Communist Party of Canada
Active Federal Party
Founded	May 1921
Leader	Miguel Figueroa
President	Miguel Figueroa
Headquarters	290A Danforth Avenue Toronto, Ontario M4K 1N6
Political ideology	Communism
International alignment	Solidarity Network
Colours	Red, Yellow
Seats	0 House, 0 Senate
Website	http://www.communist-party.ca/

The Communist Party of Canada is a communist political party in Canada. It is a minor political party without elected representation at present in either the federal Parliament or in any provincial legislature. Image File history File links Communist Party of Canada/Parti Communiste du Canada logo {logo} File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Miguel Figueroa Miguel Figueroa (born 1953) has been the leader of the Communist Party of Canada since 1992. ... Miguel Figueroa Miguel Figueroa (born 1953) has been the leader of the Communist Party of Canada since 1992. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... Red may be any of a number of similar colors at the lowest frequencies of light discernible by the human eye. ... Rubber duckies. ... The House of Commons (French: Chambre des communes) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the Senate. ... The Senate of Canada (French: Le Sénat du Canada) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the House of Commons. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... // Political scientists have developed concepts of different ideal types of political parties in order to better compare them with each other. ... The Parliament of Canada (French: Parlement du Canada) is Canadas legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. ... Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories. ...

History

Origins

The Communist Party was organized with great secrecy in a barn near the city of Guelph, Ontario, in May 1921. Many of its founding members had belonged to groups such as the Socialist Party of Canada, One Big Union, the Socialist Labor Party, the Industrial Workers of the World, and other socialist, Marxist or Labour parties or clubs. The party was founded as the Canadian section of the Comintern, and was thus similar to Communist parties around the world. Nickname: The Royal City Motto: Faith, Fidelity and Progress Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario County Wellington County City Wards There are 6 Wards Founded April 23, 1827 Incorporated April 23, 1879  - Mayor Karen Farbridge (elected November 2006)  - Governing Body Guelph City Council  - MPs Brenda Chamberlain (LPC)  - MPPs Liz Sandals (OLP... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... The Socialist Party of Canada (SPC) was formed in 1904 when the Socialist Party of British Columbia merged with the Canadian Socialist League. ... The One Big Union was a concept which emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century amongst working class trade unionists. ... The Socialist Labor Party of America (SLP) is the oldest socialist political party in the United States and the second oldest socialist party in the world. ... The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies) is an international union currently headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. At its peak in 1923 the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... There have been various groups in Canada who have nominated candidates under the label Labour Party or Independent Labour Party or other variations from the 1870s until the 1960s. ... The Comintern (Russian: Коммунистический Интернационал, Kommunisticheskiy Internatsional – Communist International, also known as the Third International) was an international Communist organization founded in March 1919, in the midst of the war communism period (1918-1921), by Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik), which intended to fight by all available means, including... In modern usage, the term communist party is generally used to identify any political party which has adopted communist ideology. ...

The party alternated between legality and illegality during the 1920s and 1930s. It was initially illegal, and created the "Workers' Party of Canada" in 1922 as its public face. The CPC was legalized in 1924, and the Workers' Party ceased to exist.

In 1922-24, the provincial wings of the WPC/CPC affiliated with the Canadian Labour Party, as part of a "united front" strategy against the capitalist classes. The CPC came to dominate the CLP organization in several regions of the country; the CLP itself, however, never became an effective national organization. The Communists withdrew from the CLP in 1928-29, following a shift in Comintern policy. Labour Party of Canada - Bringing Politics Closer to People The Labour Party of Canada is Liberal Social democratic party emerged as an imperative need for all Canadian in the 21st Century. ... The Comintern (Russian: Коммунистический Интернационал, Kommunisticheskiy Internatsional – Communist International, also known as the Third International) was an international Communist organization founded in March 1919, in the midst of the war communism period (1918-1921), by Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik), which intended to fight by all available means, including...

