.
The
Socialist Party of Canada
The Socialist Party of Canada (SPC) was a political party that existed from 1904 to 1925, led by E. T. Kingsley. It published the socialist newspaper ''Western Clarion''.
History
Establishment
The founding of the Socialist Party of Canada bega ...
(SPC) existed from 1904 to 1925 led by
E. T. Kingsley. It published the ''
Western Clarion
The ''Western Clarion'' was a newspaper launched in January 1903 that became the official organ of the Socialist Party of Canada (SPC).
At one time it was the leading left-wing newspaper in Canada. It lost influence after 1910â11 when various gro ...
'' newspaper. The party was founded at the
Socialist Party of British Columbia
The Socialist Party of British Columbia (SPBC) was a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada, from 1901 to 1905. In 1903, the SPBC won seats in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
The editor of the SPBC newspaper, the ' ...
's 4th annual convention in December 1904. The SPC was instrumental in setting up
One Big Union in Canada. The SPC strongly oppose participation in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. As a result of the
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
and the
Winnipeg General Strike, a number of the SPC's supporters became attracted to
Bolshevism
Bolshevism (from Bolshevik) is a revolutionary socialist current of Soviet MarxistâLeninist political thought and political regime associated with the formation of a rigidly centralized, cohesive and disciplined party of social revolution, fo ...
and the ideas of
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 â 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...
and
Leon Trotsky
Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( â 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, ĐĐ”ĐČ ĐĐ°ĐČĐžĐŽĐŸĐČĐžŃ ĐąŃĐŸŃŃĐșĐžĐč; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...
. The party disbanded in 1925.
Communism
![Fred rose2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Fred_rose2.jpg)
During the Great Depression, the
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada (french: Parti communiste du Canada) is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1921 under conditions of illegality. Although it does not currently have any parliamentary representation, the party's can ...
experienced a brief surge in popularity, becoming influential in various
labour union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
s and electing a single
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
,
Fred Rose. The Communist Party of Canada was created in
Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
in 1921 by a group of Marxist activists led by
William Moriarty
William "Bill" Moriarty (1890, London, United Kingdom – April 14, 1936) was a Canadians, Canadian Communism, Communist and Right Oppositionist. He was general secretary of the Communist Party of Canada from 1921 to 1923.
Moriarty was born i ...
. During the early years of their existence, the party's membership faced persecution and arrest for their political activities. In 1935 the Communists gained notoriety by organizing a massive march of unemployed workers known as the
On-to-Ottawa Trek
The On-to-Ottawa Trek was a mass protest movement in Canada in 1935 sparked by unrest among unemployed single men in federal relief camps principally in Western Canada. Federal relief camps were brought in under Prime Minister R. B. Bennettâs ...
and before that organized the young inmates of the relief camps into the
Relief Camp Workers' Union Relief Camp Workers' Union was a Canadian Great Depression era relief union in which the workers employed in the Canadian government relief camps organized themselves into in the early 1930s. The RCWU was established by the Workers' Unity League and ...
to resist the poor conditions of the camps. The On-to-Ottawa Trek never made it to
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
; instead, it ended with the
Regina Riot
The On-to-Ottawa Trek was a mass protest movement in Canada in 1935 sparked by unrest among unemployed single men in federal relief camps principally in Western Canada. Federal relief camps were brought in under Prime Minister R. B. Bennettâs ...
of July 1, 1935. The trek and the living conditions in the government's "relief camps" helped to discredit
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Prime Minister
R. B. Bennett
Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, (July 3, 1870 â June 26, 1947), was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 11th prime minister of Canada from 1930 to 1935.
Bennett was born in ...
, leading to his defeat at the hands of the
Liberals in
1935
Events
January
* January 7 â Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* ...
. After the trek the communists were instrumental in organizing over 1,448 Canadians to fight in the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
.
Joined by volunteers of other political stripes, the Canadian contingent known as the
Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion joined the
International Brigades
The International Brigades ( es, Brigadas Internacionales) were military units set up by the Communist International to assist the Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The organization existed f ...
