On May long weekend, 21 young communists from across the country met in Toronto for the 30th Central Convention of the Young Communist League of Canada – Ligue de la jeunesse communiste du Canada. Delegates from clubs from coast to coast met to deliberate the next three years of the league. With the backdrop of growing imperialist aggression abroad, the deepening of the war economy under the Carney government, a crisis in youth unemployment, and continued attacks on post-secondary education, delegates were unified in their shared commitment to directing the league to attack the ever-growing crises of capitalism.
Over the course of the weekend, delegates participated in plenary sessions on imperialism, the national question, mass work and ideological struggles, the press, and young workers. All themes are relevant to the league’s ongoing work, with comrades from all represented regions engaged in these struggles. The content and quality of the sessions reflected the work of the delegates in their respective clubs: on all these questions there were capable comrades able to offer valuable insights and organizational reflections on how best the League should operate in these spheres. The Convention serves as a reminder of the unity of our struggle and how although the fight for a socialist future may take differing characters across the country, members of the league are united in debate and constructive collaboration on how best to bring young people into mass movements and organize against the forces of capitalism.
Continuity Within the League
The weekend opened with a keynote address by YCL-LJC General Secretary Ivan Byard who warned comrades of the increasingly precarious situations under which we organized. Byard stressed that the war economy, economic recession, and the aggravation of the imperial machine are already here. The task set out for the YCL-LJC is clear, and it is through the culmination of the work of the Convention and the League as a whole that we are to confront the growing crises before us. Byard was joined later in the day by General Secretary of the Communist of Party Drew Garvie, a former YCLer, who noted the strength and political maturity of the League. He congratulated the Convention on their growth since the League’s refounding in 2007, not forgetting to remind delegates that with this growth and political maturation, the work is still only beginning.
General Secretary Byard’s and General Secretary Garvie’s addresses served as a backdrop for understanding the tasks set before the Convention. The YCL-LJC must step up to face the beast of capitalist aggression which upholds violence and war domestically and abroad, putting the boot on the necks of youth and marginalized peoples. This is no easy feat; as the Canadian state has marched in lockstep with the Yankee imperial machine, parcelling out Indigenous lands and public services to fund the war economy including assaults on Latin America and West Asia. If this Convention proves one thing, it’s that the YCL-LJC is capable of taking on this fight. Most delegates present at the Convention have been members for at least five years; a stark contrast with previous Conventions. This demonstrates the dedication and tenacity of YCLers. Amongst these delegates were key players in Cuba Solidarity, affiliates of the Canadian Peace Congress, labour unions, the student movement, and comrades who take on important logistical and organizational work in their regions to keep the YCL-LJC active in these struggles. The 29th Convention three years prior set out the task of cadre development within the league. This Convention is a reflection of the past three years’ work of the outgoing Central Committee as returning cadres contributed with analytical precision and first-time delegates quickly found their footings within the Central Convention process.
This strength of the centre is most reflective in the plan of work adopted at the Convention. Over the course of the plenary discussions, delegates continued to bring questions of strategy back to the proposed plan of work. Questions regarding recruitment in key industries, bringing mass movements into anti-monopoly and anti-imperialist struggles, expanding the league’s commitment to on campus organizing, strengthening the press, and more robust education dominated the Convention floor. The plan of work adopted by the delegates is ambitious, but focused. With an emphasis on recruiting within the mass movements and empowering the clubs to be the central nodes of political activity within the league, the plan of work sets out precise tasks for the league which will only deepen its commitments to building a socialist future. As the centre has grown, it is now the task of the League to turn to the clubs and their work on the ground.
One important tool for the league is the magazine Rebel Youth–Jeunesse militante. Much discussion at the convention centred on the role of the press. Delegates deliberated on the mechanisms of the press, its content and form, and how the press can best be utilized to achieve the goals of the League and foster communication and education between clubs from the centre. As the Convention convened, delegates left with a renowned task of empowering their clubs and placing the press as an essential area of work. As more and more youth are robbed of leisure, the League’s press serves a unique role of education, agitation, and cultural work.
International Solidarity
The weekend was marked by numerous greetings from sister organizations within the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY). As a member of the General Council of WFDY, the YCL-LJC plays an important role within the international youth movement to advocate for democracy and stand alongside the youth of the world as they combat imperialist aggression. The greetings received over the weekend reflect the connections the League has made with comrades across the world, and delegates were reminded of their obligations to our sisters abroad in the united struggle.
Given increasing tensions from Yankee aggression into Latin America since the start of 2026, the YCL-LJC has recommitted itself to Cuba Solidarity. Delegates adopted a special resolution supporting Cuba and the Cuban people. The YCL-LJC will thus continue its work as a member of the Canadian Network on Cuba and local affiliates to assist in solidarity campaigns defending the revolution from ever-strangling economic sanctions and the threat of Yankee military intervention.
Two delegates of the Convention returned fresh off the heels of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba the week prior. Comrades shared their reflections on youth in the labour movement, which guided the Convention’s strategy on organizing amongst young workers. Notably, the CLC had passed a resolution in support of the Boycott Divestment Sanctions campaign and the CNC saw massive support from labour unions during the process of the congress. This energy reminded the Convention of the convergence of the labour movement and the peace movement. As the YCL-LJC adopted resolutions committing to international solidarity, the question of bringing labour, especially young workers, into the mass struggles was a recurring topic. The YCL-LJC’s commitments to sister organizations across the world starts with rallying support amongst the youth in Canada to unite with the youth across the world.
The Passing of the Red Flag
Alongside the Convention, the YCL-LJC held a sold out banquet for friends of the YCL-LJC prepared by the Toronto YCL clubs. The event featured local music enjoyed by friends of the League, greetings from a member of the Sudanese Communist Party, and a moving thank you speech from outgoing YCLer Kayla, imparting wisdom and reflections from over a decade within the league. The banquet was an opportunity to thank those who “graduated” and remind YCLers that their work exists on the shoulders of the youth who helped build the league.
For those who have graduated, the YCL-LJC is not the end of the fight. As the banquet congratulated those who have put in the work to build up the League, they were joined by former YCL-LJC alumni. Former Communist Party of Canada General Secretary Elizabeth Rowley and current General Secretary Garvie were in attendance. Both were former YCLers and continued their work well after leaving. The Convention process exceeds the three years between meetings. What was built over the course of this one weekend in May will guide the work of comrades for years and decades to come. As the League celebrated those who spent years in the struggle building up the League, it welcomed in new cadres who took on that torch.
The Convention adopted a new Central Committee of 16. As the incoming Central Committee starts implementing the new plan of work, the YCL-LJC remains committed to our work within the mass movements, labour and student unions, and international solidarity. The 30th Convention was a pivotal moment for the League as an incoming Central Committee is faced with a deepening crisis, but the 30th Convention stands on the lessons passed on from comrades of Conventions past. From 1922 to 1991, then 2007 to now, members of the YCL-LJC have learned to struggle, and proven that the youth are the future, and the future is socialism.