Expulsion of factions

From 1928 to the mid-1930s, supporters of Leon Trotsky, such as Maurice Spector, the editor of the party's paper The Worker and party chairman, were expelled. Jack MacDonald, who had supported Spector's expulsion, was removed as the party's general secretary for factionalism, and was ultimately expelled with the support of the majority of party members. MacDonald was also a Trotskyist and joined Spector in founding the International Left Opposition (Trotskyist) Canada, which was part of Trotsky's International Left Opposition. Also expelled were supporters of Nikolai Bukharin and Jay Lovestone's Right Opposition, such as William Moriarty. J.B. Salsberg was initially sympathetic to the Right Opposition but quickly recanted, allowing him to remain in the party. Note: This page is very long. ... Maurice Spector (1898 - August 1, 1968) was the Chairman of the Communist Party of Canada for much of the 1920s and an early follower of Leon Trotsky after his split from the Communist International. ... Jack MacDonald (nicknamed Moscow Jack Macdonald in the 1920s) born in Falkirk, Scotland, was a founding member of the Communist Party of Canada and one if its leaders. ... Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... The International Left Opposition (Trotskyist) of Canada, the Workers Party of Canada, Socialist Policy Group, Socialist Workers League, Revolutionary Workers Party, League for Socialist Action and Revolutionary Workers League were names of successive Trotskyist organisations in Canada. ... The Left Opposition was a faction within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1923-1927. ... Nikolai Bukharin Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin (Russian: ), (October 9, 1888 [O.S. September 27] – March 15, 1938) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and intellectual, and later a Soviet politician. ... Jay Lovestone (1897-1990) was at various times head of the Communist Party, leader of a small oppositionist party, and foreign policy advisor to the leadership of the AFL-CIO and various unions within it. ... The Right Opposition was the name given to the tendency made up of Nikolai Bukharin, Alexei Rykov and their supporters within the Soviet Union in the late 1920s. ... William (Bill) Moriarty (born in London, United Kingdom 1890 - April 14, 1936) was a Canadian Communist and Right Oppositionist. ... Joseph Baruch (J. B.) Salsberg (1903-1998) was a Canadian politician, long time Communist and activist in the Jewish community. ...

Tim Buck replaced MacDonald as party general secretary in 1929, and remained in the position until 1962, steering a course of unswerving loyalty to the leaders of the USSR. Timothy (Tim) Buck (January 6, 1891-March 11, 1973) was a long-time leader of the Communist Party of Canada (known from the 1940s until the late 1950s as the Labour Progressive Party). ... The term General Secretary (alternatively First Secretary) denotes a leader of various unions, parties or associations. ...

Great Depression

In 1931, eight of the CPC's leaders were arrested and imprisoned under Section 98 of Canada's Criminal Code. The party continued to exist, but was under the constant threat of legal harassment, and was for all intents and purposes an underground organization until 1936. Section 98 (s. ... The Canadian Criminal Code (formal title An Act respecting the Criminal Law) is the codification of most of the criminal offences and procedure in Canada. ...

Although the party was banned, affiliated groups such as the Workers' Unity League, the Relief Camp Workers Union, and the National Unemployed Workers Association played a significant role in organizing the unskilled and the unemployed in protest marches and demonstrations and campaigns such as the "On to Ottawa Trek". Party members were also active in the Congress of Industrial Organizations attempt to unionize the auto sector. In 1929, on orders from the Communist International, the Canadian Communist party created its own labour central called the Workers Unity League. ... The On-to-Ottawa Trek was a protest movement in Canada during the Great Depression by the poor and unemployed. ... The Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO, was a federation of unions that organized industrial workers in the United States and Canada in 1935-1955. ...

The party also mobilised the 1,500-man Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion to fight in the Spanish Civil War as part of the International Brigade. Among the leading Canadian Communists involved in that effort was Dr. Norman Bethune, who is known for his work with the Communist Party of China. The Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion or Mac-Paps were a battalion of Canadians who fought as part of the Fifteenth International Regiment for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. ... This article is about the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. ... Blason of the International Brigades The International Brigade was the name given to the band of volunteers and mercenaries who travelled to Spain to fight against the Nationalist forces led by General Franco and helped by Nazi German and Mussolini Italian forces, and defend the legitimate Spanish Republic government in... Dr. Norman Bethune 1922 Henry Norman Bethune, MD (March 3, 1890 – November 12, 1939) was a Canadian physician, medical innovator, and humanitarian. ... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (official name, though almost universally known in English as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)) (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng) is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China, a position guaranteed by the countrys...

World War II

The Communist Party opposed Canada's entry into World War II until the 1941 invasion of the USSR and the collapse of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. During the Conscription Crisis of 1944, the CPC set up "Tim Buck Committees" across the country to campaign for a "yes" vote in the national referendum on conscription. Following the vote, the committees were renamed the Dominion Communist-Labor Total War Committee and urged full support for the war effort, a no-strike pledge for the duration of the war and increased industrial production. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants Germany, Romania, Finland, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler, Ion Antonescu, C.G.E. Mannerheim, Benito Mussolini, Miklós Horthy, Jozef Tiso Joseph Stalin Strength ~3. ... Molotov signs the German-Soviet non-aggression pact. ... The Conscription Crisis of 1944 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War II. It was similar to the Conscription Crisis of 1917, but was not as politically damaging. ... Ballots of the Argentine plebiscite of 1984 on the border treaty with Chile A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... The Dominion Communist-Labor Total War Committee was a front organization of the then-banned Communist Party of Canada. ...

The party's first elected Member of Parliament (MP) was Dorise Nielson. Nielson was elected in North Battleford, Saskatchewan in 1940 under the popular front Progressive Unity label. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Dorise Nielsen (July 30, 1902 - December 9, 1980) was a Canadian politician and teacher. ... Popular Fronts comprise broad coalitions of political and other groups, often made up of oppositioners or left wingers, and often united against particularly stringent circumstances. ... Unity or Progressive Unity was the name used in Saskatchewan, Canada, by a popular front party initiated by the Communist Party of Canada for the 1938 Saskatchewan and 1940 Canadian election. ...

