 The era of the " Dirty <unk> " with its mass unemployment , poverty and despair gave rise to new Canadian political movements . In Alberta , for example , the radio <unk> William " Bible Bill " <unk> led his populist Social Credit party to victory in 1935 . Three years earlier in Calgary , Alberta , social reformers had founded a new political party , the Co @-@ operative Commonwealth Federation or <unk> . It advocated democratic socialism and a mixed economy with public ownership of key industries . Frank Underhill , one of Innis 's colleagues at the University of Toronto was a founding member of the <unk> . Innis and Underhill had both been members of an earlier group at the university that declared itself " dissatisfied with the policies of the two major [ political ] parties in Canada " and that aimed at " forming a definite body of progressive opinion " . In 1931 , Innis presented a paper to the group on " Economic Conditions in Canada " , but he later <unk> from participating in party politics , denouncing <unk> like Underhill as " hot <unk> " . 
