Labour candidates and parties in Canada
Encyclopedia
There have been various groups in Canada
that have nominated candidates under the label Labour Party or Independent Labour Party or other variations from the 1870s until the 1960s. These were usually local or provincial groups using the Labour Party or Independent Labour Party name, backed by local Labour Councils (made up of all the union locals in a city) or individual trade unions. There was an attempt to create a national Canadian Labour Party
in the 1920s, but this was ultimately unsuccessful.
A number of local Labour parties and clubs participated in the formation of the Communist Party of Canada
in 1921. The Independent Labour Party and other labour groups helped found the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(CCF) in 1932.
(MP) was Arthur Puttee
who founded the Winnipeg Labour Party
, and was elected to the House of Commons
from Winnipeg, Manitoba
in a 1900 by-election
and kept his seat at the 1900 federal election
held later the same year.
Other MPs elected under the Labour or Independent Labour label include:
MacInnis, Heaps and Woodsworth joined the Ginger Group
of left wing MPs prior to forming the CCF.
) were elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
in the 1920 general election
. The joined with 6 United Farmer MLAs to form the official opposition in the legislature with United Farmer MLA Daniel G. MacKenzie as leader. All the United Farmer and ILP MLAs were defeated in the 1925 general election
. A single Labour MLA, Archibald Terris
was elected in 1928
representing Cumberland County; he did not run for re-election in 1933
.
The Nova Scotia Co-operative Commonwealth Federation began running candidates with the 1933 general election and became the New Democratic Party in 1961. In 1982 the Cape Breton Labour Party
was formed by MLA Paul MacEwan
after he was expelled from the NDP. It ran 14 candidates in the 1984 general election
but MacEwan was the only candidate to win the seat. The party soon dissolved and MacEwan was re-elected in 1988 as an Independent before joining the Nova Scotia Liberal Party in 1990.
were labeled Parti ouvrier (Labour Party) from the 1890 election
until the 1931 election
. They represented predominantly labour-class neighbourhoods in Montreal
and Quebec City
and consisted of:
A number of Labour MLAs were elected in the 1919 provincial election
which led to the formation of a United Farmers of Ontario
-Labour coalition government. Labour MLAs included:
The last Labour MLA elected to the legislature was Earl Hutchinson
who was elected in Kenora
in 1929 and re-elected in 1934. He agreed to resign shortly after his re-election to allow former Labour MLA Peter Heenan to seek the Kenora seat in a by-election so that he could be appointed to the provincial cabinet by the newly elected Liberal government of Mitchell Hepburn
. Hutchinson accepted an appointment by Hepburn to the post of vice-chairman of the Workmen's Compensation Board shortly after leaving politics.
The Ontario Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was formed in 1932 with the support of a number of Independent Labour Party clubs and elected its first MLA in the 1934 provincial election
, Samuel Lawrence
in Hamilton East.
passed a resolution calling on provincial labour federations to establish a political party which would unite socialist and labour parties in the province and eventually form a national party. A Canadian Labour Party
was formed, and endorsed several candidates in the 1917 federal election. The leadership of the TLC changed in 1918, however, and the new leaders favoured the "non-partisan" approach of American Federation of Labor
leader Samuel Gompers
. The CLP was abandoned, as such.
Between, 1920 and 1926, provincial parties were founded in British Columbia
, Manitoba, Alberta
, Ontario
and Quebec.
The Federated Labour Party was created by the British Columbia Federation of Labour in 1920, absorbing the Social Democratic Party
and part of the Socialist Party of Canada
.
From 1906-1909, there had been a Canadian Labour Party of B.C. (CLP(BC)). This party was a split from and rival to a group calling itself the Independent Labour Party.
A later Independent Labour Party was organized in British Columbia in 1926 by the Federated Labour Party and Canadian Labour Party (B.C. section) branches. In 1928, it severed its CLP(BC) connections. In 1931, it reorganized, and was renamed the Independent Labour Party (Socialist). The following year it became the Socialist Party of Canada
.
In Manitoba, a Dominion Labour Party
(DLP) had been created in 1918. This was a reformist party, although more explicitly socialist than the previous such organizations in the province (see Winnipeg Labour Party
, Manitoba Independent Labour Party
, Manitoba Labour Party
, Labour Representation Committee). The DLP elected several members to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
in 1920. It was taken over by rightist elements affiliated with the American Federation of Labour later in the year, and most of the MLAs formed a new Independent Labour Party.
An Alberta Dominion Labour Party was also formed in 1920. Unlike the Manitoba DLP, this party was not taken over by rightist elements. It remained a viable organization until the 1930s, in an alliance with the Canadian Labour Party (see below).
In Saskatchewan, the Independent Labour Party was formed in 1931 and led by M.J. Coldwell, It merged with the United Farmers of Canada (Saskatchewan Section) to form the Farmer-Labour Group in 1932 which became the Saskatchewan CCF in 1934.
The Ontario Labour Party was created in 1922, led by James Simpson
of the Independent Labour Party, and the Reverend A. E. Smith, later of the Communist Party of Canada.
In 1921, Simpson also revived the Canadian Labour Party. The CLP was intended to be an umbrella organization for the various labour parties throughout the country. It succeeded in forming alliances with the Federated Labour Party, Ontario Labour Party, Dominion Labour Party and other groups including local labour councils (though not the Manitoba ILP). Between 1922 and 1924, the provincial affiliations of the Workers Party of Canada (the legal face of the Communist Party of Canada) also joined the CLP. It was never a strong central organization, however, and never elected a candidate at the national level. The CLP ceased to exist in most parts of the country after 1929, when the Communists withdrew. In Alberta, the CLP survived until 1942, in alliance with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation after 1935.
candidates. (Please see linked article.)
, formed alliances, and often ran joint candidates. The Progressive Party of Canada
was effectively a coalition of farmer and labour groups.
