His political career is notable for his 1925 conviction for blasphemy and his participation in the Swiss left's struggle against fascism and pro-Nazi sentiment in the 1930s.
Canova's 1940 condemnation of fascism in an opening speech before the Grand Council of Graubünden remained unpublished as a result of censorship until long after his death.
[1] A proponent of secularist ideas, Canova was legally tried and convicted of blasphemy in 1925 for material published in the Volkswacht following a lawsuit begun on behalf of a Swiss Catholic association, and his career in the assembly came to a temporary halt after the controversy.
A brief note on the episode in a March 1925 issue Time magazine reported that M. Canova, Socialist member of the National Council, wrote in his newspaper Volkswacht that God is a scoundrel.
Canova continued to hold political offices in Graubünden long after his second term with the National Council.