(a coalition of volunteers from many countries) to fight for the elected leftwing government of the
Second Spanish Republic
The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII, and was di ...
against the
fascist
Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
-supported insurgency of General
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 â 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
. The "Mac-Paps" fought bravely in many battles but were forced to leave Spain in 1938 by Prime Minister
Juan NegrĂn LĂłpez
''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...
along with the other foreign volunteers as it became clear that the war was lost. Of the nearly 1,500 Canadians known to have fought in Spain, 721 were verified as having lost their lives. The most famous Canadian to serve in the
MackenzieâPapineau Battalion
The MackenzieâPapineau Battalion or Mac-Paps were a battalion of Canadians who fought as part of the XV International Brigade on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s. Except for France, no other country had a greater p ...
was Dr.
Norman Bethune
Henry Norman Bethune (; March 4, 1890 – November 12, 1939; zh, t=äșšć©Â·è«ŸçŸæŒÂ·çœæ±æ©, p=HÄnglĂŹ NuĂČ'ÄrmĂ n BĂĄiqiĂș'Än) was a Canadian thoracic surgeon, early advocate of socialized medicine, and member of the Communist Party ...
, a surgeon who would invent the world's first mobile medical unit. Dr. Bethune would later be killed during the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937â1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
, while aiding the
Chinese Communist Party
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...
. Today, he is a national hero in the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and is remembered as being a friend of Chinese leader
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 â 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
.
By the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countriesâincluding all of the great powersâforming two opposin ...
, the Communist Party began to lose its momentum. Its only elected federal representative, Fred Rose, was accused of being a
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
spy. Rose was expelled from parliament, arrested for four years, and then followed at every job site by the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
(RCMP). He eventually left for
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
with the intention of returning to clear his name, but had his Canadian citizenship revoked in 1957.
Democratic socialism
![CooperativeCommonwealthFederationFoundingMeeting](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/CooperativeCommonwealthFederationFoundingMeeting.jpg)
By a wide margin, the
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF; french: Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif, FCC); from 1955 the Social Democratic Party of Canada (''french: Parti social démocratique du Canada''), was a federal democratic socialism, democra ...
(CCF), a
democratic socialist
Democratic socialism is a left-wing political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self-management within a ...
political party from the
Prairies
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
with its origins in the
Christian left
The Christian left is a range of left-wing Christian political and social movements that largely embrace social justice principles and uphold a social doctrine or social gospel.
Given the inherent diversity in international political thoug ...
and the
social gospel
The Social Gospel is a social movement within Protestantism that aims to apply Christian ethics to social problems, especially issues of social justice such as economic inequality, poverty, alcoholism, crime, racial tensions, slums, unclean envir ...
, became the most influential socialist party in Canada.
The CCF gained support in the Prairies as well as from many
labour unions
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
. Led by
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement Douglas (20 October 1904 â 24 February 1986) was a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as seventh premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and Leader of the New Democratic Party from 1961 to 1971. A Baptist min ...
, the CCF was elected to power during the
1944 Saskatchewan election. Douglas governed Saskatchewan until 1961. As of the 2019, his party remains an important force in the politics of the province. The CCF also emerged as the official opposition in British Columbia during the
election of 1941 and in Ontario during the province's
1943 election. At the federal level, opinion polls initially indicated a dramatic surge in support for the CCF prior to the
1945 federal election. Although in the end it only translated into modest gains for the party, it is widely believed to have influenced the early steps taken by Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 â July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Li ...
in introducing the welfare state. The CCF and the early democratic socialist movement is seen, by some political scientists (such as
Gad Horowitz
Gad Horowitz (born 1936) is a Canadian political scientist. He is a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.
Biography
Horowitz was born in Jerusalem in 1936 and immigrated to Canada at the age of 2. His father Rabbi Aaron Horowitz, was ...
), as mainly a Christian and European Canadian movement.