John Wilfred Kennedy
, a farmer, was elected as a United Farmers of Ontario
-Labour MP for Glengarry and Stormont
in a 1919 by-election. He was re-elected as a Progressive
MP in the 1921 federal election
and was defeated in 1925
.
Agnes Macphail
, who was first elected to the House of Commons as a Progressive, was re-elected in 1935 as a UFO-Labour candidate before being defeated in 1940. She was a supporter of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, but ran as UFO-Labour because the UFO, of which she was a member, had disaffiliated from the CCF in 1934 after a brief association.
A small number of candidates ran under the "Farmer-Labour" banner in federal elections of the 1930s and 1940s, although there was no formally organized party. None of these candidates ever won election to the House of Commons.
(MLAs) joined with members of the United Farmers of Ontario
to form a Farmer-Labour coalition government
from 1919 to 1923 with E. C. Drury as Premier
.
, the Farmer-Labour Group won almost 24% of the popular vote and 5 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
, where it became the official opposition to the Liberal government. After the election, it became the Saskatchewan section of the CCF
.
forming the official opposition in the province.
elected 9 United Farmers and 2 Farmer-Labour MLAs who sat together and allowed the incumbent Liberals
to maintain confidence in a minority government
situation. None of the MLAs were re-elected in the 1925 election
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that have nominated candidates under the label Labour Party or Independent Labour Party or other variations from the 1870s until the 1960s. These were usually local or provincial groups using the Labour Party or Independent Labour Party name, backed by local Labour Councils (made up of all the union locals in a city) or individual trade unions. There was an attempt to create a national Canadian Labour Party
Canadian Labour Party
The Canadian Labour Party was an early, unsuccessful attempt at creating a national labour party in Canada. Although it ran candidates in the federal elections of 1917, 1921, 1925 and 1926, it never succeeded in its goal of providing a national forum for the Canadian labour movement...
in the 1920s, but this was ultimately unsuccessful.
A number of local Labour parties and clubs participated in the formation of the Communist Party of Canada
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada is a communist political party in Canada. Although is it currently a minor or small political party without representation in the Federal Parliament or in provincial legislatures, historically the Party has elected representatives in Federal Parliament, Ontario...
in 1921. The Independent Labour Party and other labour groups helped found the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
(CCF) in 1932.
Members of Parliament
The first Labour Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) was Arthur Puttee
Arthur Puttee
Arthur W. Puttee was the first Labour Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons.Puttee was a printer by training. Born in England, he immigrated to North America in 1888. He settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1891...
who founded the Winnipeg Labour Party
Winnipeg Labour Party
The Winnipeg Labour Party was a reformist organization in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, representing labour interests. Founded in 1896, it was based on an earlier Winnipeg organization known as the Independent Labour Party .The party initially received support from both...
, and was elected to the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from Winnipeg, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
in a 1900 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
and kept his seat at the 1900 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1900
The Canadian federal election of 1900 was held on November 7 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 9th Parliament of Canada. As a result of the election, the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, was re-elected to a second majority government, defeating the...
held later the same year.
Other MPs elected under the Labour or Independent Labour label include:
- Ralph Smith, a miner, ran as an Independent Labour candidate in VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in the 1900 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1900The Canadian federal election of 1900 was held on November 7 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 9th Parliament of Canada. As a result of the election, the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, was re-elected to a second majority government, defeating the...
but took his seat in the Canadian House of Commons as a LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. He was subsequently re-elected as a straight Liberal in the 1904Canadian federal election, 1904The Canadian federal election of 1904 was held on November 3 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 10th Parliament of Canada...
and 1908Canadian federal election, 1908The Canadian federal election of 1908 was held on October 26 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 11th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier's Liberal Party of Canada was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in government with a majority government...
before being defeated in 1911Canadian federal election, 1911The Canadian federal election of 1911 was held on September 21 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Canada.-Summary:...
. - Alphonse VervilleAlphonse VervilleAlphonse Verville was a Canadian politician and trade unionist.Born and raised in the Côte-Saint-Paul neighbourhood of Montreal, Verville was a plumber by trade. At the age of 18 he moved to Chicago and joined the International Plumbers' Union. He returned to Montreal in 1893 and worked to...
was elected as a Labour candidate in the 1904 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1904The Canadian federal election of 1904 was held on November 3 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 10th Parliament of Canada...
in Maisonneuve, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He grew close to the Liberals through subsequent elections until he ran and was re-elected as a Laurier Liberal in the 1917 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1917The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
. - John Wilfred KennedyJohn Wilfred KennedyJohn Wilfred Kennedy was a farmer and political figure in Ontario. Canada. He represented Glengarry and Stormont in the Canadian House of Commons from 1919 to 1925 as a United Farmers and then Progressive Party member.He was born in Apple Hill, Ontario, the son of John Kennedy and Catherine...
was elected as a United Farmers of OntarioUnited Farmers of OntarioThe United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
-Labour MP for Glengarry and StormontGlengarry and StormontGlengarry and Stormont was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1925. It was located in the province of Ontario...
in a 1919 by-election. He was re-elected as a ProgressiveProgressive Party of CanadaThe Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
MP in the 1921 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1921The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Canada. The Union government that had governed Canada through the First World War was defeated, and replaced by a Liberal government under the young leader...
and was defeated in 1925Canadian federal election, 1925The Canadian federal election of 1925 was held on October 29 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's Liberal Party formed a minority government. This precipitated the "King-Byng Affair".The Liberals under...