Labour-Progressive Party

The party was banned in 1941, and thereafter ran candidates as the Labour-Progressive Party until 1959. Several party members were elected at various levels: The Labour-Progressive Party was a Communist party in Canada. ...

• Fred Rose was elected to represent a Montreal riding in the Canadian House of Commons as an LPP MP, and was then framed up as a "Soviet spy".
• Mary Kardash and William Ross were LPP and then Communist school trustees in Winnipeg
• Jacob Penner and Joseph Zuken were popular aldermen in Winnipeg. Zuken was an LPP school trustee before succeeding Penner on city council by which time the LPP had changed its name back to the Communist Party.
• W. A. Kardash and James Litterick were Manitoba LPP Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
• A.A. MacLeod and J.B. Salsberg were LPP members of the Ontario legislature.
• Stanley Brehaut Ryerson and Stewart Smith were LPP Toronto aldermen.
• Harry Rankin sat on Vancouver's city council on behalf of the Committee of Progressive Electors which he helped found in the late 1960s. Though not officially a Communist Party member he was a fellow traveller.

Nikita Khrushchev's 1956 Secret Speech exposing the crimes of Josef Stalin and the 1956 Soviet invasion of Hungary shook the faith of many Communists around the world. As well, the party was riven by a crisis following the return of prominent party member J.B. Salsberg from a trip to the Soviet Union where he found rampant party-sponsored antisemitism. Salsberg reported his findings but they were rejected by the party which initially suspended him from its leading bodies. Ultimately, the crisis resulted in the departure of the United Jewish Peoples' Order, Salsberg, Robert Laxer and most of the party's Jewish members in 1956. Categories: 1907 births | 1983 deaths | Canadian historical figures | Members of the Canadian House of Commons | Canadian communist politicians | Soviet spies | People from Quebec | People stubs ... An electoral district is a geographically-based constituency upon which Canadas representative democracy is based. ... The House of Commons (French: Chambre des communes) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the Senate. ... Mary Kardash was a long-time Communist politician in the north end of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. ... William Cecil Ross (May 11, 1911-?) was a Manitoba politician, and the leader of that provinces Communist Party from 1948 until his retirement in 1981. ... Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Location City Information Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge), 1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... There was also another Jacob Penner, leader of partisan group in Poland Jacob Penner and his wife, Rose Jacob Penner (August 12, 1880 - August 28, 1965) was a popular socialist politician in Canada. ... Joseph (Joe) Zuken (1912 - 1986) was a popular Communist politician in Winnipeg and the longest serving elected Communist party politician in North America. ... An alderman is a member of a municipal legislative body in a town or city with many jurisdictions. ... William A. (Bill) Kardash (b. ... James Litterick (July 15, 1901-?) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada, and was the first member of the Communist Party of Canada to be elected to that provinces legislature. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English and French, per mandate of the Constitution Act 1982 Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total)  Ranked 8th 647... A Member of the Legislative Assembly, or MLA, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to the Legislature or legislative assembly of a subnational jurisdiction. ... Albert Alexander MacLeod, widely known as A.A. MacLeod and familiarly as Alex, was a prominent member of the Communist Party of Canada and its front group the Labour Progressive Party. ... Joseph Baruch (J. B.) Salsberg (1903-1998) was a Canadian politician, long time Communist and activist in the Jewish community. ... A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... Stanley Brehaut Ryerson (March 12, 1911-1998) was a Canadian historian, educator, political activist. ... Stewart Smith was a long-time leading member of the Communist Party of Canada. ... Harry Rankin (May 8, 1920 - February 26, 2002) was a Vancouver lawyer and socialist alderman on city council. ... Vancouver (pronounced: ) is a city in south-western British Columbia, Canada. ... Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ... The Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) is a municipal political party in the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia. ... A fellow traveller is a person who sympathizes with the beliefs of a particular organization, but does not belong to that organization. ... Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: ; IPA: , in English, , or , occasionally ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov; April 17 [O.S. April 5] 1894–September 11, 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ... The Secret Speech is the common name of a speech given on February 25, 1956 by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denouncing the actions of Josef Stalin. ... (Russian, in full: Ио́сиф Виссарио́нович Ста́лин [Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin]; December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1878[1] – March 5, 1953) was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s to his death in 1953 and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922-1953... Combatants Soviet Union ÁVH Hungarian government, various nationalist militias Commanders Yuri Andropov Pál Maléter, Béla Király, Gergely Pongrátz, József Dudás Strength 150,000 troops, 6,000 tanks 100,000+ demonstrators (some later armed), unknown number of soldiers Casualties 720 killed according to official... Joseph Baruch (J. B.) Salsberg (1903-1998) was a Canadian politician, long time Communist and activist in the Jewish community. ... The United Jewish Peoples Order is a secular socialist Jewish cultural, political and educational fraternal organization in Canada. ... Robert M. Laxer (1915-1998) was a Canadian psychologist, professor, author, and political activist. ...

