  james shaver woodsworth (july 29, 1874 &ndash; march 21, 1942) was a pioneer in the canadian social democratic movement. following more than two decades ministering to the poor and the working class, j. s. woodsworth left the church to lay the foundation for, and become the first leader of, the co-operative commonwealth federation (ccf), a democratic socialist party that later became the secular social-democratic new democratic party (ndp). ==childhood== the oldest of six children, james shaver woodsworth was born in etobicoke applewood farm, near toronto, ontario, to esther josephine shaver and james woodsworth. his father was a methodist minister, and his strong faith was a powerful factor in shaping his later life. his grandfather, harold richard woodsworth, had opposed william lyon mackenzie in the 1837 rebellions. ==early ministry== the woodsworth family moved to brandon, manitoba in 1882, where hi
1874_births 1942_deaths Canadian_Christian_pacifists Canadian_Christian_socialists Canadian_Methodist_ministers Canadian_Methodists Canadian_activists Canadian_political_party_founders Canadian_political_theorists Canadian_political_writers Co-operative_Commonwealth_Federation_MPs Co-operative_Commonwealth_Federation_candidates_in_the_1935_Canadian_federal_election Co-operative_Commonwealth_Federation_founding_MPs Ginger_Group_MPs Labour_MPs_in_Canada Labour_candidates_in_the_1926_Canadian_federal_election Members_of_the_House_of_Commons_of_Canada_from_Manitoba NDP_and_CCF_leaders People_from_Etobicoke People_of_United_Empire_Loyalist_descent Persons_of_National_Historic_Significance_(Canada) University_of_Toronto_alumni