. - Herbert Bealey AdsheadHerbert Bealey AdsheadHerbert Bealey Adshead was a farmer, author and a municipal and federal level politician from Canada.-Early life:Herbert Besley Adshead was born on October 17, 1862 just outside of Manchester, England. He emigrated to...
was Labour MP for Calgary EastCalgary EastCalgary East is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1953, 1979 to 1988, and since 1997...
from 1926 to 1930. - Angus MacInnisAngus MacInnisAngus MacInnis was a socialist politician and Canadian parliamentarian.MacInnis, a trade unionist who had served for five years as a Vancouver Alderman, was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1930 election as an Independent Labour Member of Parliament. He joined the Ginger Group...
who was an Independent Labour Party MP from 1930 to 1935 and sat as a CCF MP from 1935; - A. A. HeapsAbraham Albert HeapsAbraham Albert Heaps was a Canadian politician and labour leader.Born in Leeds, England, Heaps immigrated to Canada in 1911 and worked in Winnipeg as an upholsterer. He was one of the leaders of the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and was a Labor alderman on the Winnipeg City Council from 1917...
, who was elected as a Labour MP for Winnipeg North in 1925, 1926 and 1930 and was re-elected as a CCFer in 1935; - J. S. WoodsworthJ. S. WoodsworthJames Shaver Woodsworth was a pioneer in the Canadian social democratic movement. Following more than two decades ministering to the poor and the working class, J. S...
, who founded the Manitoba Independent Labour PartyIndependent Labour Party (in Manitoba) (II)Prior to 1920, there were a number of groups in Winnipeg which called themselves the "Independent Labour Party". For information on these groups, see Independent Labour Party ....
in December 1920. Woodsworth sat as an Independent Labour Party MP from 1921 until he became the founding leader of the CCF in 1932. - William IrvineWilliam Irvine (Canadian politician)William Irvine was a Canadian politician, journalist and clergyman. He served in the Canadian House of Commons on three different occasions, as a representative of Labour, the United Farmers of Alberta and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
, was a close friend of Woodsworth, represented Calgary, Alberta as a Labour MP from 1921 to 1925 and as a United Farmers of AlbertaUnited Farmers of AlbertaThe United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary...
MP from 1926 to 1935. He was a founding member of the CCF and sat as a CCF MP from British Columbia from 1945 to 1949. - Humphrey MitchellHumphrey MitchellHumphrey Mitchell, PC was a Canadian politician and trade unionist.A land surveyor employed with Hamilton Hydro, Mitchell was active with the union movement in the city...
was elected as a Labour MP representing Hamilton East in a 1931 by-election. Close to William Lyon Mackenzie KingWilliam Lyon Mackenzie KingWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
's Liberals, he did not get along with other Labour and Independent Labour MPs and refused to join the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation when it was founded in 1932. The CCF ran a candidate against Mitchell in 1935 (the Liberals did not) and the vote splitVote splittingVote splitting is an electoral effect in which the distribution of votes among multiple similar candidates reduces the chance of winning for any of the similar candidates, and increases the chance of winning for a dissimilar candidate....
resulted in Mitchell's defeat by the Conservative candidate. In 1941 he was appointed to the federal Cabinet as Minister of LabourMinister of Labour (Canada)The Minister of Labour is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for setting national labour standards and federal labour dispute mechanisms...
and soon after returned to the House of Commons as a Liberal MP via a by-election in WellandWelland, OntarioWelland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
.
MacInnis, Heaps and Woodsworth joined the Ginger Group
Ginger group
A ginger group is a formal or informal group within, for example, a political party seeking to inspire the rest with its own enthusiasm and activity....
of left wing MPs prior to forming the CCF.
- See also List of articles about Labour MPs (Canada)
In Nova Scotia
Four Independent Labour Party MLAs and one Farmer-Labour MLA (all but one from Cape BretonCape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Cape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
) were elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
Nova Scotia House of Assembly
The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada...
in the 1920 general election
Nova Scotia general election, 1920
The 14th Nova Scotia general election was held on 27 July 1920 to elect members of the 37th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Liberal party....
. The joined with 6 United Farmer MLAs to form the official opposition in the legislature with United Farmer MLA Daniel G. MacKenzie as leader. All the United Farmer and ILP MLAs were defeated in the 1925 general election
Nova Scotia general election, 1925
The 15th Nova Scotia general election was held on 25 June 1925 to elect members of the 38th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Conservative party....
. A single Labour MLA, Archibald Terris
Archibald Terris
Archibald Terris was a coal miner and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Cumberland County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1920 to 1925 and 1928 to 1933 as an Independent Labour member...
was elected in 1928
Nova Scotia general election, 1928
The 16th Nova Scotia general election was held on 1 October 1928 to elect members of the 39th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Conservative party....
representing Cumberland County; he did not run for re-election in 1933
Nova Scotia general election, 1933
The 17th Nova Scotia general election was held on 22 August 1933 to elect members of the 40th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Liberal party....
.
- D. W. MorrisonD. W. MorrisonDaniel William "Dan Willie" Morrison was a miner and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Cape Breton County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1920 to 1925 as an Independent Labour member....
, ILP, (Cape Breton), 1920-1925 - Arthur R. RichardsonArthur R. RichardsonArthur R. Richardson was a pilot, farmer and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Cape Breton County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1920 to 1925 as a Farmer-Labour member....
, Farmer-Labour, (Cape Breton), 1920-1925 - Joseph SteeleJoseph SteeleJoseph Steele was a carpenter and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Cape Breton County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1920 to 1925 as an Independent Labour member....
, ILP, (Cape Breton), 1920-1925 - Arthur Forman WayeArthur Forman WayeWilliam Forman Waye , normally referred to simply as Forman Waye, was a merchant, machinist and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Cape Breton County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1920 to 1925 as an Independent Labour member.He was born in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia,...
, ILP, (Cape Breton), 1920-1925 - Archibald TerrisArchibald TerrisArchibald Terris was a coal miner and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Cumberland County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1920 to 1925 and 1928 to 1933 as an Independent Labour member...