Many, perhaps most, members of the Canadian party left, including a number of prominent party members. Many ex-Communists joined the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and its successor, the New Democratic Party (NDP). Some joined the Liberals. The Soviet Union's 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia caused more people to leave the Canadian Communist Party. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) 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. ... The New Democratic Party (NDP; Nouveau Parti démocratique in French) is a political party in Canada with a progressive social democratic philosophy that contests elections at both the federal and provincial levels. ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: ), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party. ... People in a café watch Soviet tanks roll past The Prague Spring (Czech: Pražské jaro, Slovak: Pražská jar, Russian: пражская весна) was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia starting January 5, 1968 when Alexander Dubček came to power, and running until August 20 of that year when the...

Collapse of the Soviet bloc and party split

In common with most communist parties, it went through a crisis after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and subsequently split. The reformist group led by George Hewison, which held a narrow majority on the Central Committee, argued for the reorientation of the party away from the official doctrine of Marxism-Leninism. The minority group on the CC, led by Miguel Figueroa, Elizabeth Rowley, and former leader William Kashtan resisted and, after being defeated at the party's 1990 convention and expelled from the party, took the CPC to court. Owing to the inner-party conflict, membership of the party fell by half, leaving it with several hundred members. As a result of an out-of-court settlement, the Hewison faction left the Communist Party in 1992, and the Marxist-Leninist forces, led by Miguel Figueroa and Elizabeth Rowley assumed the "Communist Party of Canada" name. The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ... George Hewison (born 1944) is a former long-time member of the Communist Party of Canada, trade unionist and folk singer. ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism; it is a branch of Marxism (and it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... Miguel Figueroa Miguel Figueroa (born 1953) has been the leader of the Communist Party of Canada since 1992. ... Elizabeth Rowley Elizabeth (Liz) Rowley is a politician and political activist in Ontario, Canada. ... William Kashtan (1909-1993?) became general secretary of the Communist Party of Canada in January 1965, several months following the death of Leslie Morris. ... Miguel Figueroa Miguel Figueroa (born 1953) has been the leader of the Communist Party of Canada since 1992. ... Elizabeth Rowley Elizabeth (Liz) Rowley is a politician and political activist in Ontario, Canada. ...

Following the departure of the Hewison-led group, a convention was held in December 1992 at which delegates agreed to continue the Communist Party (thus the meeting was titled the 30th CPC Convention). Delegates rejected the reformist policies instituted by the Hewison group and instead reaffirmed the CPC as a Marxist-Leninist organization. Since most of the old party's assets were now the property of the Hewison-led Cecil Ross Society, the CPC convention decided to launch a new newspaper, the People's Voice, to replace the old Canadian Tribune. The convention elected a new central committee with Figueroa as Party Leader. The convention also amended the party consitution to grant more membership control and lessen the arbitrary powers of the CC, while maintaining democratic centralism as its organizational principle.

Meanwhile, the former Communists retained the Cecil-Ross Society as a political foundation to continue their political efforts. They also sold off the party's headquarters at 24 Cecil Street, having earlier liquidated various party-related business such as Eveready Printers (the party printshop) and Progress Publishers. The name of the Cecil-Ross Society comes from the intersection of Cecil Street and Ross Street in Toronto where the headquarters of the party was located. The Cecil-Ross Society took with it the rights to the Canadian Tribune, which had been the party's weekly newspaper for decades, as well as roughly half of the party's assets. The Cecil-Ross Society ended publication of the Canadian Tribune and attempted to launch a new broad-left magazine, New Times which failed after a few issues and then Ginger which only published twice. The Cecil-Ross Society was a socialist educational foundation operated by the former majority of the Communist Party of Canada after they were forced to terminate their association with the party in 1992 in a political and legal dispute following the fall of the Soviet Union. ...

Reconstituted party

The renovated party, now with less than a 1,000 members, was smaller than before the split and had lost a number of assets, including the party's headquarters at 24 Cecil Street in Toronto. The CPC was not in a position to run fifty (50) candidates in the 1993 federal election, the number required to maintain official party status. As a result, the newly-relaunched CPC was deregistered by Elections Canada, and its remaining assets were seized by the government. A prolonged legal battle, Figueroa v. Canada ensued, resulting in a Supreme Court of Canada ruling in 2003 that overturned a provision in the Elections Act requiring fifty candidates for official party status. Earlier in the legal battle, the party had its deregistration overturned and its seized assets restored. This victory was celebrated by many of the other small parties — regardless of political differences — on the principle that it was a victory for the people's right to democratic choice. Court membership Chief Justice: Beverley McLachlin Puisne Justices: Charles Gonthier, Frank Iacobucci, John C. Major, Michel Bastarache, Ian Binnie, Louise Arbour, Louis LeBel, Marie Deschamps Reasons given Majority by: Iacobucci J. Joined by: McLachlin C.J. and Major, Bastarache, Binnie and Arbour JJ. Concurrence by: LeBel J. Joined by: Gonthier...

