Independent Citizen's Association was a short-lived political party and lobby group in
AlbertaAlberta 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...
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The political party had its only representation in the
Legislative Assembly of AlbertaThe 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...
, when John P. Page, an Independent
Member of the Legislative AssemblyA 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....
, joined the party shortly before the
1948 electionThe Alberta general election of 1948 was the eleventh general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 17, 1948 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
, and became president of the Party.
The Association was created as a lobby group to promote independent candidates before the
1940 general electionThe Alberta general election of 1940 was the ninth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada, was held on March 21, 1940 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
.
The Independent Citizen's Association was well-funded by the "Unity movement" coalition between the
LiberalThe Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
and
ConservativeThe Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
parties. The Association placed campaign ads in the daily newspapers of Alberta attacking the Social Credit government and supporting "Independent Candidates". The campaign ads typically read: "Be Independent of the new "Social Order". Vote Independent! Paid for by the Independent Citizen's Association of Alberta."
Coming out of the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the Association was effective at getting its message across to voters who were tired of old-line parties. 19 Independents were elected in the 1940 election.
The Independent movement declined in the
1944 electionThe Alberta general election of 1944 was the tenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. The Assembly was dissolved on July 8, 1944 and the vote for was held on August 8, 1944 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
because of a booming
war-timeWorld 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...
economy, and because Albertans opposed to the socialist
Co-operative Commonwealth FederationThe Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
rallied to the Social Credit Party, according to editorials and letters-to-the-editor of the day.
The Independent Citizen's Association folded after the 1948 election, when it became clear that the Independent Unity movement was all but history, and John P. Page was defeated.