Alberta liquor plebiscite, 1957

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The 1957 Alberta Liquor Plebiscite was a province-wide plebiscite conducted in Alberta, Canada and it was held on October 30, 1957. Unlike the other three plebiscites held in Alberta, the 1957 vote was not held in conjunction with a provincial election. At the time, the Alberta Liquor Control Board operated only a few stores from which liquor could be legally purchased. The plebiscite asked voters in every district if they were in favour of adding extra ALCB outlets.

Contents

Background

The province of Alberta decided to hold a plebiscite after divisive debate in the legislature on the need to deal with demands to loosen regulatory restrictions to liquor that had been in place since the prohibition era.

The vote to hold a plebiscite had carried on a recorded division by a single vote after much debate. [1]

In addition to the liquor controversy growing in the province, there was another testing of citizens' sentiment on an issue. The government decided to hold a plebiscite among egg producers on whether or not to establish a compulsory egg marketing board. That plebiscite was originally to be held in June 1957, but Leonard Halmrast, the Minister of Agriculture, decided to hold it in conjunction with the liquor plebiscite so that the sentiment of Egg producers could be tested at the same time as voters for the liquor plebiscite, to save costs. [2] That decision later led to controversy when numerous producers were missed after the plan was defeated in a close vote. [3] A second vote among egg producers in summer 1958 brought in a 'Yes" result. [4]

Question B

In Calgary, and Edmonton, as well as the parts of Gleichen, Banff-Cochrane and Clover Bar, that were within the Calgary and Edmonton city limits, a second question was put on the ballot asking if "mixed drinking" should be permitted in beer parlours. Men and women had not been allowed to drink together in Albertan bars since 1928, four years after Prohibition has been repealed.

Results and impact

The province-wide question on new liquor store locations saw mixed results across the province: the more conservative rural areas voted overwhelmingly against, and urban areas voted overwhelmingly for. After the votes were counted, the "for" side won the plebiscite by a wide margin. The second question regarding mixed drinking in the major cities passed with an almost 4 to 1 margin. This was the second province-wide plebiscite in Alberta's history, and cost the province $355,309.62 to run.

The Alberta government abolished gender-based segregation of bars in the rest of the province (without an additional plebiscite) in 1967.