In 1961, the CCF joined with the
Canadian Labour Congress
The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC (french: CongrĂšs du travail du Canada, link=no or ) is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.
History Formation
The CLC was ...
to form the
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* t ...
(NDP). The NDP is more
moderate
Moderate is an ideological category which designates a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. A moderate is considered someone occupying any mainstream position avoiding extreme views. In American ...
and
social-democratic
Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...
than its predecessor, the CCF. The
Regina Manifesto
The Regina Manifesto was the programme of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and was adopted at the first national convention of the CCF held in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1933. The goal of the Regina Manifesto was to eradicate the sy ...
of the CCF called for abolishing
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...
while the NDP merely wants to reform capitalism. They are generally perceived as being responsible for the creation of
universal healthcare
Universal health care (also called universal health coverage, universal coverage, or universal care) is a health care system in which all residents of a particular country or region are assured access to health care. It is generally organized ar ...
,
pension
A pension (, from Latin ''pensiĆ'', "payment") is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments ...
s, a human rights code and for the development of Canada's
social safety net
The social safety net (SSN) consists of non-contributory assistance existing to improve lives of vulnerable families and individuals experiencing poverty and destitution. Examples of SSNs are previously-contributory social pensions, in-kind and fo ...
in general. In the past, the NDP has formed provincial governments in
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
,
Yukon Territory
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
,
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, and
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
. The NDP government created a
public auto insurance
Public auto insurance is a government-owned and -operated system of compulsory automobile insurance used in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec. It is based on the idea that if motorists are compelled to ...
company upon taking power in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia. At present only British Columbia has a New Democratic government, while the NDP is the official opposition in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Yukon.
At the federal level the NDP has held strong influence over various
minority government
A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and Cabinet (government), cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or Coalition government, coalition of parties do ...
s, in particular a Liberal minority led by
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 â September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada
The prime mini ...
from 1972-1974 during the
29th Canadian Parliament
The 29th Canadian Parliament was in session from January 4, 1973, until May 9, 1974. The membership was set by the 1972 federal election on October 30, 1972, and it was dissolved prior to the 1974 election. It was controlled by a Liberal Party ...
. During this period the NDP was successful in forcing the government to create a state-owned oil company, called
Petro Canada
Petro-Canada is a retail and wholesale marketing brand subsidiary of Suncor Energy. Until 1991, it was a federal Crown corporation (a state-owned enterprise). In August 2009, Petro-Canada merged with Suncor Energy, with Suncor shareholders rece ...
.
The NDP has also held influence over other Liberal-led minority governments during the
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson (23 April 1897 â 27 December 1972) was a Canadian scholar, statesman, diplomat, and politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968.
Born in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of ...
government (1963â1968) and the
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
The son o ...
government (2004â2006). Their self-stated goal is to one day form a federal government on their own and introduce social-democratic policies.
In the province of
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, the NDP has been considerably less popular, but recently, in the May 2, 2011
Canadian Federal Election
This article provides a summary of results for Canadian general elections (where all seats are contested) to the House of Commons, the elected lower half of Canada's federal bicameral legislative body, the Parliament of Canada. The number of s ...
a record number of NDP Members of Parliament were elected, including 59 of the 75 available seats in Quebec. The party was the Official Opposition in the
41st Canadian Parliament
The 41st Canadian Parliament was in session from June 2, 2011 to August 2, 2015, with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the 2011 federal election held on May 2, 2011. Parliament convened on June 2, 2 ...
.
For most of the late 20th century, the strongest social-democratic party in Quebec has been the
sovereigntist Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois (; ; PQ) is a sovereignist and social democratic provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. The PQ advocates national sovereignty for Quebec involving independence of the province of Quebec from Canada and establishin ...
. Like the NDP, the Parti Québécois is generally considered to be "social democratic".
Revolutionary socialism
Many socialists in Canada have attempted to organize outside of the framework of parliamentary politics, to pursue conceptions of socialism that are more radical than the social-democratic politics of either the CCF or the NDP.
