Commonwealth, The

The Commonwealth is the official paper of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and its predecessor the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). The paper was founded in 1936 under the name The New Era, but the name was changed to The Commonwealth in 1938 to avoid confusion with a Ukrainian paper of the same name. At various points in its history it also served as the official paper of both the Alberta and Manitoba CCF and NDP, although its primary focus has always been on Saskatchewan. Originally established as a monthly, it increased its circulation in 1944, becoming a weekly paper and remaining so until 1970. After 1970 the paper became a bi-weekly and was later reduced to a monthly; in 1999 it was reduced again to a quarterly as a party cost- cutting measure.

Brett Quiring