After federal legislation was passed in Canada that severely limited corporate and union financial donations to political parties, Jack Layton, leader of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP) contacted the IATSE Canadian Office to ask for assistance.

To address the difficulty in securing election loans, the NDP has established the Labour Legacy Project and is in the process of buying a building in Ottawa. The NDP will use the building as collateral when it is required to secure loans to finance its election campaigns.

International President Thomas C. Short stated, “The NDP has always been a strong supporter of unions and working families in Canada, and the International, along with the Canadian Districts and Locals have responded to their call by raising almost $50,000 (CDN) to assist the NDP with The Labour Legacy Project.”