The political tide changed in Alberta after the election of 1917. According to historian David Leonard, the times were marked by turmoil. Prohibition brought a black market in liquor and a rising crime rate. And unemployment after World War One led to labour unrest:

Many of the veterans were very unhappy that they were coming back to jobs that had since been taken by eastern Europeans who had migrated to western Canada. In the Coal Branch, in particular, there was a great deal of unhappiness. The coal industry right after the war came to a bit of a decline, and there were strikes over dropping wages. And some of the coal companies used returned veterans to be sort of strikebreakers against the miners, many of whom were eastern European.

So there was a lot of hostility there. There?s big trouble on the labour front. The One Big Union is formed in 1918 to counterbalance the less effective IWW, International Workers of the World, which seemed to be serving more eastern than western interests. So after World War One, there is considerable labour strife.

Veterans were encouraged to take up farming. Forested land was cleared for homesteads. But overproduction on the farms forced the price of grain downwards. By the time the next election was called for July of 1921, the Liberal party had been in power in Alberta for sixteen years. But the building tension signaled a change.

The farmers are organized. Under Henry Wise Wood, United Farmers of Alberta, their numbers are now in excess of 30 000. And then there?s over 500 locals throughout the various little regions of rural Alberta.

And the United Farmers decide to contest the next election. This is against the advice of Henry Wise Wood, their leader. But they feel that if they?re going to get any voice at all in the legislature, they must run candidates throughout rural Alberta.

The Non-Partisan League, which had contested the 1917 election, has now amalgamated with the United Farmers of Alberta. And William Irving has acknowledged Henry Wise Wood as their leader.

But Henry Wise Wood did not approve of the United Farmers of Alberta running candidates. And as the election approached, he turned away from the organization he founded.

On the Heritage Trail, I?m Cheryl Croucher.