The initiative for a nationwide party advocating the planning and socialization of industry and the establishment of a cooperative commonwealth came from western Canada. In 1932 the Western Labor Conference was held in Calgary, bringing together representatives from farmer, socialist, and labour political organizations from the four western provinces. The conference established a new political party, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, a federation of separate organizations. The first Alberta CCF president was William Irvine. M.J. Coldwell replaced the CCF's first national leader, J.S. Woodsworth, in 1941. The internal structure also changed to a federation of provincially organized sections of individual members. In 1942 the Alberta Labor Party amalgamated with the Alberta CCF clubs to form the Alberta section of the CCF. In 1961 the CCF became part of the newly-formed New Democratic Party. For further information see "The Alberta Farmer-Labour Party : A Structurational Approach to the History of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in Alberta, 1932-1962" / David Kales. -- University of Alberta : unpublished MA thesis, 1992.