Canadian Party

For the mid-19th century French Canadian party see Parti canadien

For the World War II era party see Parti canadien (1942)

The Canadian Party was a group founded by John Christian Schultz in 1869, in the Red River Colony (which later became the Canadian province of Manitoba). It was not a political party in the modern sense but was rather a forum for local ultra-Protestant agitators.

The Canadian Party promoted the annexation of the Red River Colony by the Canadian government. It also encouraged settlement by anglophone protestants from the province of Ontario.

Schultz's goal was to reconstruct the Red River Colony in the image of Protestant Ontario. To this end, his followers were engaged in extensive land speculation in the region. They were regarded with suspicion by most of the established settlers, and particularly by the local Métis population led by Louis Riel.

Members of the Canadian Party engaged in military skirmishes with Riel's provisional government during the Red River Rebellion of 1869-70. After fleeing to Ontario, Schultz, assisted by supporters of the Canada First movement, was instrumental in exploiting the execution of Thomas Scott to inflame Protestant opinion in Ontario against Riel.