Young Liberals of Canada

National youth wing of the Liberal Party of Canada
Young Liberals of Canada
Jeunes libéraux du Canada
AbbreviationYLC / JLC
Formation1936
HeadquartersConstitution Square
350 Albert Street
Suite 920
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 6M8
Membership17 000 (2024)
Official languages
English, French
National Chair
Liam Olsen
Parent organization
Liberal Party of Canada
AffiliationsInternational Federation of Liberal Youth
Staff1 (full-time)
Websiteuptoyouth.ca and youngliberals.liberal.ca

The Young Liberals of Canada (YLC) (French: Jeunes libéraux du Canada) is the national youth wing of the Liberal Party of Canada. All members of the Liberal Party aged 14 to 25 are automatically members of the YLC. The Young Liberals of Canada are an official commission of the Liberal Party and the largest youth political organization in Canada.

The YLC is composed of Provincial and Territorial Boards (PTBs) in all ten provinces and clubs on almost 50 post-secondary campuses and in most of Canada's 338 ridings. The organization is led by the National Executive. Several major initiatives by Liberal governments over the years have started out as Young Liberal ideas, including same-sex marriage, marijuana legalization and medical assistance in dying.

Many Young Liberal alumni have gone on to have prominent careers in Canadian politics, including former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin and former cabinet ministers Bardish Chagger and Karina Gould, among others.

History & Influence

Nascent presence, 1800s

Associations of young partisan supporters of the Liberals began to form in the late 1870s. The Globe, a Toronto newspaper with strong Liberal leaning founded by key pre-confederation Liberal leader George Brown, reported in October 1877 the formation of a Young Men's Reform Association in Owen Sound, Ontario, a major port town at the time.[1] In February 1878, a Young Men's Reform Association was formed in Ottawa in response to the Young Men's Liberal-Conservative Association which had been in existence for a number of years.[2] Activities of other young reform/liberals associations were reported by the Globe later in 1878 in Toronto, Montreal, Belleville, Peterboro', Lindsay, Port Hope, London, and Stratford in the lead up of that years dominion election (which ended the Liberal government led by Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie).These associations' names reflected the name of the General Reform Association, the informal network of organizations providing organizational support to Liberal politicians before the formal establishment of party apparatus. In 1885, a convention of young liberals was held in Toronto.[3]

The Ontario Young Liberal Federation Constituted February 5th 1895, cover of the Saturday Globe on February 9, 1895
The cover of the Saturday Globe following a young liberal convention held in Toronto in 1895.

Delegates from Young Liberal Clubs in Ontario met in convention in February 1895 and established the Ontario Young Liberal Federation. The convention was held with the attendance of then leader of the Opposition Wilfrid Laurier, then Ontario education minister (and future Premier) George Ross and Liberal MP William Paterson in attendance, and the Globe gave it front page promotional treatment on its Saturday edition that week.[4] Having been a young precocious minister in the Mackenzie Ministry and assumed leadership when he was younger than most of his caucus peers, Laurier paid much attention to the young partisans. When asked by reporters about rumours of his ill health in 1897, he responded by laughing and said he was "looking forward with pleasure to the meeting of the Young Liberal Federation later that evening".[5]

Guaranteed disproportionate clout, 1948 to 2009

In seven leadership contests over 60 years, Young Liberals collectively wield outsized sway on party affairs due to structural measures that were instituted deliberately by the party. The outsized influence was derived primarily from generous allocations of delegate accreditations to youth at Liberal Party conventions. Starting at the 1948 leadership convention, specific numbers of delegates accreditations were allocated to young liberal clubs at post-secondary campuses, These delegates were separate from and in addition to regular constituency delegates, which young liberals could also be elected as. The proportion of youth delegates would increase further in subsequent leader contests, peaking at the 2003 contest where Paul Martin, a former University of Toronto Young Liberal, succeeded his long time rival Jean Chretien, a former president of the Université Laval Young Liberals, as party leader and prime minister.

When the Liberal Party of Canada held its second leadership convention in 1948 that elected Louis St Laurent as leader, it allocated for the first time a guaranteed number of delegates to the Young Liberals. The conventions composition largely followed the composition of the 1919 convention that elected William Lyon Mackenzie King but with two significant changes, both impacting young liberals. Delegate accreditations were granted to the president and two officers of the Young Liberal Federation and the Women Liberal Federation of each of the nine provinces along with the national president of the federations. The eighteen university liberal clubs that were active at the time were also given three delegates each. The changes added 82 youth delegates to the convention delegate composition, guaranteeing the Young Liberals at minimum 6.3% among the 1302 votes present to choose the next party leader, a percentage that would rise in subsequent contest. In appreciation for the outgoing leader's granting them a place at the convention, a large crowd of Young Liberals with banners waited at the Prime Minister residence on the Thursday of the convention, broke out out in a chorus of “He’s a Jolly Good Fellow" when King stepped out much to the retiring chief delight.[6]

In an attempt to attract Young Liberal supporters for his 1968 leadership bid, Pierre Trudeau campaigned on the promise of reserving specific number of riding delegate spots at national conventions to Young Liberals. Trudeau went on to win the party leadership, and YLC was allocated guaranteed number of delegate spots in each riding association and in addition to accredited campus Liberal clubs.

