Ron Gostick
Encyclopedia
Ronald A. Gostick was a long-time figure on the Canadian far right
and founder of the anti-Semitic Canadian League of Rights
/ Gostick was involved in the Canadian social credit movement
and later published far right and anti-Semitic material over the course of 50 years, including the Canadian Intelligence Service and On Target! and numerous books and pamphlets.
Gostick influenced a number of figures on the Canadian far right. Jim Keegstra got most of his reading material through his membership in Gostick's League. He also collaborated with John Ross Taylor
and was a mentor to Paul Fromm and an associate of Patrick Walsh, a fellow traveller who worked as research director at the CLR. He was also associated with former Member of Parliament
John A. Gamble
, who worked with Gostick as Canadian leader of the World Anti-Communist League in the 1980s.
David Lethbridge
, an anti-fascist activist and Communist Party
member, described the CLR and Gostick as a "danger" because they soft-pedaled an essentially "fascist" message. "What made them dangerous was that they came across as mainstream," said Lethbridge to the Globe and Mail.
to Canadian parents and moved with them to Canada shortly after the First World War
. They established a homestead near Stettler, Alberta
and lived there for nine years before moving to Calgary
. From 1933 to 1935, he attended Crescent Heights High School
and was influenced by the school's principal, William Aberhart
, a proponent of the social credit
movement in Alberta
. Gostick and his family became members of the Alberta Social Credit League. His mother, Edith Gostick
, was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
in the 1935 provincial election
that brought Social Credit to power for the first time, making Aberhardt Premier of Alberta
. She would remain the Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Calgary until 1940.
Ron Gostick entered the Canadian Army in 1941 and fought in the Second World War
. After demobilization, he worked as a court reporter in Ontario
and served as national secretary of the Social Credit Party of Canada
, the less successful federal counterpart of Aberhardt's Alberta Social Credit party. He settled in Flesherton, Ontario
where he spent most of the rest of his life. In the 1945 federal election
, he ran as the Social Credit candidate in the Ontario riding of Grey North
, coming in last place with 250 votes.
In 1946, Gostick founded the "Union of Electors", a social credit based provincial party that was inspired by the more radical Quebec wing of the Canadian social credit movement
, the Union des electeurs.
He also began his publishing activities at the same time, beginning to issue the periodical Social Credit in 1947. The publication was disowned by the Social Credit Association of Canada in 1950 because of its anti-Semitism. Gostick renamed the periodical The Canadian Intelligence Service in 1951. It was estimated at the time to have a circulation of less than 1,000.
In the early 1950s, Gostick was a public speaker at meetings sponsored by Gerald Smith
and Wesley Swift (who later founded the Christian Identity
movement). Gostick founded the Canadian Anti-Communist League with a mandate of exposing the "Communist-Zionist-monopolist-finance enemy of Christian civilization." The CACL became the Canadian affiliate of the World Anti-Communist League once the larger body was formed in the 1960s. The CACL became the Christian Action Movement and later in 1967 became the "Canadian League of Rights" (CLR). B'nai Brith described the organization as being "long-known to support racist and anti-Semitic positions."
Gostick died of cancer
at the age of 87.
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
and founder of the anti-Semitic Canadian League of Rights
Canadian League of Rights
The Canadian League of Rights was the Canadian offshoot of Eric Butler's League of Rights. Following speaking tours of Canada in the mid 60s Eric Butler sought the establishment there of a local version of his organisation. The CLR was formed in 1968....
/ Gostick was involved in the Canadian social credit movement
Canadian social credit movement
The Canadian social credit movement was a Canadian political movement originally based on the Social Credit theory of Major C. H. Douglas. Its supporters were colloquially known as Socreds...
and later published far right and anti-Semitic material over the course of 50 years, including the Canadian Intelligence Service and On Target! and numerous books and pamphlets.
Gostick influenced a number of figures on the Canadian far right. Jim Keegstra got most of his reading material through his membership in Gostick's League. He also collaborated with John Ross Taylor
John Ross Taylor
John Ross Taylor was a Canadian fascist political activist and party leader prominent in white nationalist circles....
and was a mentor to Paul Fromm and an associate of Patrick Walsh, a fellow traveller who worked as research director at the CLR. He was also associated with former Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
John A. Gamble
John A. Gamble
John Albert Gamble was a far-right Canadian politician. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative in the 1979 federal election and re-elected in the 1980 election representing the riding of York North.He was a candidate at the 1983 Progressive Conservative...
, who worked with Gostick as Canadian leader of the World Anti-Communist League in the 1980s.
David Lethbridge
David Lethbridge
David Lethbridge is a professor, anti-racist activist and research director of the Bethune Institute for Anti-Fascist Studies and director of the Salmon Arm Coalition Against Racism....