The CPC publishes a fortnightly newspaper called People's Voice. and its Quebec section, le Parti communiste du Québec, published Clarté. The CPC also periodically publishes a theoretical/discussion journal Spark!. These publications and other information about the party is available on its site — [1]. Peoples Voice is a newspaper published fortnightly by the Communist Party of Canada and New Labour Press Ltd. ...

The Communist Party is one of two Communist parties in Canada, the other is the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist). The CPC-ML was founded in 1963 as the Internationalists, an anti-revisionist Maoist party rejecting the reforms of Nikita Khrushchev. Today, the CPC-ML is known during elections as the "Marxist-Leninist Party". Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (Chinese: 毛澤東思想, pinyin: Máo Zédōng Sīxiǎng), also called Marxism-Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM), is a variant of communism derived from the teachings of Mao Zedong (1893&#8211... Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: ; IPA: , in English, , or , occasionally ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov; April 17 [O.S. April 5] 1894–September 11, 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ...

The CPC is active in several trade unions, in the civic reform movement, and in a number of social justice, anti-war and international solidarity groups and coalitions. The Party is also working to help refound the Young Communist League of Canada. Local YCL groups have sprung up in several centres across the country, and a refounding convention of the pan-Canadian YCL is scheduled for March 2007. A Trade Union (Labour union) ... is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment. ... The Young Communist League of Canada was founded in 1923 as the youth wing of the Communist Party of Canada. ...

2005 split

In 2005, the Parti communiste du Québec split into two rival groups, both of which claim to represent the party. The national committee of one group, led by André Parizeau, voted unanimously to separate from the CPC in June 2005. The Communist Party of Canada had previously expelled Parizeau, and does not recognize the legality of his group. The Parti communiste du Québec or PCQ (in English: Communist Party of Quebec) is a communist political party in Quebec. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

The split followed a lengthy dispute between Parizeau and the Central Executive Committee of the CPC. In November 2004, Parizeau introduced a series of amendments to the CPC program "Canada's Future is Socialism". According to a letter from Ontario leader Elizabeth Rowley, these amendments called on the party to expand its support for Quebec nationalism. Elizabeth Rowley Elizabeth (Liz) Rowley is a politician and political activist in Ontario, Canada. ...

The Communist Party of Canada, according to a 2005 release, supports the right of "national self-determination, up to and including separation". It does not support the fragmentation of Canada, however, and has called for "a new, democratic constitutional arrangement based on the equal and voluntary union of Aboriginal peoples, Québec, and English-speaking Canada". Many in the national party executive considered Parizeau's amendments as reflecting a narrower view of Quebec nationalism.

Parizeau's amendments were rejected by the Central Executive Committee by a vote of 7-1; Parizeau himself was the only member to vote in favour. The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Quebec Party also rejected Parizeau's amendments by a vote of 4-2.

In January 2005, Parizeau wrote a letter to PCQ members declaring that the party was in crisis. Describing the four NEC members who opposed his amendments as a "Gang of Four" and a pro-federalist faction, he summarily dismissed them from office. In turn, Parizeau's opponents called for the CPC to suspend him from office pending an investigation into his activities.

This controversy came to a head at the PCQ convention of April 2005. After delegates voted 16-14 to expel one of the four suspended NEC members, Parizeau's opponents staged a mass walkout from the convention hall. The seventeen delegates who stayed voted to establish a new National Committee and Executive, consisting entirely of Parizeau's supporters.

On April 27, 2005, the Central Executive of the CPC voted to expel Parizeau for "factional activity and the pursuit of a right opportunist line", declared that the expulsions from the PCQ were illegal, and affirmed the authority of the previous National Executive Committee. This decision was confirmed by the party's Central Committee at a meeting held on June 18-19, 2005.

Parizeau's group published a letter of withdrawal from the CPC on June 15, 2005. In this letter, the CPC was accused of holding "des idées chauvines vis-à-vis du Québec" (chauvinistic ideas relative to Quebec). The CPC has rejected similar accusations from Parizeau in the past, and now holds the position that Parizeau's group has no legal authority to use the PCQ name. Parizeau's opponents in the PCQ have remained active in Quebec, participating in the province's May Day parades and starting a new periodical, entitled Clarté. Parizeau's group publishes a separate newspaper called La voix du peuple. The legal ownership of the PCQ name has not yet been resolved.

The CPC's account of this situation is available online [2]), as is the June 2005 letter from Parizeau's PCQ group ([3]) and the PCQ's version of events ([4][5]).

Recent developments

The CPC held its 35th Central Convention on February 1-4, 2007 in Toronto. According to a Toronto Star article the assembly drew 65 delegates most of whom were from Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec with a few from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. Party leader Miguel Figueroa called for the Communists to field 25 candidates in the upcoming federal election.