This has meant the YLC has wielded disproportionate influence in the party's leadership selection as it controls the accreditation process of campus clubs, which were fierce battlegrounds during federal leadership races from the early 1980s to 2006. Trudeau's government also lowered the voting age to 18 in 1970, further endearing him to Young Liberals.

During the 1980s, YLC members found themselves on both sides of raging intra-party debates. During the 1986 leadership review, some supported leader John Turner, such as future MP Joe Peschisolido,[7] while others opposed him, including YLC-Quebec President and future politician Denis Coderre (who publicly called for Turner's resignation.) During the 1990 leadership race, the Paul Martin leadership campaign was particularly notorious for hostile take over of campus clubs, though many Young Liberals supported the eventual winner (and YLC alumni), Jean Chrétien.

The YLC's influence in the leadership selection process was greatly diminished in 2009 when the federal party changed its constitution to elect its future leaders by a "weighted One Member, One Vote" voting method.

Incubator for political leaders, trendsetter for progressive ideas

The Young Liberals of Canada were founded in 1936, though youth had played a role in the Liberal Party (particularly election campaigns) since its founding. During the 1950s and 60s, future Prime Ministers Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin were both active Young Liberals. Chrétien, who joined during law school at Université Laval, was elected president of the uLaval Young Liberals in 1958 (no one else wanted the job, as everyone else was too afraid of drawing the ire of the Union Nationale.) [8] Martin was active during his years at the University of Toronto, where future Liberal leaders Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae were also engaged in Young Liberal activities on campus.

Under the leadership of president (and future MP) Greg Fergus, the YLC began to push for the legalization of same-sex marriage in 1994, the first group in the Liberal Party to do so.[9] The 2003 leadership race, which saw YLC alum Paul Martin become prime minister, again featured heavy Young Liberal involvement, with intense battles for delegates on many campuses (especially by the Martin campaign.) Young Liberals mobilized against Canada's proposed entry into United States Missile Defence System in 2005, helping convince the Martin Government to say no to the Americans.

Following the Liberal Party's historic defeat in 2011, the YLC helped lead the process of party renewal by assisting youth in taking on new leadership roles and promoting new progressive policies. Most prominently, Young Liberal policies advocating for the legalization of marijuana (first passed by the YLC-British Columbia) and medical assistance in dying (passed by the Ontario Young Liberals) were overwhelmingly endorsed by the party's entire membership at the 2012 and 2014 Biennial conventions and were key planks in the 2015 election platform.[10]

The election of the youthful and energetic Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader in 2013 helped attract new Young Liberals. The younger Trudeau has proven as popular with Canadian youth as his father, helping the YLC recruit new members and ensuring youth concerns were included in the Liberals 2015 election platform. This popularity, coupled with the YLC's efforts, helped ensure a record youth turnout[11] in the 2015 election, which made the difference in securing a majority government.[12] Following the Liberals' victory, Trudeau appointed himself as his government's Minister of Youth, a move that met with approval from many Young Liberals.[13] As part of larger reforms to the Liberal Party's internal structures beginning in 2016, the YLC's Constitution was replaced by a new Charter.

YLC has also sometimes been a source of embarrassments and scandals for the party.

  • In 1997, Jim MacLaren, president of the BC wing, misappropriated $30,000 from the federal party's coffers, and was later convicted of fraud.[14]
  • In 1999, several drunken Young Liberal delegates attending a convention in Victoria smashed up a couple of hotel rooms. The Liberal Party was sued by the hotel and settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.[14]
  • In 2000, Jesse Davidson, president of the Ontario wing, faced one count of fraud over $5,000 and 23 counts for allegedly drewing money from the party's bank account by forging the signature of a former treasurer.[15] The charges were dropped in 2011 in exchange of Davidson agreeing to repay some $7,000 that he withdrew from the party's bank account.[16]
  • In 2007, a former president of the BC wing, Erik Bornmann, was implicated by the investigation following the BC Legislature Raids,[17][18][19] and served as a key witness in a trial that pertains to the scandal.[18][20]
  • In 2015, YLC-BC President Linda Ching was discovered to be the daughter of Cheng Muyang, a fugitive wanted by Chinese authorities for graft. Cheng is believed to have helped his daughter secure the position of president. After Cheng's fugitive status became publicly known, Linda Ching quietly called an election, but did not resign.[21]

