In 1958, after the fall of the CCF, grassroots renewal gave birth to the New Democratic Party. In 1993, following another electoral collapse, the NDP launched the 1995 Renewal Initiative that brought members together in hundreds of meetings across Canada, leading to major reforms and policy directions that carried the Party forward.
Today, we stand at a similar crossroads. The 2025 election was the worst in our history, and the need for rebuilding is greater than ever. At a time where staff resources are limited, our party needs help. That is why the 2026 NDP Renewal Initiative was founded by activists and is powered entirely by volunteers.
The NDP Renewal Initiative is not just about restoring a party, it’s about reigniting the progressive movement in Canada. We want to rebuild the political home for those who believe in equality, equity, democracy, sustainability, solidarity, and cooperation.
Through surveys, discussions, and town halls with past voters, members, unions, civil society, and riding associations, we are working toward a package of proposals to be debated at the 2026 Convention in Winnipeg. These will set out clear values, policies, and structural reforms to chart a bold new course for the NDP’s future.
The foundation of Renewal starts with the membership. We intend to ask the tough questions and hold the transparent debates needed to rebuild our Party. Our results will be shared with members, affiliates, and allies, because the NDP belongs to all of us.
Join us in shaping a stronger, more just NDP — one where no one is left behind, and everyone has a voice. Together, we can renew and rebuild.
1. Take our survey - Please take a few minutes to complete our Post-2025 Election Federal NDP Support & Direction Survey.
2. Share your story - Everyone has a story. We would like to know yours. What brought you to the NDP?
3.Endorse the NDP Renewal Initiative
4.Volunteer for NDP Renewal – Help us renew the Party by joining NDP Renewal.
5.Join the NDP - If you are not a member, there is no better time to join than now.
6. Connect Locally- Sign up and let us connect you with the NDP Electoral Association in your community.
7. Volunteer with your local EDA - If you have a couple of hours a week, or even a month, volunteer locally and make some new friends that share your values.
8. Debate what should be in our next platform on Discourse.
9. Host a discussion group - What should Renewal resolutions bring to debate at our convention next March? What should our next Platform commit to?
10. Tell us what you want to see in the NDP! Email us at [email protected] or text us at (778) 562-7756.
Many important reviews and documents have been published over the years, but they are often hard to find. One of our strategic goals for NDP Renewal is to create a Knowledge Base for and by NDP members.
We have collected many of them and uploaded them here: Historical Documents.
This is your Knowledge Base. Help us build it by sending documents you would like to share with the NDP Community at info@ndprenewal.ca
"Those who do not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it."
The last major renewal of the NDP was done after we lost Official Party Status after the 1993 federal Election. The Renewal Committee spent a year engaging with NDP members from across Canada to hear from the grassroots what needed to change.
From riding associations, clubs, affiliates, and allied organizations from across the country, the committee gathered over 1,200 submissions which informed the 1995 Renewal Report.
Based on the Renewal Report, the 1995 Federal Convention approved significant Constitutional changes updating our Party's Principles, Mission, Structure and Relations.
The convention also approved major policy initiatives on Globalization, the Economy and Social Policy.
Why this matters today:
On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Winnipeg Declaration, we believe the 1995 Renewal Document is the starting point for forming a new foundation in 2026 to renew our Party, and can serve as an example of what is possible if we commit the necessary time and resources to renewing our Party.
At our March 2026 Convention, as we did in 1995, we can do more than just choose a new Leader, we can choose to renew our Party.
The purpose of our initial survey is to better understand who our current and past supporters are, why some past supporters may have chosen to leave, and what factors influence the level of support and involvement among current supporters.
What values and priorities draw people to the NDP — or push them away
Whether our current direction aligns with the expectations of supporters
How we can build a more inclusive, effective, and representative party moving forward
COMING SOON!
This will be open place for public discourse on how to renew Canada's NDP.
Our plan is to engage NDP members from coast, to coast, to coast in a comprehensive discussion on our Party's structure, policies and our next platform.
Discourse is sort of like a cross between Reddit and Discord, but with a bunch more engagement and moderation tools.
Comments will be moderated to reduce trolling, hate and disinformation.
Discourse is also designed to create community and a knowledge base of ideas. For more information, go to discourse.org.
IN THE MEAN TIME ...
Have an idea? Want to provoke a discussion?
Please recommend discussion topics to [email protected].
NDP Renewal is not endorsing or opposing any leadership candidate in the upcoming leadership selection. Our entire focus is bottom-up, grassroots Renewal of our Party.
An overview of rules governing the 2026 Leadership Contest and Important dates can be found, here.
You can find the complete rules governing the 2026 leadership contest at:
www.ndp.ca/sites/default/files/2026-leadershipgoverningrules.pdf
What values and qualities are you looking for in our new leader?
What life experience and political experience do you think is required to by our leader?
Is electability the most important factor is choosing a leader?
Is our modern leader centred approached the best way to win the most seats in an election?
Is fluent bilingualism important?
Let us know by taking our leadership survey by clicking here.
We need your help to Renew and Rebuild our Party. The 2026 Convention resolution submission deadline is January 27, 2026.
As New Democrats we currently only get the chance to come together at our National Convention every two years to formally renew our party through amending our Constitution, updating our Policy Book and giving formal Directives to the Party. Electing a new Leader is an important step to Renewing and Rebuilding our Party, but convention resolutions and renewing our Party’s democracy are also fundamental to our future success.
In the appendices to this document, you will find the NDP Renewal Initiative draft resolutions for the March 2026 National Convention in Winnipeg. These resolutions are written with the goal of starting the profound renewal of our party from the bottom up. In many cases, the resolutions build on recommendations that come from the Party’s Review and Renewal Report that was drafted by Emilie Taman and submitted to the membership last month. In other cases, the resolutions reflect grass roots concerns that we have heard from the thousands of NDP members that filled out our online surveys, attended our engagement forums and interacted with our Polis online engagement tool.
NDP Renewal is an initiative by NDP members, for NDP members and supporters … but we are not a formal constitutional body of the NDP so cannot therefore submit resolutions to convention directly. This is why we need your help.
Please review the draft resolutions in the appendix. If you like what you see please share them with your local NDP Electoral District Association (EDA), Affiliate or Standing Committee for approval and formally submit them to the Party at:
https://form.asana.com/?k=DhoR_cFUv_gpHbxv6GhAyw&d=13430908259684
If you prefer to change what you see, we encourage you to amend our draft resolutions.
If you are not sure how to submit a resolution to convention here is the official guide:
https://convention.ndp.ca/sites/default/files/2026convention_guidetoresolutions-en-final.pdf
The important thing is that with many of us focussed on the Leadership Race and member sign up, we can’t afford to miss this critical January 27th deadline to submit convention resolutions because we may not get another opportunity for another two years.