Some of the radical socialist organizations operating in Canada today include
Socialist Action (Canada)
Socialist Action (french: Ligue pour l'Action socialiste, lit=League for Socialist Action) is a democratic socialist political organization in Canada. Its members write for and distribute the North American monthly newspaper, ''Socialist Action ...
the
International Socialists (Canada)
The International Socialists is a Canadian socialist organization which is part of the International Socialist Tendency. The IS in Canada publishes ''Socialist Worker'', an English-language monthly paper, and holds an annual Marxism conference eve ...
,
Socialist Alternative (Canada)
Socialist Alternative is a socialist group in Canada active in youth and student activities, unions, environmental movements, and campaigns for economic and social justice. Socialist Alternative works under the belief that capitalism is incapable ...
Spring the
Communist League (Canada)
The Communist League in Canada was founded as the " Revolutionary Workers League/Ligue OuvriĂšre RĂ©volutionnaire" (RWL) in 1977 as the result of a merger of the League for Socialist Action (LSA), the Revolutionary Marxist Group (RMG) and the ...
, Autonomy & Solidarity, and the London Project for a Participatory Society, among others.
Socialist parties in Canada
Current parties
* The
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* t ...
, (NDP) is a federal political party which officially adheres to social democracy while still being one of the most left-wing of Canada's mainstream parties. However, a minority faction are committed to democratic socialism, including, but not restricted to, the radical
Socialist Caucus
The New Democratic Party Socialist Caucus is an unofficial left-wing faction within Canada's New Democratic Party.
Its manifesto maintains that the New Democratic Party has moved too far to the right, and is in danger of becoming indistinguishabl ...
. The policies of various provincial and territorial branches of the NDP have varied in the past from the left-wing to the
third way
The Third Way is a centrist political position that attempts to reconcile right-wing and left-wing politics by advocating a varying synthesis of centre-right economic policies with centre-left social policies. The Third Way was born from a ...
. The party's youth group is known as the
New Democratic Youth of Canada. The provincial branches of the NDP are:
**
Yukon New Democratic Party
The Yukon New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique du Yukon) is a Social democracy, social-democratic List of political parties in Yukon, political party in the Yukon territory of Canada.
The Yukon NDP first formed the gover ...
- official opposition
**
British Columbia New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (BC NDP) is a social-democratic provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada.
As of 2017, it governs the province. It is the British Columbia provincial arm of the federal New Democrati ...
- governing party
**
Alberta New Democratic Party
The Alberta New Democratic Party (french: Nouveau Parti démocratique de l'Alberta), commonly shortened to Alberta's NDP, is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada. It is the provincial Alberta affiliate of the federal New Democr ...
- official opposition
**
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It currently forms the official opposition, but has been a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics since the 1940s. Th ...
- official opposition
**
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba (french: Nouveau Parti démocratique du Manitoba) is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba ...
- official opposition
**
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party (french: link=no, Nouveau Parti démocratique de l'Ontario; abbr. ONDP or NDP) is a social-democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. The party currently forms the Official Opposition in Ontario following th ...
- official opposition
**
New Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party (NL NDP) is a social democratic political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in 1961 as the successor to the ...
- third party
**
Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
The Nova Scotia New Democratic Party is a social-democratic, progressive provincial party in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the provincial entity of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP). It was founded as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (C ...
- third party
**
New Brunswick New Democratic Party
The New Brunswick New Democratic Party (french: link=no, Nouveau Parti démocratique du Nouveau-Brunswick) is a social-democratic provincial political party in New Brunswick, Canada linked with the federal New Democratic Party (NDP).
History Or ...
- not represented in the legislature
**
New Democratic Party of Prince Edward Island
The New Democratic Party of Prince Edward Island (NDP PEI) is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and a branch of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP).
CCF
The NDP's predecessor, the Co-opera ...