Allied organizations

Traditionally, the Communist Party and Labour-Progressive Party have had allied organizations which were not formally affiliated with the party but were largely under its control. These groups often originated from left wing labour and socialist movements that existed prior to the creation of the Communist Party and operated political and cultural activities amongst various immigrant groups, published magazines and operated their own cultural centres and meeting halls. From the 1920s through the 1950s the largest immigrant groups represented in the party were Finns, Ukrainians and Jews who were organized in the Finnish Organization of Canada, the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians (known as the Ukrainian Labor Farmer Temple Association until 1946) and the United Jewish Peoples' Order (known as the Labour League until 1945) respectively. Also active in the 1930s and 1940s was the Polish People's Association (formerly the Polish Labor Farmer Temple Association), the Serbian People's Movement and Croatian Cultural Association (formerly the Jugoslav Workers' Clubs) and the Carpatho-Russian Society. The Canadian Slav Committee was formed in 1948 in an attempt to put party-aligned cultural associations for Ukrainians, Russians, Poles, Slovaks, Bulgarians, Macedonians, Yugoslavs and Carpatho-Russians under one umbrella. The UJPO broke with the party in 1956 over the revelations of antisemitism in the Soviet Union. An influx of left-wing Greek and Portuguese immigrants in the 1960s and 1970s resulted in the creation of the Greek Democratic Association and the Portuguese Democratic Association which remain close to the Communist Party. The United Jewish Peoples Order is a secular socialist Jewish cultural, political and educational fraternal organization in Canada. ...

General Secretaries of the CPC

• Tom Burpee 1921
• William Moriarty 1921-1923
• Jack MacDonald1923-1929
• Tim Buck 1929-1962
• Leslie Morris 1962-1964
• William Kashtan 1965-1988
• George Hewison 1988-1992
• Miguel Figueroa since 1992

The term General Secretary (alternatively First Secretary) denotes a leader of various unions, parties or associations. ... William (Bill) Moriarty (born in London, United Kingdom 1890 - April 14, 1936) was a Canadian Communist and Right Oppositionist. ... Jack MacDonald (nicknamed Moscow Jack Macdonald in the 1920s) born in Falkirk, Scotland, was a founding member of the Communist Party of Canada and one if its leaders. ... Timothy (Tim) Buck (January 6, 1891-March 11, 1973) was a long-time leader of the Communist Party of Canada (known from the 1940s until the late 1950s as the Labour Progressive Party). ... Leslie Tom Morris (1904 - 1964) was a Canadian politician, journalist and long time member of the Communist Party of Canada and, its front group, the Labour Progressive Party. ... William Kashtan (1909-1993?) became general secretary of the Communist Party of Canada in January 1965, several months following the death of Leslie Morris. ... George Hewison (born 1944) is a former long-time member of the Communist Party of Canada, trade unionist and folk singer. ... Miguel Figueroa Miguel Figueroa (born 1953) has been the leader of the Communist Party of Canada since 1992. ...

Central Executive Committee

The Communist Party of Canada's 35th convention held in February 2007 elected the following members to its leading body, the Central Executive Committee: Miguel Figueroa (Party leader), Elizabeth Rowley (leader of the Communist Party of Ontario), Pierre Fontaine (President of the Parti communiste du Québec), Darrell Rankin (leader of the Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba), George Gidora, leader of British Columbia Communist Party, Sam Hammond, Chair of the Trade Union Commission of the Party and Kimball Cariou (editor of People's Voice). Miguel Figueroa Miguel Figueroa (born 1953) has been the leader of the Communist Party of Canada since 1992. ... Elizabeth Rowley Elizabeth (Liz) Rowley is a politician and political activist in Ontario, Canada. ... The Communist Party of Ontario is the Ontario, Canada provincial wing of the Communist Party of Canada. ... The Parti communiste du Québec or PCQ (in English: Communist Party of Quebec) is a communist political party in Quebec. ... Darrell Rankin is a Communist politician in Canada. ... The Communist Party of Canada was founded in 1921. ... The Communist Party of British Columbia is the British Columbia branch of the Communist Party of Canada. ...

There is also a larger body, the Central Committee, which is elected at convention and meets in intervening years. The Central Committee nominates the members of the Central Executive Committee and the composition of the CEC is ratified by convention. Central Committee most commonly refers to the central executive unit of a communist party, whether ruling or non-ruling. ...

