Canada

We publish here a collected series of articles on the 1837-1838 Rebellions of Upper and Lower Canada (original available at Fightback). It is important that Marxists understand the place of these important events in the history of the class struggle in Canada and Quebec.

Join the International Marxist Tendency for the 8th annual Montreal Marxist Winter School. 2018 will be the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth, therefore this year we will be focusing on Marx's revolutionary ideas.

On Friday 23rd June, the Canadian Marxist Journal Fightback’s, editorial board sat down to discuss with 2017 NDP leadership candidate Niki Ashton. The transcript of that interview can be found here. Based upon that interview, and Ashton’s statements since the start of the campaign, Fightback has decided to support Ashton’s candidacy and encourage all socialists to do the same. A victory for Ashton would represent a victory for the left in Canada and opens up the possibility of the development of a movement analogous to those sparked by Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders.

Il y a 45 ans avait lieu le plus grand mouvement de grève de l’histoire du Québec. Lors de cet épisode historique, les travailleur-euses de la province ont investi massivement la scène politique pour lutter contre la classe bourgeoise. Au paroxysme du mouvement, les travailleur-euses occupèrent les usines et les mines et la grève générale paralysa l’économie de la province. Aujourd’hui, les événements du printemps 1972 demeurent dans l’angle mort de l’histoire québécoise officielle, laquelle retient généralement la crise d’octobre 1970 comme moment phare des turbulences politiques et sociales de cette période. À l’heure où la crise du capitalisme s’éternise, la lutte des classes refait

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Forty-five years ago, the largest and most important strike movement in the history of Quebec took place. During this historic episode, the workers of the province stormed onto the political arena to fight against the bourgeoisie. At its peak, workers occupied the factories and mines, and the general strike movement brought the economy of the province to a halt.

When Justin Trudeau stated that, “Canada is back,” it could have been interpreted as just another one of those hollow phrases which he is so good at. With the unveiling of Canada’s new defence policy on June 7th, we now understand better what he meant.

L’atmosphère au pays commence à changer, et sous la surface, elle a effectivement changé au cours de la dernière période. Au Québec et en Alberta, la situation politique se caractérise déjà par un antagonisme tranché et des tournants rapides vers la gauche et la droite. Les premiers contours d’une polarisation politique peuvent être décelés au sein des courses à la chefferie des partis fédéraux conservateur et néo-démocrate. Parallèlement, la popularité dont Trudeau jouissait après les élections commence à s’estomper.

Over 110 revolutionaries gathered in Toronto May 20-22 for the 17th congress of Fightback and La Riposte Socialiste, the supporters of the International Marxist Tendency in Canada. The three-day congress brought attendees from Montreal, Waterloo, Hamilton, Ottawa, Oshawa and Edmonton, plus international guests from Sweden and Britain. The level of enthusiasm was incredibly high as the congress marked significant advances for the Marxist movement in Canada and Quebec.

An update on the Economic and Political Situation in Canada 2017

Relative calm and stability have seemed to define Canadian politics in a world marked by crisis, instability, abrupt shocks and sharp polarization. International commentators have highlighted the strength of the political “centre” in Canada. The Economist even ran an article titled “Canada: The last Liberals” after the victory of Donald Trump in the American elections last fall. Will Canada continue to be an “island of stability” surrounded by a storm affecting world politics, economy and international relations?

The student movement in Canada is going through an important development that has been prepared over the last six years. Beginning in 2011, revolutionaries organized with Fightback/La Riposte socialiste magazines have been engaging in systematic organizing on university and college campuses across the country. These efforts have resulted in the establishment of active groups on over 15 campuses, with plans to expand further.

April 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Fought as part of the larger British-led Battle of Arras during the First World War, the battle was the first instance in which all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) fought together. The success of the unified Canadian Corps in capturing the ridge from German troops, after failed efforts to do so by British and French forces, has steadily grown in significance in recent decades to attain the status of a founding myth, in which Vimy represented Canada’s birth as a nation. This mythologized narrative obscures the true nature of an imperialist war that led to the death of millions, while furthering

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The moment that everyone was waiting for has finally arrived: On Thursday, March 9th, Gabriel-Nadeau Dubois, the celebrated student leader from 2012, announced that he will be joining Quebec solidaire. He will be the candidate for the party in the riding of Gouin and also desires to become the male spokesperson for the party. He said he wants to get rid of the "political class" that has governed for 30 years and has "betrayed Quebec".