Douglas himself was a Baptist preacher and a passionate and successful Canadian socialist politician.
Grandfather of Kiefer Sutherland.

That sounds like a case of applied Humpty-Dumptyism:

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’

’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.”

In casual use, words like fascism get tossed around to mean "bad" or "evil" or anything we don't like. And that's fine, but in historical context, fascism was the near opposite of communism. This is not to say communism was any better - just very different from fascism. Communism is extreme, toxic left wing ideology, and Fascism is extreme, toxic right wing ideology. Such extremes are equally destructive and not the least bit excusable just because they happen to be on one's favorite side of the political dichotomy.

I have not been able to find a dictionary that doesn't include in its definition of fascism the presence of nationalism and racism (what conservatives typically fight for and liberals typically fight against). But the following is the most complete definition I have found:

Fascism: a. A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.

Word History - It is fitting that the name of an authoritarian political movement like Fascism, founded in 1919 by Benito Mussolini, should come from the name of a symbol of authority. The Italian name of the movement, fascismo, is derived from fascio, "bundle, (political) group," but also refers to the movement's emblem, the fasces, a bundle of rods bound around a projecting axe-head that was carried before an ancient Roman magistrate by an attendant as a symbol of authority and power. The name of Mussolini's group of revolutionaries was soon used for similar nationalistic movements in other countries that sought to gain power through violence and ruthlessness, such as National Socialism.
[ahdictionary.com]

I acknowledge that this is, at minimum, an American perspective, but I have not been able to find authoritative, historical sources that contradict it, and I have tried. Claims that try to paint fascism as a politically liberal phenomenon can quickly be traced to right wing propaganda sources.

Left wing extremism is as toxic as any, but, historically speaking, it ain't fascism.

Those who know history understand the policies pushed by true fascists.