, ILP, (Cumberland), 1920-1925, 1928-1933
The Nova Scotia Co-operative Commonwealth Federation began running candidates with the 1933 general election and became the New Democratic Party in 1961. In 1982 the Cape Breton Labour Party
Cape Breton Labour Party
The Cape Breton Labour Party was a social democratic provincial political party in Nova Scotia, Canada that advocated separate provincial status for Cape Breton, which is the northern part of the Province of Nova Scotia.-Founding:...
was formed by MLA Paul MacEwan
Paul MacEwan
Paul MacEwan is a former politician in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, and long-time member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.-Biography:...
after he was expelled from the NDP. It ran 14 candidates in the 1984 general election
Nova Scotia general election, 1984
The 31st Nova Scotia general election was held on November 6, 1984 to elect members of the 54th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative party....
but MacEwan was the only candidate to win the seat. The party soon dissolved and MacEwan was re-elected in 1988 as an Independent before joining the Nova Scotia Liberal Party in 1990.
In Quebec
A number of members of the Legislative Assembly of QuebecLegislative Assembly of Quebec
The Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...
were labeled Parti ouvrier (Labour Party) from the 1890 election
Quebec general election, 1890
The Quebec general election of 1890 was held on June 17, 1890 to elect members of the 7th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Honoré Mercier, was re-elected, defeating the Quebec Conservative Party, led by Louis-Olivier Taillon.A...
until the 1931 election
Quebec general election, 1931
The Quebec general election of 1931 was held on August 24, 1931 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, was re-elected, defeating the Quebec Conservative Party, led by Camillien Houde.It...
. They represented predominantly labour-class neighbourhoods in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
and consisted of:
- Joseph BélandJoseph BélandJoseph Béland was a politician in Quebec, Canada and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec .-Early life:He was born on November 24, 1843 in Montreal. He became a mason and a union activist....
, MLA for the district of Montréal n°1Sainte-Marie (provincial electoral district)Sainte-Marie was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Montreal region, the district was formed in 1890 from parts of Montreal-Est which was formed in 1867. The riding was merged with Saint-Jacques in 1989 to form Sainte-Marie—Saint-Jacques...
from 1890 to 1892; - Joseph-Alphonse LangloisJoseph-Alphonse LangloisJoseph-Alphonse Langlois was a politician Quebec, Canada and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec .-Early life:He was born on September 23, 1860 in Quebec City's St. Roch neighborhood...
, MLA for Saint-Sauveur from 1909 to 1916; - Aurèle LacombeAurèle LacombeAurèle Lacombe was a politician Quebec, Canada and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec .-Early life:He was born on January 28, 1887 in Sainte-Scholastique, Laurentides. He was a union activist.-Political career:...
, MLA for Montréal-DorionMontréal-DorionMontréal-Dorion was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Formed in 1912 from parts of Hochelaga, the Montreal area district remained until 1939 when it was split into two ridings:Montreal-Jeanne-Mance and Montreal-Mercier. Dorion was also used from 1966 to 1994 for...
from 1919 to 1923; - Adélard LaurendeauAdélard LaurendeauAdélard Laurendeau was a politician Quebec, Canada and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec .-Early life:He was born on December 1, 1883 in Montreal. He became an industrial painter and a union activist.-Political career:...
, MLA for MaisonneuveMaisonneuve (provincial electoral district)Maisonneuve was a provincial electoral district located in the province of Quebec, Canada. Situated in the Montreal region, it was formed in 1912 from parts of Hochelaga...
from 1919 to 1923; - Joseph Gauthier, MLA for Montréal-Sainte-MarieSainte-Marie (provincial electoral district)Sainte-Marie was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Montreal region, the district was formed in 1890 from parts of Montreal-Est which was formed in 1867. The riding was merged with Saint-Jacques in 1989 to form Sainte-Marie—Saint-Jacques...
from 1921 to 1923; - Pierre BertrandPierre Bertrand (politician)Pierre Bertrand was a politician Quebec, Canada and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec .-City Councillor:...
, MLA for Saint-Sauveur from 1923 to 1927; - William TremblayWilliam Tremblay (politician)William Tremblay was a politician Quebec, Canada and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec .-First Attempt in Federal Politics:...
, MLA for Maisonneuve from 1927 to 1931;
In Ontario
- Daniel John O'DonoghueDaniel John O'DonoghueDaniel John O'Donoghue was a printer, labour leader and political figure in Ontario. O'Donoghue is recognized as one of the original founders of organized labour in Canada and in 1874 he became the first labour candidate election to a Canadian legislature.-Labour activism:He was born near...
was the first labour candidate election to a Canadian legislature when in 1874 he was elected to the Ontario legislatureLegislative Assembly of OntarioThe Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
as the candidate of the Ottawa Trades CouncilOttawa Trades CouncilOttawa Trades Council was the first local labour central body established to unite workers in the city of Ottawa, Canada. It was founded on December 19, 1872, at the St. Lawrence Hotel. The executive had representation from the Bricklayers and Masons, Limestone Cutters, Plasterers, and the...
. - Allan StudholmeAllan StudholmeAllan Studholme was a Canadian trade unionist and politician.Born in England near Birmingham, Studholme worked from his childhood. He moved to Canada in 1878 living in Dundas and Guelph before settling in Hamilton in 1885 where he found work as a stove mounter...
was elected the first Labour Member of the Legislative AssemblyMember of the Legislative AssemblyA Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLA) in the Ontario legislatureLegislative Assembly of OntarioThe Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
in a 1906 by-electionBy-electionA by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Hamilton East. He remained in office until his death in 1919.
A number of Labour MLAs were elected in the 1919 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1919
The Ontario general election, 1919 was the 15th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on October 20, 1919, to elect the 111 Members of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
which led to the formation of a United Farmers of Ontario
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
-Labour coalition government. Labour MLAs included:
- James Bertram CunninghamJames Bertram CunninghamJames Bertram Cunningham was a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario, who served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1919 to 1923. He represented the electoral district of Sault Ste. Marie as a member of the Labour Party, and served in the United Farmers of Ontario-Labour coalition...