Plebiscite results

October 30, 1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results [5]
Question A: Do you approve additional types of outlets for the sale of beer, wine and spirituous liquor subject to a local vote?
TotalsFor%Against%Total VotesFor/AgainstRejectedEligible Turn Out
171,78663.92%96,96336.08%268,749For 33/172,528580,89346.70%
Question B1: Should mixed drinking be allowed in beer parlours in Calgary and the surrounding areas?
Question B2: Should mixed drinking be allowed in beer parlours in Edmonton and the surrounding areas?
TotalsFor%Against%Total VotesFor/AgainstRejectedEligible Turn Out
B1 Total49,78981.13%11,57818.87%61,367For 3/0379115,24753.58%
B2 Total49,72176.09%15,62523.91%65,346For 2/0657129,59950.93%
B Combined99,51078.53%27,20321.47%126,713For 5/01,036244,84652.18%
Results Breakdown by District
District NameFor%Against%Total VotesFor/AgainstRejectedEligible Turn Out
Acadia-Coronation A1,52653.92%1,30446.08%2,830For485,40453.26%
Alexandra A90846.60%1,08354.40%1,991Against205,96333.73%
Athabasca A1,16164.11%65035.89%1,811For625,77432.44%
Banff-Cochrane A2,32478.33%64321.67%2,967For376,23748.16%
B111587.12%1712.88%132For024254.55%
Bonnyville A1,71666.05%88233.95%2,598For316,98837.62%
Bow Valley-Empress A1,81854.86%1,49645.14%3,314For116,34152.44%
Bruce A98036.69%1,69163.31%2,671Against216,10844.07%
Calgary A47,38277.41%13,83022.59%61,212For391114,98653.57%
B149,66981.12%11,56118.88%61,230For379114,98653.58%
Camrose A1,37832.84%2,81867.16%4,196Against127,72154.50%
Cardston A47320.94%1,78679.06%2,259Against134,29652.89%
Clover Bar A3,03567.87%1,43732.13%4,472For759,65547.10%
B21,07688.78%13611.22%1,212For352,32053.75%
Cypress A1,09044.87%1,33955.13%2,429Against185,36146.64%
Didsbury A1,35640.88%1,96159.12%3,317Against346,53551.28%
Drumheller A1,59762.70%95037.30%2,547For145,37747.63%
Edmonton A46,21971.98%17,99428.02%64,213For620127,27950.94%
B248,64575.85%15,48524.15%64,134For622127,27950.88%
Edson A2,22282.08%48517.92%2,707For177,82334.82%
Gleichen A1,44061.02%92038.98%2,360For134,88548.58%
B15100.00%00.00%5For01926.32%
Grande Prairie A1,46258.57%1,03441.43%2,496For98,90728.12%
Grouard A1,38869.99%59530.01%1,983For488,42624.10%
Hand Hills A1,66957.87%1,21542.13%2,884For195,50452.74%
Lac La Biche A1,05966.15%54233.85%1,601For94,67834.42%
Lac Ste. Anne A1,50770.16%64129.84%2,148For546,48233.97%
Lacombe A1,20537.47%2,01162.53%3,216Against526,30251.86%
Leduc A1,70162.95%1,00137.05%2,702For106,99638.77%
Lethbridge A4,01249.34%4,11950.66%8,131Against6615,97451.32%
Little Bow A1,58451.50%1,49248.50%3,076For15,71553.84%
Macleod A1,89249.78%1,90950.22%3,801Against467,47651.46%
Medicine Hat A2,72850.04%2,72449.96%5,452For9812,58644.10%
Okotoks-High River A2,08862.18%1,27037.82%3,358For336,60251.36%
Olds A1,16438.24%1,88061.76%3,044Against327,33241.95%
Peace River A1,87168.09%87731.91%2,748For1410,02027.57%
Pembina A1,37552.12%1,26347.88%2,638For757,24037.47%
Pincher Creek-Crowsnest A1,65665.87%85834.13%2,514For96,00941.99%
Ponoka A1,28046.04%1,50053.96%2,780Against536,31744.88%
Red Deer A3,56556.88%2,70343.12%6,268For8014,15144.86%
Redwater A1,58976.28%49423.72%2,083For175,83835.97%
Rocky Mountain House A1,28652.58%1,16047.42%2,446For75,95041.23%
Sedgewick A1,36244.39%1,70655.61%3,068Against95,92151.97%
Spirit River A76253.81%65446.19%1,416For296,16023.46%
St. Albert A2,54670.27%1,07729.73%3,623For928,18445.39%
St. Paul A1,32158.40%94141.60%2,262For186,08037.50%
Stettler A1,76549.82%1,78550.28%3,550Against96,74352.78%
Stony Plain A2,37272.01%92227.99%3,294For388,66338.64%
Taber A94132.86%1,92367.14%2,864Against356,62743.75%
Vegreville A1,18756.04%93143.96%2,118For325,79537.10%
Vermilion A1,25853.92%1,07546.08%2,333For155,75840.79%
Wainwright A1,63149.35%1,67450.65%3,305Against336,89748.40%
Warner A76235.26%1,39964.74%2,161Against215,19741.99%
Wetaskiwin A1,77348.78%1,89251.62%3,665Against97,65048.03%
Willingdon A1,40076.63%42723.37%1,827For195,97930.88%

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References

  1. "A Plebiscite". Vol L No 88. The Lethbridge Herald. March 25, 1957. p. 4.
  2. "No Plebiscite on Egg Plan This Month". Vol L No 145. The Lethbridge Herald. June 1, 1957. p. 8.
  3. "New Vote Asked Following Defeat of Egg Plebiscite". Vol LI No 3. The Lethbridge Herald. December 13, 1957. p. 8.
  4. Didsbury pioneer, October 2, 1958
  5. Alberta Gazette. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2,247–2,249.