League for Social Reconstruction - Definition

The League for Social Reconstruction was a circle of Canadian socialist intellectuals formed in 1931 by academics advocating radical social and economic reforms and political education as a response to the Great Depression.

Its leading members were F.R. Scott, Frank Underhill, Graham Spry and Eugene Forsey. The LSR was crtiical of capitalism and advocated democratic socialist reforms and a planned economy. Though the group was never formally part of a political party it had J.S. Woodsworth as its honourary president and was heavily involved in the founding of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in 1932 and in the drafting fo the Regina Manifesto in 1933.

The LSR made its views known through the magazine New Commonwealth (formerly the Farmer's Sun, publication of the United Farmers of Ontario until purchased by Spry) and the Canadian Forum which was acquired in 1936.

The LSR dissolved in 1942 as most of its members had transferred their political activism to the CCF.

See also

• Fabian Society
• social democracy
• New Democratic Party of Canada

External links

• Manifesto of the League for Social Reconstruction (1932) (http://www.canadahistory.com/sections/documents/1932_manifesto_-_league_for_social_reform.htm)