, an anti-fascist activist and Communist Party
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada is a communist political party in Canada. Although is it currently a minor or small political party without representation in the Federal Parliament or in provincial legislatures, historically the Party has elected representatives in Federal Parliament, Ontario...
member, described the CLR and Gostick as a "danger" because they soft-pedaled an essentially "fascist" message. "What made them dangerous was that they came across as mainstream," said Lethbridge to the Globe and Mail.
Biography
Ron Gostick was born in WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to Canadian parents and moved with them to Canada shortly after the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. They established a homestead near Stettler, Alberta
Stettler, Alberta
Stettler is a town in Alberta, Canada. It is located east of Red Deer at the junction of Highway 12 and Highway 56. The town is located in the eastern region of central Alberta and nicknamed "The Heart of Alberta."- History :...
and lived there for nine years before moving to Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. From 1933 to 1935, he attended Crescent Heights High School
Crescent Heights High School (Calgary)
Crescent Heights High School is currently a high school with approximately 1700 students in grades 9-12 in Calgary, Alberta. The school is part of the Calgary Board of Education's public school system.-History:...
and was influenced by the school's principal, William Aberhart
William Aberhart
William Aberhart , also known as Bible Bill for his outspoken Baptist views, was a Canadian politician and the seventh Premier of Alberta between 1935 and 1943. The Social Credit party believed the reason for the depression was that people did not have enough money to spend, so the government...
, a proponent of the social credit
Canadian social credit movement
The Canadian social credit movement was a Canadian political movement originally based on the Social Credit theory of Major C. H. Douglas. Its supporters were colloquially known as Socreds...
movement in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Gostick and his family became members of the Alberta Social Credit League. His mother, Edith Gostick
Edith Gostick
Edith Hannah Gostick was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. She served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as a represented from the electoral district of Calgary from 1935 to 1940....
, was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
in the 1935 provincial election
Alberta general election, 1935
The Alberta general election of 1935 was the eighth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 22, 1935 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
that brought Social Credit to power for the first time, making Aberhardt Premier of Alberta
Premier of Alberta
The Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Alberta is Alison Redford. She became Premier by winning the Progressive Conservative leadership elections on...
. She would remain the Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
for Calgary until 1940.
Ron Gostick entered the Canadian Army in 1941 and fought in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After demobilization, he worked as a court reporter in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and served as national secretary of the Social Credit Party of Canada
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
, the less successful federal counterpart of Aberhardt's Alberta Social Credit party. He settled in Flesherton, Ontario
Flesherton, Ontario
Flesherton is a community in the Municipality of Grey Highlands, in Grey County, Ontario, Canada, located at the junction of Highway 10 and Grey County Road 4...
where he spent most of the rest of his life. In the 1945 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1945
The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...
, he ran as the Social Credit candidate in the Ontario riding of Grey North
Grey North
Grey North was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867, which divided the County of Grey into two ridings: Grey South and Grey North...
, coming in last place with 250 votes.
In 1946, Gostick founded the "Union of Electors", a social credit based provincial party that was inspired by the more radical Quebec wing of the Canadian social credit movement
Canadian social credit movement
The Canadian social credit movement was a Canadian political movement originally based on the Social Credit theory of Major C. H. Douglas. Its supporters were colloquially known as Socreds...
, the Union des electeurs.
He also began his publishing activities at the same time, beginning to issue the periodical Social Credit in 1947. The publication was disowned by the Social Credit Association of Canada in 1950 because of its anti-Semitism. Gostick renamed the periodical The Canadian Intelligence Service in 1951. It was estimated at the time to have a circulation of less than 1,000.
In the early 1950s, Gostick was a public speaker at meetings sponsored by Gerald Smith
Gerald Smith
Gerald Smith may refer to:*Gerald L. K. Smith , American activist and politician*Gerald W. Smith , American writer*Gerald Smith , Canadian politician-See also:*Gerald Smyth, British Army officer...
and Wesley Swift (who later founded the Christian Identity
Christian Identity
Christian Identity is a label applied to a wide variety of loosely affiliated believers and churches with a racialized theology. Many promote a Eurocentric interpretation of Christianity.According to Chester L...
movement). Gostick founded the Canadian Anti-Communist League with a mandate of exposing the "Communist-Zionist-monopolist-finance enemy of Christian civilization." The CACL became the Canadian affiliate of the World Anti-Communist League once the larger body was formed in the 1960s. The CACL became the Christian Action Movement and later in 1967 became the "Canadian League of Rights" (CLR). B'nai Brith described the organization as being "long-known to support racist and anti-Semitic positions."
Gostick died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the age of 87.
External links
- On Target Vol.41 No.33 contains an obituary of Ron Gostick.
- Jew-haters and red-baiters: The Canadian League of Rights from AntiFa Info-Bulletin, 2 February 1999