The ''Canadian Forum'' was a literary, cultural and political publication and Canada's longest running continually published political magazine (1920–2000).

History and profile

''Canadian Forum'' was founded on 14 May 1920 at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

as a forum for political and cultural ideas. Its first directors were G. E. Jackson, chairman,

Barker Fairley Barker Fairley, (May 21, 1887 – October 11, 1986) was a British-Canadian painter, and scholar who made a significant contribution to the study of German literature, particularly for the work of Goethe, and was an early champion and friend ...

, literary editor, C. B. Sissons, political editor, Peter Sandiford, business manager and Huntly Gordon, press editor. Throughout its publishing run it was

Canadian nationalist Canadian nationalism seeks to promote the unity, independence, and well-being of Canada and the Canadian people. Canadian nationalism has been a significant political force since the 19th century and has typically manifested itself as seeking t ...

and

progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

in outlook. The magazine was published monthly. As a cultural and literary publication it published the artistic works of the

Group of Seven The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States; additionally, the European Union (EU) is a "non-enumerated member". It is official ...

and

Frank Carmichael Frank Carmichael (born c. 1887) was a trapper and a territorial level politician in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Early life Carmichael moved to Aklavik, Northwest Territories in 1927 and began working as a trapper. Political career Carmic ...

as well as poetry and short stories by

Irving Layton Irving Peter Layton, OC (March 12, 1912 – January 4, 2006) was a Romanian-born Canadian poet. He was known for his "tell it like it is" style which won him a wide following, but also made him enemies. As T. Jacobs notes in his biography (2001) ...

Earle Birney Earle Alfred Birney (13 May 1904 – 3 September 1995) was a Canadian poet and novelist, who twice won the Governor General's Award, Canada's top literary honour, for his poetry. Life Born in Calgary, Alberta, and raised on a farm in Eric ...

A. J. M. Smith Arthur James Marshall Smith (November 8, 1902 – November 21, 1980) was a Canadian poet and anthologist. He "was a prominent member of a group of Montreal poets" – the Montreal Group, which included Leon Edel, Leo Kennedy, A. M. Klei ...

, Harold Standish, Helen Weinzweig,

Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, nin ...

and

Al Purdy Alfred Wellington Purdy (December 30, 1918 – April 21, 2000) was a 20th-century Canadian free verse poet. Purdy's writing career spanned fifty-six years. His works include thirty-nine books of poetry; a novel; two volumes of memoirs and four b ...

. Politically, it was a forum for thinkers such as

Frank Underhill Frank Hawkins Underhill, Medal of Service of the Order of Canada, SM, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, FRSC (November 26, 1889 – September 16, 1971) was a Canadians, Canadian journalist, essayist, historian, cultural critic, social c ...

F. R. Scott Francis Reginald Scott (1899–1985), commonly known as Frank Scott or F. R. Scott, was a lawyer, Canadian poet, intellectual, and constitutional scholar. He helped found the first Canadian social democratic party, the Co-operative Commonwe ...

Ramsay Cook George Ramsay Cook (28 November 1931 – 14 July 2016) was a Canadian historian and general editor of the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography''. He was professor of history at the University of Toronto, 1958–1968; York University, 1969–1 ...

Mel Watkins Melville Henry Watkins (May 15, 1932 – April 2, 2020) was a Canadian political economist and activist and professor emeritus of economics and political science at the University of Toronto. He was a founder and co-leader with James Laxer o ...

John Alan Lee John Alan Lee (August 24, 1933 – December 5, 2013) was a Canadian writer, academic and political activist, best known as an early advocate for LGBT rights in Canada,Eugene Forsey Eugene Alfred Forsey (May 29, 1904 – February 20, 1991) served in the Senate of Canada from 1970 to 1979. He was considered to be one of Canada's foremost constitutional experts. Biography Forsey was born on May 29, 1904, in Grand Bank in ...

and Robert Fulford. In 1934, publisher Steven Cartwright purchased the periodical from J.M. Dent & Sons.Horn (1980), p.129 After owning it for about a year, Cartwright unloaded the money-losing venture for one dollar to

Graham Spry Graham Spry, CC (February 20, 1900 - November 24, 1983) was a Canadian broadcasting pioneer, business executive, diplomat and socialist. He was the husband of Irene Spry and father of Robin Spry, Richard Spry and Lib Spry. Life He was born in ...

a member of the socially progressive

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

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 ...

(LSR). It was printed using Spy's printing press company, Stafford Printers, which also printed the

Ontario CCF The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section) – The Farmer-Labor Party of Ontario, or more commonly known as the Ontario CCF, was a democratic socialist provincial political party in Ontario that existed from 1932 to 1961. It was the ...

's newspaper ''The New Commonwealth''. Spry purchased the press with financial help from both the LSR and English socialist

Sir Stafford Cripps Sir Richard Stafford Cripps (24 April 1889 – 21 April 1952) was a British Labour Party politician, barrister, and diplomat. A wealthy lawyer by background, he first entered Parliament at a by-election in 1931, and was one of a handful of La ...

, hence the name Stafford Press. in 1936, the LSR bought the ''Forum'' for one-dollar from Spry, and assumed all its debts.Horn (1980), p. 130

Classics professor

George Grube Georges Maximilien Antoine Grube (2 August 1899 – 13 December 1982) was a Canadian scholar, university professor and democratic socialist political activist. Grube was a classicist and translator of Plato, Aristotle, Longinus and Marcus Aurelius ...

, a member of the LSR, became the editor in 1937.Podlecki (1994), p. 237 During his tenure, the periodical was the LSR's official organ.Horn (1980), pp. 14, 202 Grube stepped down as editor in 1941, about a year before the LSR officially disbanded. It has also been operated at times as a

co-operative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

and was owned for a number of years by James Lorimer and Co. Editors have included Mark Farrell,Horn (1980), p. 131 G. M. A. Grube, J. Francis White,

Northrop Frye Herman Northrop Frye (July 14, 1912 – January 23, 1991) was a Canadian literary critic and literary theorist, considered one of the most influential of the 20th century. Frye gained international fame with his first book, '' Fearful Symmet ...

, Milton Wilson,

Abraham Rotstein Abraham Rotstein (10 April 1929 – 27 April 2015) was a Canadian economist who was a professor of economics at the University of Toronto. He was a fellow of Massey College. He is best known as a co-founder of the Committee for an Independent C ...

, Denis Smith and the final editor Duncan Cameron. The magazine suspended publication following its summer 2000 issue.

Notes

References

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External links

Archival papers of Gilbert Edward Jackson
Editor (1920–1925), are held at th
University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services
{{Canadian art 1920 establishments in Ontario 2000 disestablishments in Ontario Visual arts magazines published in Canada Monthly magazines published in Canada Defunct political magazines published in Canada Defunct literary magazines published in Canada Magazines established in 1920 Magazines disestablished in 2000 Magazines published in Toronto University of Toronto