- not represented in the legislature
* The
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada (french: Parti communiste du Canada) is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1921 under conditions of illegality. Although it does not currently have any parliamentary representation, the party's can ...
sees itself as being "Canada's party of socialism" and with its origins going back to 1921 the CPC is the second oldest existing political party in Canada after the
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' ...
. The Communist Party has active branches in
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
, and
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. In
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
there was a split in 2006 between a separatist and federalist faction in the
Communist Party of Quebec
The Communist Party of Quebec (french: Parti communiste du Québec, PCQ-PCC) is a communist provincial political party in Quebec. It is affiliated with, but officially independent from, the Communist Party of Canada.
In 2005, a sovereigntis ...
. The PCQ is now led by
Andre Parizeau
The Communist Party of Quebec (french: Parti communiste du Québec, PCQ-PCC) is a communist provincial political party in Quebec. It is affiliated with, but officially independent from, the Communist Party of Canada.
In 2005, a sovereigntist ...
the leader of the separatist faction, while the party's federalists have regrouped into the PCC/PCQ and are tied to the federal party. The CPC also has a youth group, known as the
Young Communist League of Canada
The Young Communist League of Canada (YCL-LJC) is a Canadian MarxistâLeninist youth organization founded in 1922. The organization is ideologically aligned with, but organizationally independent from, the Communist Party of Canada. The orga ...
.
* The
Communist Party of Canada (MarxistâLeninist)
The Communist Party of Canada (MarxistâLeninist) ( abbr. CPC(M-L)) is a Canadian federal political party founded by Hardial Bains in 1970. The CPC(M-L) has been registered with Elections Canada as the MarxistâLeninist Party of Canada (MLP ...
was created in 1971 as a so-called
Anti-Revisionist
Anti-revisionism is a position within MarxismâLeninism which emerged in the 1950s in opposition to the reforms of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Where Khrushchev pursued an interpretation that differed from his predecessor Joseph Stalin, ...
party supportive of
Maoism
Maoism, officially called Mao Zedong Thought by the Chinese Communist Party, is a variety of MarxismâLeninism that Mao Zedong developed to realise a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of Chi ...
and of Albanian leader
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist politician who was the authoritarian ruler of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania from 1941 unt ...
. Today the ideology of the CPC (ML) or Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada is less doctrinaire than in the past but still considered more radical than that of the Communist Party of Canada. They support radically changing the way candidates are nominated and elected and are generally supportive of
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
. Their members are active in the
Canadian Union of Postal Workers
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW; french: Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses des postes TTP}) is a public-sector trade union representing postal workers including letter carriers, rural and suburban mail carriers, postal clerk ...
and
United Steelworkers of America
The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, commonly known as the United Steelworkers (USW), is a general trade union with members across North America. Headquar ...
. The CPC (ML) has active provincial branches in British Columbia (the
People's Front),
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
and in Quebec (the
Parti marxiste-léniniste du Québec
Parti may refer to:
*Parti (surname), a Hungarian surname, and a list of people with the name
* ''Parti'' (architecture), the organizing concepts behind an architect's design
*
*, a lake in Russia
See also
*Partie (disambiguation)
*Party (disambi ...
).
*
Revolutionary Communist Party is a
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
organization advocating the overthrow of the
capitalist
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...
system. It is in the organizing stage. The ideology of the organization, founded in 2000, can be regarded as
anti-revisionist
Anti-revisionism is a position within MarxismâLeninism which emerged in the 1950s in opposition to the reforms of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Where Khrushchev pursued an interpretation that differed from his predecessor Joseph Stalin, ...
in character. They describe their ideology as "Marxism-Leninism-Maoism" which they consider the third phase of
Marxism
Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
. The group does not take part in electoral politics, instead aiming to educate the working class about the need for a
revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
in the style of the Russian and Chinese revolutions. The PRC-RCP is non-collaborationist and opposes all Canadian political parties, including ones calling themselves communist.