Election results

The Canadian parliament after the 1930 election The Canadian federal election of 1930 was held on July 28, 1930 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons to the 17th Parliament. ... The Canadian parliament after the 1935 election The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... The Canadian parliament after the 1940 election The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. ... The Canadian parliament after the 1945 election The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. ... The Canadian federal election of 1949 was the first election in Canada in almost thirty years in which the Liberals were not led by William Lyon Mackenzie King. ... National results Notes: (1) The Liberal-Labour MP sat with the Liberal caucus. ... The Canadian parliament after the 1957 election The Canadian federal election of 1957 was held June 10, 1957, to elect members of the 23rd Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons. ... The 24th general election was held just nine months after the 23rd and transformed Prime Minister John Diefenbakers minority into the largest ever majority government in Canadian history. ... The Canadian parliament after the 1962 election The Canadian federal election of 1962 was held on June 18, 1962 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... Map of Canadas provinces and territories and which party won the most votes in each province and territory and their popular vote. ... In the Canadian federal election of 1965, the Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was re-elected with a larger number of seats in the Canadian House of Commons. ... In the Canadian federal election of June 25, 1968, the Liberal Party won a majority government under its new leader, Pierre Trudeau. ... The House of Commons after the 1972 election The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... The House of Commons after the 1974 election The Canadian federal election of 1974 was held on July 8, 1974 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... The House of Commons after the 1979 election The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... The House of Commons after the 1980 election The 1980 Canadian federal election was called when the minority Progressive Conservative government led by Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. ... The Canadian federal election of 1984 was called on July 4, 1984, and held on September 4 of that year. ... Map of the Popular Vote with bar graphs showing seat totals in the provinces and territories The Canadian Parliament after the 1988 election The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... Popular vote map with bar graphs showing seat totals in the provinces and territories. ... 36th Parliament The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of Canada. ... The Canadian federal election, 2004 (more formally, the 38th general election), was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... Rendition of party representation in the 39th Canadian parliament decided by this election. ...

By-elections

The party has also nominated candidates in numerous by-elections: A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ...

• August 9, 1943** - 1 elected

  • Cartier - 19 030 total votes - 5 789 votes received - 30.42%

• March 31, 1947** - 0 elected
  • Cartier - 24 704 total votes - 6 616 votes received - 26.78%
• October 24, 1949** - 0 elected
  • Greenwood - 23 398 total votes - 189 votes received - 0.81%
  • Laurier - 10 877 total votes - 713 votes received - 6.56%
• June 19, 1950** - 0 elected
  • Cartier - 17 920 total votes - 3 913 votes received - 21.83%
• October 16, 1950** - 0 elected
  • Welland - 40 172 total votes - 1 616 votes received - 4.02%
• March 22, 1954** - 0 elected
  • Verdun - 25 098 total votes - 2 180 votes received - 8.69%
• November 8, 1954** - 0 elected
  • Trinity - 14 479 total votes - 953 votes received - 6.58%
  • York West - 27 583 total votes - 282 votes received - 1.02%
  • St. Antoine—Westmount - 23 478 total votes - 224 votes received - 0.95%
  • St. Lawrence—St. George - 11 739 total votes - 277 votes received - 2.36%
• October 24, 1955** - 0 elected
  • Spadina - 19 603 total votes - 3 894 votes received - 19.86%
• December 15, 1958** - 0 elected
  • Trinity - 11 791 total votes - 488 votes received - 4.14%
• May 24, 1977 - 0 elected
  • Langelier - 18 291 total votes - 166 votes received - 0.91%
  • Louis-Hébert - 42 578 total votes - 1 021 votes received - 2.40%
  • Témiscamingue - 21 033 total votes - 495 votes received - 2.35%
  • Terrebonne - 45 401 total votes - 290 votes received - 0.64%
  • Verdun - 25 710 total votes - 97 votes received - 0.38%
• October 16, 1978 - 0 elected
  • Burnaby—Richmond—Delta - 47 883 total votes - 339 votes received - 0.71%
  • Broadview - 20 026 total votes - 204 votes received - 1.02%
  • Hamilton—Wentworth - 42 951 total votes - 301 votes received - 0.70%
  • Parkdale - 17 476 total votes - 190 votes received - 1.09%
  • Rosedale - 32 325 total votes - 120 votes received - 0.37%

(*) A ninth candidate, Dorise Nielson was a member of the Communist Party but ran and was elected as a Progressive Unity candidate. August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Cartier was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Cartier was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Greenwood was a former federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons, and located in the province of Ontario. ... Laurier re-directs here. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Cartier was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Welland is the name of a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in leap years). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Verdun (also known as Verdun—Saint-Paul, Verdun—Saint-Henri and Verdun—Saint-Henri—Saint-Paul—Pointe-Saint-Charles) was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1949 and from 1953 to 2004. ... November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Trinity was a Canadian electoral district that existed from 1933 to 1987. ... York West in relation to the other Toronto ridings York West is a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904 and since 1917, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999. ... St. ... St. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spadina was a Canadian electoral district that existed from 1933 to 1987. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Trinity was a Canadian electoral district that existed from 1933 to 1987. ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Langelier was a former federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons, and located in the province of Quebec. ... Louis-Hébert is the name of a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada. ... Témiscamingue was a former federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons, and located in the province of Quebec. ... Terrebonne was a former federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons, and located in the province of Quebec. ... Verdun (also known as Verdun—Saint-Paul, Verdun—Saint-Henri and Verdun—Saint-Henri—Saint-Paul—Pointe-Saint-Charles) was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1949 and from 1953 to 2004. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Burnaby—Richmond was a former federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons, and located in the province of British Columbia. ... Broadview was a former federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons, and located in the province of Ontario. ... Hamilton—Wentworth was a former federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons, and located in the province of Ontario. ... Parkdale was a Canadian federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1979. ... Toronto Centre is an electoral district that has long covered the heart of downtown Toronto. ... Dorise Nielsen (July 30, 1902 - December 9, 1980) was a Canadian politician and teacher. ... Unity or Progressive Unity was the name used in Saskatchewan, Canada, by a popular front party initiated by the Communist Party of Canada for the 1938 Saskatchewan and 1940 Canadian election. ...