, Labour, Sault Ste Marie - John Govenlock, Labour, Huron Centre, (1919)
- Frank Greenlaw, Labour, St. Catharines, (1919)
- George Grant Halcrow, Labour, Hamilton EastHamilton East (provincial electoral district)Hamilton East is a former provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1894 to 2007, when it was redistributed between the new ridings of Hamilton Centre and Hamilton East—Stoney Creek...
, (1919) - Peter HeenanPeter HeenanPeter Heenan, PC was a Canadian politician.Born in Tullaree, County Monaghan, Ireland, he was a locomotive engineer before being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as the Labour candidate for the riding of Kenora in the 1919 election...
, Labour, Kenora, (1919, 1923, returned as Liberal 1934, 1937 see Liberal-LabourLiberal-Labour (Canada)The Liberal-Labour banner has also been used several times by candidates in Canadian elections:In the early twentieth century when the idea of trade unionists running for elected office under their own banner gained ground, several working class candidates on the provincial or federal level were...
)) - Karl Homuth, Labour-UFO, Waterloo S., (1919, as Lab. 1923, 1926, Conservative 1929, d. 1930)
- Morrison MacBride, Labour, Brantford (1919, 1923, returned as Independent 1934, Ind. Liberal 1937 d. 1938)
- Harry (Henry) Mills, Labour, Fort William, (1919)
- Walter Ritchie Rollo, Labour, Hamilton W., (1919) Minister of Labour and leader of the Labour group in the legislature (1919-1923)
- Hugh Stevenson, Labour, London, (1919)
- Charles Swayze, Labour, Niagara Falls, (1919)
- Thomas Tooms, Labour, Peterborough W., (1919)
The last Labour MLA elected to the legislature was Earl Hutchinson
Earl Hutchinson
Earl Hutchinson was a railroad engineer and political figure from Ontario, Canada. He represented Kenora in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Labour member from 1929 to 1934. He was re-elected as a "Liberal-Labour" candidate in the 1934 provincial election that brought the Liberals under...
who was elected in Kenora
Kenora (electoral district)
Kenora is a federal and former provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, and was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from the early twentieth century....
in 1929 and re-elected in 1934. He agreed to resign shortly after his re-election to allow former Labour MLA Peter Heenan to seek the Kenora seat in a by-election so that he could be appointed to the provincial cabinet by the newly elected Liberal government of Mitchell Hepburn
Mitchell Hepburn
Mitchell Frederick Hepburn was the 11th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest Premier in Ontario history, appointed at age 37....
. Hutchinson accepted an appointment by Hepburn to the post of vice-chairman of the Workmen's Compensation Board shortly after leaving politics.
The Ontario Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was formed in 1932 with the support of a number of Independent Labour Party clubs and elected its first MLA in the 1934 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1934
The Ontario general election, 1934 was the 19th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 19, 1934, to elect the 90 Members of the 19th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
, Samuel Lawrence
Samuel Lawrence
Samuel Lawrence was a Canadian politician and trade unionist.Lawrence was born in Somerset, England and went to work in a quarry at the age of 12 and became a shop steward in the mason's union at the age of 17. He entered politics running for election in Battersea in London. Known as "Mr...
in Hamilton East.
In Manitoba
- Reverend A. E. Smith was a Dominion Labour PartyDominion Labour Party (in Manitoba)The Dominion Labour Party was a reformist labour party, formed in Canada in 1918. The party enjoyed itsgreatest success in the province of Manitoba....
MLAMember of the Legislative AssemblyA Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
in the Legislative Assembly of ManitobaLegislative Assembly of ManitobaThe Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1920 to 1922. In 1925 he joined the Communist Party of CanadaCommunist Party of CanadaThe Communist Party of Canada is a communist political party in Canada. Although is it currently a minor or small political party without representation in the Federal Parliament or in provincial legislatures, historically the Party has elected representatives in Federal Parliament, Ontario...
and was a prominent party leader until his death. - Fred DixonFred DixonFred Dixon was a Manitoba politician, and was for several years the dominant figure in the province's mainstream labour movement.Born in Englefield, England, Dixon was not a socialist...
was the DLP's leader in the early 1920s and a Manitoba MLA from 1914 to 1923. - William IvensWilliam IvensWilliam Ivens was a religious and political figure in Manitoba, Canada. He was a leading figure in the Winnipeg General Strike, and subsequently served as a Labour member of the Manitoba legislature from 1920 to 1936....
was a DLP and then an Independent Labour PartyIndependent Labour Party (in Manitoba) (II)Prior to 1920, there were a number of groups in Winnipeg which called themselves the "Independent Labour Party". For information on these groups, see Independent Labour Party ....
MLA in Manitoba from 1920 to 1926. - John QueenJohn QueenJohn Queen was a Manitoba politician, and the second parliamentary leader of that province's Independent Labour Party...
was a Manitoba MLA from 1921 to 1941 under various Labour labels, most significanlty he was leader of the ILP from 1923 to 1935 and joined the Co-operative Commonwealth FederationCo-operative Commonwealth FederationThe Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
upon the ILP's affiliation to it. He was also MayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Winnipeg, Manitoba for much of the time between 1934 and 1942.
In Alberta
- Donald McNabbDonald McNabbDonald McNabb was a politician from Alberta, Canada.In 1890 helped form a committee to raise money to buy books and periodicals and furnishings for the Miner's Library in Lethbridge....