*
Québec Solidaire
Québec solidaire (QS; ) is a democratic socialist and sovereigntist political party in Quebec, Canada. The party and media outlets in Canada usually use the name "Québec solidaire" in both French and English, but the party's name is sometimes ...
("Solidarity Quebec") is Quebec's most popular left-wing party. They claim to be devoted to the causes of democratic socialism, such as
environmentalism
Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seek ...
,
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
,
Quebec Sovereignty
The Quebec sovereignty movement (french: Mouvement souverainiste du Québec) is a political movement whose objective is to achieve the sovereignty of Quebec, a province of Canada since 1867, including in all matters related to any provision o ...
and
alter-globalization
Alter-globalization (also known as alternative globalization or alter-mundializationâfrom the French alter- mondialisationâand overlapping with the global justice movement) is a social movement whose proponents support global cooperation and ...
. They have gained support amongst left-wing sovereigntist voters who are disillusioned with the Parti Québécois' embrace of
neoliberalism
Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent fa ...
.
*
Socialist Party of Canada (WSM)
The Socialist Party of Canada (SPC) is a socialist political party in Canada, affiliated with the World Socialist Movement.
It was founded in June 1931 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by British Columbian politician Phyllis Corriveau.
The party adopted t ...
formed in 1931 publishes a journal called Imagine and is a companion party of the
World Socialist Movement
The World Socialist Movement (WSM) is an international organisation of socialist parties created in 1904 with the founding of the Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB).
The member parties share a common classical Marxist worldview and an adher ...
.
* Fightback, the Canadian section of the
Trotskyist
Trotskyism is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Ukrainian-Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and some other members of the Left Opposition and Fourth International. Trotsky self-identified as an orthodox Marxist, a rev ...
organization called the
International Marxist Tendency
The International Marxist Tendency (IMT) is an international Trotskyism, Trotskyist Political international, political tendency founded by Ted Grant and his supporters following their break with the Committee for a Workers' International (1974) ...
publishes a self-titled newspaper
and practices
Entryism
Entryism (also called entrism, enterism, or infiltration) is a political strategy in which an organisation or state encourages its members or supporters to join another, usually larger, organization in an attempt to expand influence and expand the ...
in
Quebec Solidaire
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen p ...
and the
NDP
NDP may stand for:
Computing
* Neighbor Discovery Protocol, an Internet protocol
* Nortel Discovery Protocol, a layer two Internet protocol, also called SONMP
* Nondeterministic programming, a type of computer language
Government
* National Deve ...
Historical parties
Parties that have held seats in the
House of Commons of Canada
The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.
The House of Common ...
and provincial legislatures.
*
Canadian Labour Party
The Canadian Labour Party (CLP) was an early, unsuccessful attempt at creating a Labour candidates and parties in Canada, national labour party in Canada. Although it ran candidates in the federal elections of 1917 Canadian federal election, 1917, ...
(1917â1942)
*
Ginger Group
The Ginger Group was not a formal political party in Canada, but a faction of radical Progressive and Labour Members of Parliament who advocated socialism. The term ginger group also refers to a small group with new, radical ideas trying to act ...
(1924â1932) was a group of radical members of the
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada, formally the National Progressive Party, was a federal-level political party in Canada in the 1920s until 1930. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces, and it spawned the P ...
*
United Farmers â farmer advocacy groups tied to the
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada, formally the National Progressive Party, was a federal-level political party in Canada in the 1920s until 1930. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces, and it spawned the P ...
. In Ontario, the
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario (UFO) was an agrarian and populist provincial political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.
History
Foundation and r ...
governed from 1919 to 1924 with a fairly social democratic agenda, while the
United Farmers of Alberta
The United Farmers of Alberta (UFA) is an association of Alberta farmers that has served different roles in its 100-year history â as a lobby group, a successful political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. As a political party, it forme ...
governed Alberta from 1921 to 1930 following more conservative guidelines.
*
Socialist Party of Canada
The Socialist Party of Canada (SPC) was a political party that existed from 1904 to 1925, led by E. T. Kingsley. It published the socialist newspaper ''Western Clarion''.
