Canadian KKK

I am still writing about the Klu Klux Klan in Canada. When I left off on Wednesday, the Klan had just held a rally in North Vancouver.

The newspapers gave full coverage of the Klan's activities under the American leaders for the first few weeks. Other events lent themselves to giving the KKK more exposure. In Victoria a 'black-hooded gentry' formed to battle the white knights of the Klan; Mr. Tom Uphill - a Labor member of Legislature - received a note from the 'order' during proceedings at the House saying 'you are known' and on November 26, 1925, the Klan announced its intention of holding a grand demonstration in Victoria.

For at least the next twelve years, the Klan continued to be active in British Columbia. In 1927, Vancouver claimed a membership of eight thousand, Victoria three thousand, New Westminster five hundred and White Rock two hundred. There were also at least another thousand members scattered around the province.

The Klan could have easily affixed itself with the anti-Asian feelings in British Columbia at the time. A good example is seen in February of 1927. The Vancouver Klan passed a resolution supporting the "complete prohibition of Asiatic immigration into Canada, repatriation of all Asiatics at present domiciled in this country, and expropriation of their property... with fair recompense. (At least they were willing to pay for the property they took, unlike the federal government during WWII when the Japanese citizens here and in the States were stripped of their property and businesses and not compensated.)

This resolution was sent to the New Westminster District Trades and Labour Council, the Victoria Chamber of Commerce and the local provincial and federal governments. The British Columbia Klan continued petitioning government members for such reforms of Canadian life until 1932.

The Maritime Provinces were next in line for conversion. A Klansman, C.L. Fowler, wrote, “As I see the situation we shall have no trouble at all along the border land. The entire territory from Nova Scotia which is richly and predominantly Protestant and all along Via Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto should be fine territory and should make it possible for us to gather in large numbers at once.” 

A few weeks later, Fowler wrote that a friend of his in New Brunswick was already engaged in the work and reported that they would have no problem establishing the Klan as 'the men up there are wild for the organization'.

The KKK did get into other parts of the Maritime Provinces but it doesn't seem they had a lot of success. There is little evidence of their activities. In Prince Edward Island, though stories have circulated among the residents of Klan events but there seems to be little documentation.

It appears that in September of 1923, the Klan began recruiting in Ontario. The campaign for membership was to continue under the leadership of  a former itinerant hypnotist, lecturer, promoter and photographer from Portland, Maine - King Kleagle R. Eugene Farnsworth. In March of 1925, a meeting to set up and establish the Klu Klux Klan in Canada was held at the Iroquois Hotel. The official name of the organization was the Invisible Empire, Knights of the Klu Klux Klan of Canada. The officials were  R. L. Cowan, Imperial Wizard (President), J. H. Hawkins, Imperial Klaliff (vice-president), and C. L. Fowler, Imperial Kligrapp (Secretary).

The information above comes from the essay I mentioned on Wednesday. I will write more on this topic on Monday.

Karen Magill, Vancouver, essay, history, Klu Klux Klan, Iroquois Hotel British Columbia, Canada, Ontario,Maritime Provinces,PEI