, elected from LethbridgeLethbridge (provincial electoral district)Lethbridge was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada.The riding has existed twice. The first incarnation was in 1905 when Alberta first became a province. Lethbridge covered a large patch of southern Alberta, It was broken into Lethbridge District and Lethbridge City in 1909...
in a 1908 by-election to become the first Labour MLA in Alberta. Defeated in Lethbridge CityLethbridge CityLethbridge City was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada.The riding was created after Lethbridge split into Lethbridge City and Lethbridge District in 1909.Lethbridge district was all the rural area surrounding the City of Lethbridge....
in the 1909 general election. - Charles M. O'Brien was elected in the 1909 electionAlberta general election, 1909The Alberta general election was 1909 was the second general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 22 March 1909 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
as the Socialist Party of CanadaSocialist Party of CanadaThere have been two different but related political parties in Canada that called themselves the Socialist Party of Canada . The current Socialist Party is an electorally inactive and unregistered federal political party in Canada...
MLA for Rocky MountainRocky Mountain (provincial electoral district)Rocky Mountain was a historical Alberta provincial electoral district, that existed from 1909 to 1935.In 1909 Rocky Mountain was formed from the western edge of Rosebud in the north part of the riding, the entire riding of Banff, the western half of High River and Macleod...
. He was defeated in 1913. - Alex RossAlex Ross (politician)-Political career:Alex was first elected in the 1917 Alberta election defeating Conservative Thomas Tweedie. He was elected as the first and only member of the Labor Representation League to sit in the assembly...
, elected from Calgary 1917 as a candidate for the Alberta Labor Representation LeagueAlberta Labor Representation LeagueThe Alberta Labor Representation League was a minor provincial political party from Alberta, Canada.-History:The party was formed and led by prominent Labor activist William Irvine before the 1917 general election...
, joined the United Farmers of AlbertaUnited Farmers of AlbertaThe United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary...
government, when it was elected in 1921, as Minister of Public Works. Helped form the Canadian Labour PartyCanadian Labour PartyThe Canadian Labour Party was an early, unsuccessful attempt at creating a national labour party in Canada. Although it ran candidates in the federal elections of 1917, 1921, 1925 and 1926, it never succeeded in its goal of providing a national forum for the Canadian labour movement...
in 1922, was defeated in the 1926 general election. - William JohnstonWilliam Johnston (Canadian politician)William George Johnston was a Canadian provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta sitting with the Domion Labor Party caucus from 1921 to his death in 1925....
, Labour MLA for Medicine Hat from 1921 until 1926. - Philip ChristophersPhilip ChristophersPhilip Martin Christophers was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1930 sitting with the Dominion Labor caucus in opposition.-Political career:...
, Labour MLA for Rocky Mountain, elected in 1921 and re-elected in 1926. - Andrew SmeatonAndrew SmeatonAndrew Smeaton was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1926 to 1935 sitting with the Dominion Labor caucus in opposition.-Political career:...
, Labour MLA for LethbridgeLethbridge (provincial electoral district)Lethbridge was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada.The riding has existed twice. The first incarnation was in 1905 when Alberta first became a province. Lethbridge covered a large patch of southern Alberta, It was broken into Lethbridge District and Lethbridge City in 1909...
elected in 1926, re-elected in 1930 and defeated in 1935. - Fred J. WhiteFred J. WhiteFrederic "Fred" James White was a provincial level politician and labour activist in Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1935 holding a seat in the electoral district of Calgary....
, elected to the legislature in 1921 from Calgary, leader of the Labour caucus in the Alberta legislature from 1926 to 1935; president of the Alberta Federation of Labour from 1926 to 1941 as well as a long-serving secretary of the Calgary Trades and Labour Council and a Labour alderman in Calgary until 1939. - Charles GibbsCharles Gibbs (Alberta politician)Charles Lionel Gibbs was a politician in Alberta, Canada. He served as a municipal councillor in Edmonton from 1924 until his death and, concurrently, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1926 until his death.-Early life:Gibbs was born November 11, 1877, in Newport, Monmouthshire,...
, Edmonton Labour MLA elected 1926 - Robert ParkynRobert ParkynRobert Henry Parkyn was a popular municipal and provincial level politician and tradesman in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-Early life:...
, Independent Labour MLA for Calgary from 1926 to 1930. - Christopher PattinsonChristopher PattinsonChristopher Pattinson was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1926 to 1935 sitting with the Dominion Labor caucus in opposition.-Political career:...
, Labour MLA for EdsonEdson (provincial electoral district)Edson was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Alberta represented in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1913 to 1986.-History:The electoral district was created during the 1913 Alberta general election from all of Lac St...
from 1926 until his defeat in the Social Credit landslide of 1935. - Angus James MorrisonAngus James MorrisonAngus James Morrison was provincial-level politician in Alberta, Canada.Morrison was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1940 Alberta general election defeating incumbent Joseph Unwin in a hotly contested race...
, Labour MLA elected from EdsonEdson (provincial electoral district)Edson was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Alberta represented in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1913 to 1986.-History:The electoral district was created during the 1913 Alberta general election from all of Lac St...
in 1940 defeating Joseph UnwinJoseph UnwinJoseph Henry Unwin was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada.-1935 election:Unwin ran as a candidate for the Alberta Social Credit Party in the 1935 Alberta general election...
. Did not run for re-election.
In British Columbia
- Although there were officially no parties in the British Columbia legislature until 1903, various candidates began to declare for labour parties in the 1890s. The first to succeed, in the 1898 electionBritish Columbia general election, 1898The British Columbia general election of 1898 was the eighth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.-Party politics:...
, was Ralph Smith, in the coal-mining riding of South Nanaimo. Once the party system was introduced, Smith joined the Liberal PartyBritish Columbia Liberal PartyThe British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
and was re-elected as a Liberal in the 1903British Columbia general election, 1903The British Columbia general election of 1903 was the tenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 5, 1903, and held on October 3, 1903...
and then won a seat as MP in the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian House of CommonsThe House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1904Canadian federal election, 1904The Canadian federal election of 1904 was held on November 3 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 10th Parliament of Canada...
and 1908 electionCanadian federal election, 1908The Canadian federal election of 1908 was held on October 26 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 11th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier's Liberal Party of Canada was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in government with a majority government...
s, but was defeated for his seat in the 1911Canadian federal election, 1911The Canadian federal election of 1911 was held on September 21 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Canada.-Summary:...