Policy

Liberal MPs, candidates and supporters participating in the Vancouver Pride Parade 2019

Developing and promoting progressive policies is at the core of the YLC's mission. The YLC brings a slate of policies to every Liberal Biennial Convention, which are solicited, debated and voted on every two years in the lead-up to the convention. In many policy areas, Young Liberals have been more progressive than the party as a whole, taking a pro-same sex marriage position as early as 1994. During the Liberal governments of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin (1993-2006), the YLC successfully pushed initiatives like the long-term commitment to Africa, the Canada Post-Secondary Education Transfer, the promotion and protection of safe-injection sites and the commitment to the Kyoto Accord. The 2005 decision of the Martin Liberal government to not enter into the American missile defence program was in part credited to the opposition of the Young Liberals.

During the Harper years (2006-2015), the YLC redoubled its focus on advocacy and highlighted the government's neglect of youth issues. In response to Conservative TV and radio attack ads, the YLC launched the "Hi.im.a.liberal.ca" initiative, a spoof of the Mac/PC ads, which garnered media attention for its novelty. In May 2010, they began a campaign in opposition to Bill C-391 and in support of the federal long gun registry.[22] Other initiatives during this period included the "Red Revolution" campaign (focusing on "taking Canada back" by improving youth involvement in politics), the "Go Green, Vote Red" initiative (to appeal to environmentally-minded voters and promote the party's "Green Shift" program) and the "End the Crisis" campaign (to increase the admission of Middle Eastern refugees displaced by the Syrian Civil War).

Former members in elected office

The Young Liberal of Canada has served as training ground for budding political leader for over a century. Numerous young liberals went on to become elected official. Three permanent leaders of the party, including two Prime Ministers, had formal involvement as young liberals. The organizations also produced a number provincial leaders, and at least two provincial premiers.

List of elected office holders who were involved as young liberals

(Ordered within category by date first elected to public office)
  Currently in public office

Other politicians

  • Mitchell Brownstein, Mayor of Côte St. Luc, Quebec[49]

Elected MPs as members of other parties

Notable executives

Past Presidents:

Past National Directors:

International

The organization is a member of the International Federation of Liberal Youth, and at one time sent delegates to international gatherings of youth from Liberal parties around the world.

