1st Legion of Utopia

Set in Calgary amid the Great Depression, 1st Legion of Utopia traces the origins of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), which would lead to today’s New Democratic Party (NDP). The story combines fictional main characters with historical events, which allows the graphic novel to explore minority perspectives on labour issues. This is an informative introduction to the labour movement in Alberta, and the format will engage even struggling readers. This graphic novel could be used in social studies lessons on Alberta’s history or activism, but could also be used in English language arts classes to show how comics can be an informative format.

Supplementary Resources: Study guide, character guide, discussion questions, activities list, comic book terminology. Download the resources here.