. He returned to provincial politics and won his seat again as part of the province's first Liberal government in the wake of the general election of 1916British Columbia general election, 1916The British Columbia general election of 1916 was the fourteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 5, 1916, and held on September 14, 1916...
. He served as Finance Minister in that government until his death in 1917, and was succeeded by his wife, Mary Ellen SmithMary Ellen SmithMary Ellen Spear Smith was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. She was the first female Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and both the first female cabinet minister and the first female Speaker in the British Empire.She was born in England...
, who won the resulting by-election and sat as an Independent Liberal, later becoming the first female cabinet minister in the British Empire.
- Thomas Uphill was the Labour MLA for Fernie in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly from 1920 until 1960. He was elected as a Federated Labour Party candidate in the British Columbia general election, 1920British Columbia general election, 1920The British Columbia general election of 1920 was the fifteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on October 23, 1920, and held on December 1, 1920...
, re-elected as part of the Canadian Labour Party slate in 1924British Columbia general election, 1924The British Columbia general election of 1924 was the sixteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on May 10, 1924, and held on June 20, 1924...
continued to run and win as an Independent Labour or Labour candidate rather than join the Co-operative Commonwealth FederationCo-operative Commonwealth FederationThe Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
until his last victory in 1956British Columbia general election, 1956The British Columbia general election of 1956 was the 25th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 13, 1956, and held on September 19, 1956. The new legislature met...
. Uphill retired, undefeated, in 1960. From 1941British Columbia general election, 1941The British Columbia general election, 1941 was the twentieth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 9, 1941, and held on October 21, 1941.After the election, a...
until 1952British Columbia general election, 1952The British Columbia general election, 1952 was the 23rd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 10, 1952, and held on June 12, 1952. The new legislature met for the...
the CCF unsuccessfully ran candidates against him. They did not stand against Uphill beginning in the 1953 electionBritish Columbia general election, 1953The British Columbia general election of 1953 was the 24th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 10, 1953, and held on June 9, 1953...
. The Labour-Progressive PartyLabour-Progressive PartyFor the Labour-Progressive Coalition Government in New Zealand see the Fifth Labour Government of New ZealandThe Labor-Progressive Party was the legal political organization of the Communist Party of Canada between 1943 and 1959....
, with which Uphill had sympathies, never stood candidates against him.
Parties
In 1917, the Trades and Labour Congress (TLC) national convention in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
passed a resolution calling on provincial labour federations to establish a political party which would unite socialist and labour parties in the province and eventually form a national party. A Canadian Labour Party
Canadian Labour Party
The Canadian Labour Party was an early, unsuccessful attempt at creating a national labour party in Canada. Although it ran candidates in the federal elections of 1917, 1921, 1925 and 1926, it never succeeded in its goal of providing a national forum for the Canadian labour movement...
was formed, and endorsed several candidates in the 1917 federal election. The leadership of the TLC changed in 1918, however, and the new leaders favoured the "non-partisan" approach of American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
leader Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers was an English-born American cigar maker who became a labor union leader and a key figure in American labor history. Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor , and served as that organization's president from 1886 to 1894 and from 1895 until his death in 1924...
. The CLP was abandoned, as such.
Between, 1920 and 1926, provincial parties were founded in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Manitoba, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec.
The Federated Labour Party was created by the British Columbia Federation of Labour in 1920, absorbing the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party of Canada
The Social Democratic Party was a social democratic political party in Canada founded in 1911 by members of the right wing of the Socialist Party of Canada. these members were dissatisfied with what they saw as that party's rigid, doctrinaire approach...
and part of the Socialist Party of Canada
Socialist Party of Canada
There have been two different but related political parties in Canada that called themselves the Socialist Party of Canada . The current Socialist Party is an electorally inactive and unregistered federal political party in Canada...
.
From 1906-1909, there had been a Canadian Labour Party of B.C. (CLP(BC)). This party was a split from and rival to a group calling itself the Independent Labour Party.
A later Independent Labour Party was organized in British Columbia in 1926 by the Federated Labour Party and Canadian Labour Party (B.C. section) branches. In 1928, it severed its CLP(BC) connections. In 1931, it reorganized, and was renamed the Independent Labour Party (Socialist). The following year it became the Socialist Party of Canada
Socialist Party of Canada
There have been two different but related political parties in Canada that called themselves the Socialist Party of Canada . The current Socialist Party is an electorally inactive and unregistered federal political party in Canada...
.
In Manitoba, a Dominion Labour Party
Dominion Labour Party (in Manitoba)
The Dominion Labour Party was a reformist labour party, formed in Canada in 1918. The party enjoyed itsgreatest success in the province of Manitoba....
(DLP) had been created in 1918. This was a reformist party, although more explicitly socialist than the previous such organizations in the province (see Winnipeg Labour Party
Winnipeg Labour Party
The Winnipeg Labour Party was a reformist organization in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, representing labour interests. Founded in 1896, it was based on an earlier Winnipeg organization known as the Independent Labour Party .The party initially received support from both...
, Manitoba Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party (in Manitoba) (I)
Before World War I, there were at least two organizations in Winnipeg calling themselves the Independent Labour Party. The first of these was set up by British trade unionists in 1895, and collapsed soon thereafter....
, Manitoba Labour Party
Manitoba Labour Party
The Manitoba Labour Party was a reformist, non-Marxist labour party in Manitoba, Canada. It was created in early May 1910 as a successor to the province's second Independent Labour Party . Former Member of Parliament A.W. Puttee was a leading MLP organizer...
, Labour Representation Committee). The DLP elected several members to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
in 1920. It was taken over by rightist elements affiliated with the American Federation of Labour later in the year, and most of the MLAs formed a new Independent Labour Party.
