New Democratic Party of Prince Edward Island - CCF

CCF

The NDP's predecessor, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), began in 1936 when a CCF club was founded in the Bedeque region during a visit by CCF MP Ted Garland. The CCF did not run candidates on the island, however, until 1943 when the national party made a concerted effort to rally the party by sending an organizer to tour the province recruiting several candidates to run in the 1943 provincial election. Later that year a founding convention was held with York South MP Joseph Noseworthy as guest speaker. Irving Toombs was elected president and Douglas MacFarlane provincial secretary.

The CCF ran candidates on the island in the 1945 federal election, the first time the CCF contested Island seats in a federal election, and again in a provincial by-election in December. In the 1947 provincial election, the CCF contested 16 seats. The party only contested five seats in the 1951 election, however, due to bad road conditions and high deposits. One of the CCF's candidates was Hilda Ramsay running in 3rd Prince in 1951, the first woman ever to run in a PEI provincial election.

While not contesting any further provincial elections, the CCF ran one candidate in PEI in the 1953 federal election, three in the 1957 federal election and one in 1958.