History
Establishment
The founding of the Socialist Party of Canada bega ...
was a name used by two political parties. The first existed from 1905 to 1925 and was created by the
Socialist Party of British Columbia
The Socialist Party of British Columbia (SPBC) was a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada, from 1901 to 1905. In 1903, the SPBC won seats in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
The editor of the SPBC newspaper, the ' ...
; it played an important role in the creation of the CCF. The second has existed since 1931 and has been very marginal in terms of support.
*
Labor-Progressive Party
The Labor-Progressive Party (french: Parti ouvrier-progressiste) was the legal Front organization, front of the Communist Party of Canada from 1943 to 1959.
Origins and initial success
In the 1940 Canadian federal election, 1940 federal elect ...
was the name used by the
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada (french: Parti communiste du Canada) is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1921 under conditions of illegality. Although it does not currently have any parliamentary representation, the party's can ...
from 1941 to 1959 while it was an illegal party. The LPP followed a Marxist line and succeeded in not only electing a member of the House of Commons, but also electing representatives to the
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (french: Assemblée législative du Manitoba) is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at provincial gener ...
and the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...
.
*
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF; french: Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif, FCC); from 1955 the Social Democratic Party of Canada (''french: Parti social démocratique du Canada''), was a federal democratic socialism, democra ...
(1932â1962) â known as the CCF, it was, before the NDP, Canada's most popular left-wing party. The CCF was formed during
The Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
by members of the centrist
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada, formally the National Progressive Party, was a federal-level political party in Canada in the 1920s until 1930. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces, and it spawned the P ...
(the Ginger Group), the United Farmers, the Labour Party and a social advocacy group known as the
League for Social Reconstruction
The League for Social Reconstruction (LSR) was a circle of Canadian socialists officially formed in 1932. The group advocated for social and economic reformation as well as political education. The formation of the LSR was provoked by events such ...
. At the party's first convention in
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...
, the ''
Regina Manifesto
The Regina Manifesto was the programme of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and was adopted at the first national convention of the CCF held in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1933. The goal of the Regina Manifesto was to eradicate the sy ...
'' was launched announcing that: "No CCF Government will rest content until it has eradicated capitalism and put into operation the full programme of socialized planning which will lead to the establishment in Canada of the Co-operative Commonwealth." The radical ''Regina Manifesto'' was replaced by the more moderate ''
Winnipeg Declaration
The Winnipeg Declaration, sometimes referred to as the Winnipeg Manifesto, was the programme adopted by the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in Canada to replace the Regina Manifesto. Its full name is the "1956 Winnipeg Declaration of Pr ...
'' in 1956. The CCF went on to form one of Canada's most popular and historically significant provincial governments in 1944 in the Canadian province of
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
under Tommy Douglas. In
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
the CCF formed the official opposition in 1943 and again in 1948 until losing that position to the Liberals. In
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
the CCF also formed the official opposition after 1941. Federally the party never got past third place and in an attempt to broaden their support base the CCF merged with the
Canadian Labour Congress
The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC (french: CongrĂšs du travail du Canada, link=no or ) is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.
History Formation
The CLC was ...
to create the NDP.
*
Cape Breton Labour Party
The Cape Breton Labour Party was a social democratic provincial political party in Nova Scotia, Canada, which drew most of its support from Cape Breton, the northern part of the Province of Nova Scotia.
Founding
The party was founded by Paul ...
was a social-democratic party from the province of
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
represented in the Nova Scotia legislature from 1981â1988 by a former NDP member
Paul MacEwan
Paul MacEwan (April 8, 1943 â May 2, 2017) was a politician in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, and long-time member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly (MLA).
Early life and education
He was the son of Horace Frederick MacEwan and ...
.