(**) The Communist Party was banned in 1941. From 1943 until 1959 they ran candidates under the name Labour Progressive Party. The Labour-Progressive Party was a Communist party in Canada. ...

(***) In 1972 the party ran its candidates as independents. It is unknown how many party members ran in that election.

(****) The party failed to register at least 50 candidates in time for the 1993 election. As a result the party was deregistered and its candidates ran as independents. Party status was not regained until prior to the 2000 general election. It is unknown how many party members ran in the 1993 and 1997 elections as independents.

References

See also

• Communist Party candidates, 2006 Canadian federal election
• Communist Party candidates, 2004 Canadian federal election
• Communist Party candidates, 2000 Canadian federal election
• Communist Party candidates, 1997 Canadian federal election
• Communist Party of Alberta
• Communist Party of Ontario
• Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba
• Communist Party of Canada (Saskatchewan)
• Communist Party of British Columbia
• Parti communiste du Québec
• Young Communist League
• Labour Progressive Party of Canada
• Parti ouvrier-progressiste (Quebec)
• Liberal-Labour
• List of political parties in Canada
• Rev. Albert Edward Smith, senior party leader
• Stewart Smith, Rev. Smith's son and a party leader in his own right.
• Jack Kavanagh, senior leader, purged in the 1930s as a Trotskyist
• Norman Bethune, prominent member, best known for his participation in the Spanish Civil War and the Chinese Revolution.
• James Gareth Endicott, sympathiser, prominent supporter of the People's Republic of China.
• Ray Stevenson
• Darshan Singh Canadian
• United Jewish Peoples' Order, which was aligned with the party until 1956.

• Canadian communists including many leading figures in the party.

The Communist Party of Canada ran several candidates in the 2006 federal election, none of whom were elected. ... The Communist Party of Canada ran a number of candidates in the 2004 federal election, none of whom were elected. ... The Communist Party of Canada (CPC) fielded a number of candidates in the 2000 Canadian federal election, none of whom were elected. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Communist Party of Ontario is the Ontario, Canada provincial wing of the Communist Party of Canada. ... The Communist Party of Canada was founded in 1921. ... The Communist Party of Canada (Saskatchewan) was a communist political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. ... The Communist Party of British Columbia is the British Columbia branch of the Communist Party of Canada. ... The Parti communiste du Québec or PCQ (in English: Communist Party of Quebec) is a communist political party in Quebec. ... The Young Communist League of Canada was founded in 1923 as the youth wing of the Communist Party of Canada. ... The Labour-Progressive Party was a Communist party in Canada. ... The Parti ouvrier-progressiste (in English: Labour Progressive Party) is the name under which the Parti Communiste du Québec ran candidates from 1944 to 1956, after the banning of the Communist Party of Canada in 1941. ... The Liberal-Labour banner has also been used several times by candidates in Canadian elections: Malcolm Lang, who was elected as a Labour Party of Canada Member of Parliament in the 1926 federal election, was re-elected as Liberal-Labour in the north-eastern Ontario riding of Timiskaming South in... This article lists political parties in Canada. ... Rev. ... Stewart Smith was a long-time leading member of the Communist Party of Canada. ... Jack Kavanagh was a leader of the Socialist Party of Canada from 1908 to 1921 and was a founding member of the Communist Party of Canada. ... Dr. Norman Bethune 1922 Henry Norman Bethune, MD (March 3, 1890 – November 12, 1939) was a Canadian physician, medical innovator, and humanitarian. ... This article is about the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. ... The Chinese Revolution may refer to: The Xinhai Revolution of 1911-1912, which led to the founding of the Republic of China, also known as the Republican Revolution. ... 1952 photo of James Endicott (centre) flanked by his wife Mary (right) and granddaughter Susan (left). ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Darshan Singh Canadian (aka Darshan A. Sangha) (born 1917, Langeri, Punjab, India; died Sept. ... The United Jewish Peoples Order is a secular socialist Jewish cultural, political and educational fraternal organization in Canada. ...

External links

• Communist Party of Canada
• Communist Party of Canada history
• Young Communist League
• Maurice Spector on the founding of the Workers Party of Canada, 1922