|
1929 Crash | Economic Slowdown
| Bennett in Power |
The Ottawa Conference |
Prairie Drought |
Relief |
The Regina Riots | Alberta &
Bible Bill | Statute of
Westminster |
Woodworth & the C.C.F.
| The Union Nationale |
Relief Camps |
Bennett's Conversion |
King's Return |
European Unrest |
Royal Visit
When the stock markets crashed in 1929
and the economy began to disintegrate at a frightening
pace, most Canadians would only choose to register a
protest vote by switching to the other major party. The
Liberals and Conservatives were the two main choices and
they had dominated the Federal political scene for the
most part, with the exception of the rise of the
Progressives, since Confederation.
Those on the left of
the political spectrum had really only two choices. They
could support Tim Buck and the Communist Party which
seemed extreme for most Canadians or they could support
people like Woodsworth who had no real party, no
platform or published doctrines. As society seemed like
it was falling apart J.S. Woodsworth finally decide that
a national effort would have to be made to unite the
left and on July 22, 1933, a national convention was
held for the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in
Regina.
The political policies
that were drawn up and passed during that convention
became known as the Regina manifesto. This document was
an amazing feat of practical politics because it brought
together labour unions, farmers, workers guilds,
supports of nationalization of industries, doctors,
lawyers, and all descriptions of those that did not
consider themselves Liberals or Conservatives.
When the manifest was voted on at the end of he
convention there was only one dissenting vote.
To many in the country the new C.C.F.
smacked of communism and talk of taking over
transportation, electrical, communications, insurance,
medical services and many others was feared by many as
the first step in dismantling capitalism. Tim Buck, the
leader of the communist party was anxious that his
communist party and the C.C.F. form a united front to
fight the 1935 election. The approval of a leftist
politic party by the communist was the kiss of death in
the 1930's in Canada, the U.S. and several European
countries. Woodsworth realized this and said
"A real united
front involves an agreement on fundamentals and a belief
on the part of each co-operating group in the sincerity
of the other group. In tactics at least there is no
agreement whatever between the Communist party and the
C.C.F.... The overthrow of the C.C.F. rather than that
of capitalism would seem to be the main object of the
Communist party of Canada."
One of the first tests of the C.C.F. was
in the British Columbia provincial election in 1933
where it became the opposition party and than in
repeated the feat in Saskatchewan where it also became
the opposition. Headway in Ontario was limited and in
the 1935 Federal election it only managed to win 7 seats
in Parliament which was not many but it was a start.
Under Woodsworth the party was to remain a movement of
it's principles which refused to win seats at the cost
of it's beliefs. |