An Alberta Dominion Labour Party was also formed in 1920. Unlike the Manitoba DLP, this party was not taken over by rightist elements. It remained a viable organization until the 1930s, in an alliance with the Canadian Labour Party (see below).
In Saskatchewan, the Independent Labour Party was formed in 1931 and led by M.J. Coldwell, It merged with the United Farmers of Canada (Saskatchewan Section) to form the Farmer-Labour Group in 1932 which became the Saskatchewan CCF in 1934.
The Ontario Labour Party was created in 1922, led by James Simpson
James Simpson (politician)
James "Jimmy" Simpson was a Canadian trade unionist, printer, journalist and left wing politician in Toronto, Ontario...
of the Independent Labour Party, and the Reverend A. E. Smith, later of the Communist Party of Canada.
In 1921, Simpson also revived the Canadian Labour Party. The CLP was intended to be an umbrella organization for the various labour parties throughout the country. It succeeded in forming alliances with the Federated Labour Party, Ontario Labour Party, Dominion Labour Party and other groups including local labour councils (though not the Manitoba ILP). Between 1922 and 1924, the provincial affiliations of the Workers Party of Canada (the legal face of the Communist Party of Canada) also joined the CLP. It was never a strong central organization, however, and never elected a candidate at the national level. The CLP ceased to exist in most parts of the country after 1929, when the Communists withdrew. In Alberta, the CLP survived until 1942, in alliance with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation after 1935.
Liberal-Labour
At various times in political history of Canada and of Ontario, candidates have sought election as Liberal-LabourLiberal-Labour (Canada)
The Liberal-Labour banner has also been used several times by candidates in Canadian elections:In the early twentieth century when the idea of trade unionists running for elected office under their own banner gained ground, several working class candidates on the provincial or federal level were...
candidates. (Please see linked article.)
Farmer-Labour
Across Canada, labour and the farmers movements, particularly the United FarmersUnited Farmers of Canada
The United Farmers of Canada was a radical farmers organization. It was established in 1926 as the United Farmers of Canada as a merger of the Farmers' Union of Canada and the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association...
, formed alliances, and often ran joint candidates. The Progressive Party of Canada
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
was effectively a coalition of farmer and labour groups.
John Wilfred Kennedy
John Wilfred Kennedy
John Wilfred Kennedy was a farmer and political figure in Ontario. Canada. He represented Glengarry and Stormont in the Canadian House of Commons from 1919 to 1925 as a United Farmers and then Progressive Party member.He was born in Apple Hill, Ontario, the son of John Kennedy and Catherine...
, a farmer, was elected as a United Farmers of Ontario
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
-Labour MP for Glengarry and Stormont
Glengarry and Stormont
Glengarry and Stormont was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1925. It was located in the province of Ontario...
in a 1919 by-election. He was re-elected as a Progressive
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
MP in the 1921 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1921
The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Canada. The Union government that had governed Canada through the First World War was defeated, and replaced by a Liberal government under the young leader...
and was defeated in 1925
Canadian federal election, 1925
The Canadian federal election of 1925 was held on October 29 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's Liberal Party formed a minority government. This precipitated the "King-Byng Affair".The Liberals under...
.
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
, who was first elected to the House of Commons as a Progressive, was re-elected in 1935 as a UFO-Labour candidate before being defeated in 1940. She was a supporter of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, but ran as UFO-Labour because the UFO, of which she was a member, had disaffiliated from the CCF in 1934 after a brief association.
A small number of candidates ran under the "Farmer-Labour" banner in federal elections of the 1930s and 1940s, although there was no formally organized party. None of these candidates ever won election to the House of Commons.
Ontario
Labour and Independent Labour Party Members of the Legislative AssemblyMember of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLAs) joined with members of the United Farmers of Ontario
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
to form a Farmer-Labour coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
from 1919 to 1923 with E. C. Drury as Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
.
Saskatchewan
The United Farmers and the Independent Labour Party merged to form the Farmer-Labour Group in 1932. In the 1934 provincial electionSaskatchewan general election, 1934
The Saskatchewan general election of 1934 was the eighth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 19, 1934, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, the Farmer-Labour Group won almost 24% of the popular vote and 5 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
, where it became the official opposition to the Liberal government. After the election, it became the Saskatchewan section of the CCF
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party 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...
.
Nova Scotia
The United Farmers and Labour elected 11 MLAs to the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly in the 1920 general electionNova Scotia general election, 1920
The 14th Nova Scotia general election was held on 27 July 1920 to elect members of the 37th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Liberal party....
forming the official opposition in the province.
New Brunswick
The 1920 provincial electionNew Brunswick general election, 1920
The 15th New Brunswick general election was held on 9 October 1920, to elect 48 members to the 35th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada...
elected 9 United Farmers and 2 Farmer-Labour MLAs who sat together and allowed the incumbent Liberals
New Brunswick Liberal Association
The New Brunswick Liberal Association , more popularly known as the New Brunswick Liberal Party or Liberal Party of New Brunswick, is one of the two major political parties in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
to maintain confidence in a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
situation. None of the MLAs were re-elected in the 1925 election
New Brunswick general election, 1925
The 16th New Brunswick general election was held on 10 August 1925, to elect 48 members to the 36th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Although political parties had no standing in law, thirty-seven MLAs declared themselves to be...
.
See also
- List of articles about Labour MPs (Canada)
- List of political parties in Canada
- Fisherman's Protective Union - an early-20th-century political party in NewfoundlandDominion of NewfoundlandThe Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
- Conservative LabourConservative LabourConservative Labour was the label used by Canadian Conservative Party politician Henry Buckingham Witton as a candidate in Hamilton, Ontario from 1872 to 1875. Witton may have added "Labour" to the Conservative Party name because Hamilton is a largely industrial city...
- New Democratic PartyNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...