Tim Buck
Timothy (Tim) Buck (1891-1973) was a long time leader of the Communist Party of Canada. A machinist, Buck was born in Britain and emigrated to Canada in 1910. He became involved in the labour movement and radical working class politics in Toronto. In 1921, he participated in the founding convention of the Communist Party of Canada. Not initially a leading member of the party, Buck came to prominance as a supporter of Stalin and became General Secretary in 1929 after the old party leadership had been purged for supporting Trotsky and others had been removed for supporting Bukharin . Buck remained General Secretary until 1961 and was an unquestioning supporter of the Soviet line throughout his tenure.
The Conservative government of R.B. Bennett imprisoned Buck from 1932 to 1934 in Kingston Penitentiory for sedition where he was the target of an apparent assassination attempt. A wide spread civil rights campaign secured his release.
Buck ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons on six occasions. He won 25% of the vote placing third when he ran in Winnipeg North in the 1935 Canadian election losing to CCFer A.A. Heaps. He won 26% of the vote when he ran in the Toronto riding of Trinity in the 1945 Canadian election and 21% in the 1949 Canadian election finishing ahead of the CCF on both occasions. In the 1953 Canadian election he only managed 8.7% and then only won 3.7% of the vote when he stood one last time in the 1958 Canadian election.
External Links
- Tim Buck, Too by Morris Wolfe on Tim Buck's 1931 trial.
- Tim Buck Internet Archive