The Patrons of Industry was a Canadian farmers' organization formed in 1890 that cooperated with the urban labour movement to address the political frustrations of both groups with big business.
It nominated candidates in the 1894 Ontario provincial election. Sixteen members of the Legislative Assembly were elected with Patrons of Industry support -- 12 Liberals, one Conservative, and three who ran only under the "Patrons of Industry" banner.
The Patrons of Industry also nominated 31 candidates in the 1896 federal election, but only one was elected one to the Canadian House of Commons.
The party was soon divided on the question of cooperation with the Ontario Liberal Party. The party achieved few gains for farmers, and only one Patrons of Industry member was re-elected in the 1898 Ontario provincial election. The group was virtually extinct by 1900.
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