Into the Hurricane: Attacking Socialism and the CCF

by John Boyko

Born in the prairies, from the ravages of the Depression, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation was a new political party that offered a socialist vision and idealistic belief that Canada could rebuild itself to become better and more fair than ever before. The CCF grew to the point that, by 1943, a national poll found that it was Canada's most popular party. But it's success bred fear among those on the political right, including Big Business, the progressive Conservative Party, and religious leaders who all created an anti-Socialist, anti-CCF campaign that ruthlessly sought to destroy the idea and the party. That campaign was joined and exploited by the Communist and Liberal Parties that attacked from the left. The attacks created a hurricane, which, by 1949, had damaged Canadian socialism and the CCF to the point where prospects for electoral success waned and seemed to die. Into the Hurricane invites Canadians to consider how their political opinions and options are manipulated now by considering how they were manipulated then. As Canadians fight for the future of health care, public education, and social programs that have become woven into the fabric of our political culture, when CCF leader Tommy Douglas is lauded as the Greatest Canadian, the book asks Canadians to consider the hurricane that destroyed the party that was attempting to bring forward ideas so many now consider our birthright.

Genres: Canada

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

My 8th book, The Devil's Trick: How Canada Fought the Vietnam War, will be published by Knopf Penguin Random House in Canada and the US on April 13, 2021. It explores the largely unknown ways in which Canada was involved in the war and changed by it.

Sir John's Echo: The Voice for a Stronger Canada, was released by Dundurn Press in 2017.

Cold Fire: Kennedy's Northern Front, was published by Knopf Penguin Random House in Canada and the US in 2016. It was short-listed for the Dafoe Prize for Non-Fiction.

Blood and Daring: How Canada Fought the American Civil War and Forged a Nation was published in 2013. It was a national bestseller and chosen as one of the Globe and Mail's Best Books of the year. It was shortlisted for a Governor General's award for its translation into French.

My other books include Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, Into the Hurricane: Attacking CCF and Socialism in Canada, and Last Steps to Freedom: The Evolution of Canadian Racism.

I enjoy writing my Monday morning blog (johnboyko.com) and I also write op-eds for newspapers across Canada and entries for the Canadian Encyclopedia.