Socialist Labor Party (Canada)

The Socialist Labor Party was a political party in Canada that was formed in 1898 by Canadian supporters of the ideas of American socialist Daniel De Leon and the Socialist Labor Party of America.[1] It became a national party in the 1930s and had its headquarters in Toronto. The party never won any seats. The party ran only a small number of candidates (listed below), all of whom placed last in their respective elections.[2]

The party dissolved in 2005 following the accidental death of its national secretary, Doug Irving.[3]

Federal election results

Election Candidate Riding # of votes
1945 Paul Debragh Vancouver—Burrard 140
1945 Robert Gordon McQuillan Vancouver Centre 319
1949 William Blackwood Hendry Broadview (Toronto) 271
1953 Alan Sanderson Broadview (Toronto) 130
1963 Alan Sanderson Broadview (Toronto) 43
1965 William Blackwood Hendry Broadview (Toronto) 147
1968 William Blackwood Hendry Broadview (Toronto) 202

British Columbia provincial election results

The party also unsuccessfully contested three provincial elections in British Columbia:

Election Candidate Riding # of votes
1941 John Marshall Kamloops 19
1941 John Alexander Fedoruk Vancouver-Burrard 267
1941 Eric Thomas Reaville Vancouver Centre 393
1941 Robert McQuillan Vancouver East 271
1945 John Alexander Fedoruk Vancouver-Burrard 107
1945 Horace Warner Vancouver Centre 122
1945 Robert McQuillan Vancouver East 56
1949 John Alexander Fedoruk Vancouver Centre 286

Ontario provincial election results

The Socialist Labor Party ran candidates in Ontario provincial elections in 1902 and from 1934 until 1967, but never won a seat in the provincial legislature.

Election results
Election year No. of
overall votes 		% of
overall total 		No. of
candidates run 		No. of
seats won 		Presence
1902 277 0.06% 4
0 / 98
 		Extra-parliamentary
1934 1,626 0.10% 5
0 / 90
 		Extra-parliamentary
1937 2,199 0.14% 11
0 / 90
 		Extra-parliamentary
1943 740 0.06% 3
0 / 90
 		Extra-parliamentary
1945 976 0.06% 4
0 / 90
 		Extra-parliamentary
1948 913 0.05% 5
0 / 125
 		Extra-parliamentary
1951 371 0.02% 1
0 / 90
 		Extra-parliamentary
1955 124 0.01% 1
0 / 98
 		Extra-parliamentary
1959 - - -
0 / 98
 		Extra-parliamentary
1963 103 0.008% 1
0 / 108
 		Extra-parliamentary
1967 287 0.01% 1
0 / 117
 		Extra-parliamentary

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Cronin, Sean (1977). "The Rise and Fall of the Socialist Labor Party of North America". Saothar. 3: 21–33. JSTOR 23195205.
  2. ^ "Socialist Labor Party of Canada collection". McMaster.ca. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  3. ^ Forty-Seventh National Convention, Socialist Labor Party