by romarco1 | Aug 18, 1961 | Timeline:1960s
Bob Strachan, a Carpenters’ Union leader and MLA for Cowichan-Newcastle, was the unanimous choice to lead the BC NDP. While some criticized the NDP for abandoning the CCF’s call to replace capitalism with a more humanitarian democratic socialist society, the party...
by romarco1 | Jul 1, 1961 | Timeline:1960s
It was clear the CCF was stalled everywhere except in the province of Saskatchewan. Something had to change for social democrats in BC and across Canada. In 1958, the Canadian Labour Congress representing Canada’s unions, invited the CCF to join with them to found a...
by romarco1 | Jun 12, 1952 | Timeline:1960s
In the 1952 provincial election the CCF actually won the most votes of any party – 34% and 18 seats. But in a surprising turn of events, the second choice of many non-CCF voters was a new party, a populist conservative movement, Social Credit. In the final count in...
by romarco1 | Jan 1, 1932 | Timeline:1960s
In British Columbia, a provincial section of the CCF was also founded in 1932, and faced its first electoral test the following year. In 1933 the BC CCF elected 7 MLAs and became the Official Opposition. But disagreements over the best course for achieving progress,...
by romarco1 | Jan 1, 1890 | Timeline:1960s
Two miners’ union-backed Labour MLAs were elected in Nanaimo in 1890 and the first declared socialists were elected in British Columbia in 1903. James Hawthornthwaite won in Nanaimo City, and Parker Williams was elected in nearby Newcastle. They were joined by a...