*
New Democratic Party of Quebec
The New Democratic Party of Quebec (french: Nouveau Parti démocratique du Québec; NPDQ) is a federalist and social-democratic provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. The party is a revival of the comparable Nouveau Parti Démocratique d ...
was the
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
wing of the NDP. The Quebec NDP failed to win any significant support or win any seats in the Quebec legislature (its parent party, the Quebec CCF won one). After years of infighting in 1989, the party broke off relations with the federal NDP and in 1994 changed its name to the
Parti de la Democratie Socialiste
The Parti de la démocratie socialiste (PDS; en, Party of Democratic Socialism) was a provincial political party in Quebec, Canada.
Founded as the New Democratic Party of Quebec ouveau Parti Démocratique du Québec (NPDQ) the NPDQ was original ...
(PDS) or "Socialist Democratic Party". The PDS adopted a program calling for Quebec's separation from Canada and had attempted to nominate a former terrorist,
Paul Rose (formerly of the
FLQ) as a federal candidate. The PDS contested the
1998 Quebec election without any success. In 2002 the PDS joined the
Communist Party of Quebec
The Communist Party of Quebec (french: Parti communiste du Québec, PCQ-PCC) is a communist provincial political party in Quebec. It is affiliated with, but officially independent from, the Communist Party of Canada.
In 2005, a sovereigntis ...
and other
far left, sovereigntist parties in an alliance known as the
Union des forces progressistes
The Union des forces progressistes (UFP) was a left-wing political party in Quebec, Canada, active from 2002 to 2006.
History
The Union des Forces Progressistes (UFP) was formed in 2002 out of desire to unite Québec's leftists into a political ...
(UFP). In 2006 the UFP became
Quebec solidaire
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen p ...
.
See also
*
Democratic Socialists Of Canada
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
*
Anarchism in Canada
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessaril ...
*
Conservatism in Canada
Conservatism in Canada is generally considered a movement which is primarily represented by the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada in federal party politics, as well as various centre-right and right-wing parties at the provincial level. ...
*
Douglas-Coldwell Foundation
*
Fascism in Canada
Fascism in Canada (french: Fascisme au Canada) consists of a variety of movements and political parties in Canada during the 20th century. Largely a fringe ideology, fascism has never commanded a large following amongst the Canadian people, and i ...
*
History of Canada
The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of the Paleo-Indians to North America thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day Canada were inhabited for millennia by ...
*
History of socialism
The history of socialism has its origins in the 1789 French Revolution and the changes which it brought, although it has precedents in earlier movements and ideas. ''The Communist Manifesto'' was written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1847-4 ...
*
League for Social Reconstruction
The League for Social Reconstruction (LSR) was a circle of Canadian socialists officially formed in 1932. The group advocated for social and economic reformation as well as political education. The formation of the LSR was provoked by events such ...
*
Liberalism in Canada
Liberalism has been a major trend in Canadian politics since the late 18th century. Canada has the same features of other liberal democracies in the Western democratic political tradition. This article gives an overview of liberalism in Canada. ...
*
Monarchism in Canada
Canadian monarchism is a movement for raising awareness of Canada's constitutional monarchy among the Canadian public, and advocating for its retention, countering republican and anti-monarchical reform as being generally revisionist, idealis ...
*
Politics of Canada
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch is head of state. In pr ...
*
Republicanism in Canada
Canadian republicanism is a movement for the replacement of the monarchy of Canada and a monarch as head of state with a parliamentary republic and a democratically-selected Canadian as head of state. Republicans are driven by various factors, ...
References
Bibliography
* Berton, Pierre (2001). ''The Great Depression 1929-1939''. Anchor Canada.
* Horowitz, Gad (1968). ''Canadian Labour in Politics''.
External links
A new brand of Canadian Social Democracy, CBC ArchivesThe Canadian Encyclopedia:Social DemocracyThe Canadian Encyclopedia:Co-operative Commonwealth Federation*
ttp://www.bethuneinstitute.com/ Dr. Norman Bethune Institute"In Memory of Norman Bethune" by Mao Zedong
{{socialism by state
Political history of Canada
Political movements in Canada
Social democracy
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...