References

  1. ^ "OWEN SOUND: Formation of a Young Men's Reform Association". The Globe. 15 October 1877. p. 1.
  2. ^ "Formation of a Young Men's Reform Association at Ottawa: Young Liberals at the Capital Preparing for Action". The Globe. Feb 9, 1878. p. 5.
  3. ^ "THIS SOLICITUDE FOR YOUNG LIBERALS". The Globe. 16 Oct 1885. p. 4.
  4. ^ a b "The Ontario Young Liberal Federation". The Globe. 9 Feb 1895. p. 1.
  5. ^ "AT THE CAPITAL: The Government May Invite the Liberal Leader THE SCHOOL CONFERENCE Another Change of Front Probable THE LIBERAL FEDERATION Clubs From Quebec Applying for Membership". The Globe. 16 March 1896. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Prime Minister Serenaded". Winnipeg Free Press. 5 August 1948. p. 1.
  7. ^ a b Peter O'Neil (2016-10-13). "Who is Joe Peschisolido? B.C. Liberal MP's ambitions often on display". vancouversun. Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  8. ^ "Jean Chrétien | CBC News".
  9. ^ a b Norman Provencher (2016-01-04). "Greg Fergus, MP: A wonk in a candy shop". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  10. ^ "Liberal Party Convention: Delegates vote yes to legalizing marijuana, no to cutting off monarchy". National Post. 2012-01-15. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  11. ^ Éric Grenier (2016-06-15). "2015 federal election saw youth vote in unprecedented numbers - Politics - CBC News". Cbc.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  12. ^ Althia Raj (2016-04-19). "Liberals Won Majority Thanks To Young Voters, Poll Suggests". Huffingtonpost.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  13. ^ Cristina Bacalso (2015-11-24). "Prime Minister of Youth: Canada's head of state is also the country's new youth minister". Youthpolicy.org. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  14. ^ a b Paterson, Jody (January 9, 2004). "Liberals will have to wear fallout from raids". Times Colonist. Victoria: Postmedia Network. section A, p. 3.
  15. ^ Di Matteo, Enzo (September 21, 2000). "Forgery charges dog Grit". Now toronto. Toronto.
  16. ^ Di Matteo, Enzo (March 15, 2001). "Jesse Davidson walked away". Now toronto. Toronto.
  17. ^ "More warrant information released in B.C. Leg. raid". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2007.
  18. ^ a b "Former B.C. lobbyist Erik Bornmann to seek adjournment at law society hearing". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2007.
  19. ^ "Aide sold BC Rail data: RCMP allege". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved January 5, 2007.
  20. ^ "Two former government aides charged". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 22, 2004. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2007.
  21. ^ "Daughter of mysterious developer on way out as president of Liberal party group". Archived from the original on 2015-05-05. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  22. ^ Crawford, Alison (May 21, 2010). "Liberals fire shots at NDP over long-gun registry". Inside Politics Blog. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  23. ^ Prime Minister's Office (2003-11-13). "Notes for an address by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, at the tribute to Chretien during the 2003 Liberal leadership convention". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  24. ^ Buller, Robin (2011-03-14). "How he got here: Paul Martin". The Varsity, the University of Toronto’s student newspaper.
  25. ^ a b Geddes, John (2006-04-17). "Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae are pals. Really". Maclean's.
  26. ^ Tiffany Cassidy. "Ralph Goodale only MP to serve under both Trudeau prime ministers - Saskatchewan - CBC News". Cbc.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  27. ^ Stewart, J.D.M.; Shaw, Rob (2012-04-01). "Christy Clark". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  28. ^ Moore, Dene (2013-04-16). "B.C. Liberal Leader Christy Clark has long had her eyes on this prize | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  29. ^ "Christy Clark". No Second Chances. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  30. ^ Judi Tyabji (2016-12-04). "Book excerpt: The political rise of Christy Clark". Timescolonist.com. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  31. ^ Macdonald, Nancy (2015-07-11). "Christy Clark: The comeback kid". Maclean's.
  32. ^ Benzie, Robert (2019-04-03). "Former Vaughan MPP Steven Del Duca to seek Ontario Liberal leadership". Toronto Star; Vaughan Citizen. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  33. ^ Donovan Vincent (2016-12-18). "Hazel who? It's Bonnie Crombie's Mississauga | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  34. ^ Fitterman, Lisa (22 February 2017). "Marcel Prud'homme: Underdog defender fought to right wrongs". The Globe and Mail.
  35. ^ "Gusto, guts, glory-seeking: The Denis Coderre treatment". Macleans.ca. 2014-09-14. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  36. ^ Geddes, John (2008-12-04). "Born to run". Macleans.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  37. ^ Geddes, John. "Mark Holland (Profile)". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 16 December 2013, Historica Canada. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mark-holland-profile
  38. ^ "Yasir Naqvi - Member of Parliament - Members of Parliament". The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
  39. ^ Denise Hansen (2017-11-22). "Ontario Minister Michael Coteau wants to level the playing field for Canadians of all races | Canadian Immigrant". Canadianimmigrant.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  40. ^ Fatima, Sahar (2014-07-11). "How Han Dong painted Trinity-Spadina Liberal red". The Globe and Mail.
  41. ^ "Bardish Chagger adds government House leader to small business, tourism duties - Politics - CBC News". Cbc.ca. 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  42. ^ Chignall, Selina (2015-08-27). "Liberal candidate Ali Ehsassi: a life lived around the world - iPolitics". Ipolitics.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  43. ^ Richardson, Don (10 Feb 1999). "MCKENNA AIDE RECRUITED Election team set". Daily Gleaner. Fredericton, N.B.
  44. ^ "Jean Lapierre loved 'big debates and big discussions' | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. 2016-03-29. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  45. ^ Kozolanka, Keegan (2025-04-07). "MEET THE CANDIDATES: Bryan May, Liberal Cambridge". CambridgeToday.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  46. ^ "Catholic school board recognized as leader in creating 'digital ecosystems'". Archived from the original on 2015-10-01.
  47. ^ Cam Fortems (2015-08-07). "T&T: Two years with Todd Stone and Terry Lake in positions of cabinet power". Kamloops This Week. Archived from the original on 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  48. ^ Stahn, Jennifer (2013-12-13). "Todd Stone: Liberal red in his blood". INFOnews. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  49. ^ "An interview with Côte St. Luc's new Jewish mayor". Cjnews.com. 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  50. ^ Ryan, Carolyn. "Stephen Harper and the road to power". Canada Votes 2006. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2011. Trudeau was one of the young Stephen Harper's earliest political inspirations, in fact. Admiration for the then-prime minister led him to join the Liberal student club a friend founded in the mid-1970s at Richview Collegiate in Etobicoke, Ont.
  • Official Web site of the Young Liberals of Canada
  • Official Web site of the Ontario Young Liberals
  • Official Web site of the Nova Scotia Young Liberals
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Young_Liberals_of_Canada&oldid=1326361073"