Grouard (electoral district)

Last updated

Grouard
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta electoral district
Defunct provincial electoral district
Legislature Legislative Assembly of Alberta
District created1913
District abolished1971
First contested 1913
Last contested 1967

Grouard was a provincial electoral district in Alberta mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1913 to 1971. [1]

Contents

History

Boundary history

Grouard was created from the southwest quarter of Athabasca in 1913, centred on the small community of Grouard. Its main population centres soon became High Prairie and Falher, containing a number of Franco-Albertan communities. Its boundaries saw minor adjustments throughout its history, but it retained a similar size and shape until abolished in 1971, with the northeast parts going to Lesser Slave Lake and the southwest parts becoming Smoky River.

Representation history

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Grouard
AssemblyYearsMemberParty
See Athabasca 1905-1913
3rd 1913–1917 Jean Côté Liberal
4th 1917–1921
5th 1921–1923
1923–1924Vacant
1924–1926 Leonidas Giroux Liberal
6th 1926–1930
7th 1930–1935
8th 1935–1936
1936Vacant
1936-1940 Joseph Tremblay Liberal
9th 1940–1944
10th 1944–1948 William Fallow Social Credit
1948Vacant
11th 1948–1951 John Wood Social Credit
1951Vacant
1951–1952 Joseph Desfosses Liberal
12th 1952–1955
13th 1955–1959
14th 1959–1963 Roy Ells Social Credit
15th 1963–1967
16th 1967–1971
See Lesser Slave Lake after 1971
and Smoky River 1971-1993

Grouard was one of the friendliest ridings for the Alberta Liberal Party, and in its 58-year history, never once voted out an incumbent MLA.

Incumbent Athabasca MLA Jean Côté decided to run in the new riding of Grouard when it was created in 1913, easily defeating his Conservative challenger. He won re-election twice, and was appointed to the Senate on the advice of Prime Minister Mackenzie King in 1923, vacating his seat.

The resulting by-election was won handily by another Liberal, Leonidas Giroux. He was re-elected three times, defending his seat even in 1935, which saw every other seat in rural Alberta swept up by the nascent Social Credit Party of William Aberhart. However, Giroux died in office the following year.

The by-election in fall 1936 was again won by a Liberal, Joseph Tremblay, who narrowly defeated his Social Credit rival. Tremblay won a razor-thin re-election in 1940, one of only two Liberal candidates across the province in that election, and decided to retire when the legislature was dissolved.

The Liberals did not field a single candidate in 1944. With Social Credit candidate William Fallow finally capturing Grouard for the government, this ended the longest streak for any party in Alberta's tumultuous early politics. Fallow also died in office in 1948, but no by-election was held, as a general election took place that year.

Social Credit won the riding for a second time, with John Wood gaining a comfortable victory on the second count. He resigned his post before the term finished, necessitating another by-election in 1951.

Liberal Joseph Desfosses narrowly won the riding back for his party, serving with the revived opposition party until he chose to retire in 1959.

Grouard's final MLA was Roy Ells, who sat with the governing Social Credit for three terms until the riding was abolished in 1971.

Election results

1910s

1913 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Liberal Jean Côté 34763.32%
Conservative O. Travers20136.68%
Total valid votes [2] 548
Rejected, spoiled and declined -
Electors / Turnout77770.53%
Liberal pickup new district.
1917 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Jean Côté 68870.71%+7.39%
Conservative Eugene Gravel28529.29%-7.39%
Total valid votes [2] 973
Rejected, spoiled and declined -
Electors / Turnout1,26576.92% +6.39%
Liberal hold Swing +7.39%

Following the convention at the time, Côté stood in a by-election upon being named to cabinet. However, since no other candidates contested it, he was acclaimed.

Alberta provincial by-election, October 21, 1918
Ministerial by-election upon Jean Côté's appointment as Provincial Secretary
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Jean Côté Acclaimed
TotalN/A
Rejected, spoiled and declinedN/A
Eligible electors / turnoutN/AN/A
Liberal hold Swing
Source(s)
"By-elections". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 26, 2020.

1920s

1921 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Jean Côté 96357.84%-12.87%
United Farmers Henry George Dimsdale70242.16%
Total valid votes [2] 1,665
Rejected, spoiled and declined -
Electors / Turnout2,36270.49% -6.43%
Liberal hold Swing -27.52%
Alberta provincial by-election, July 11, 1924
Upon the appointment of Jean Côté to the Senate of Canada
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Leonidas Giroux 1,08570.36%+12.52%
United Farmers J.M. Cull45729.64%-12.52%
Total valid votes1,542
Rejected, spoiled and declined
Electors / turnout
Liberal hold Swing +12.52%
Source(s)
"By-elections". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
1926 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Leonidas Giroux 1,22475.05%+4.69%
Conservative Henry George Dimsdale40724.95%
Total valid votes [2] 1,631
Rejected, spoiled and declined64
Electors / Turnout2,51167.50% -
Liberal hold Swing -10.13%

1930s

1930 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Leonidas Giroux 1,70662.65%-12.40%
United Farmers Jean Field1,01737.35%
Total valid votes [2] 2,723
Rejected, spoiled and declined6
Electors / Turnout3,98868.43% +0.93%
Liberal hold Swing -24.88%
1935 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Leonidas Giroux 2,27255.89%-6.76%
Social Credit R.A. Pelletier1,44735.60%
United Farmers E.E. Requier3468.51%-28.84%
Total valid votes [2] 4,065
Rejected, spoiled and declined135
Electors / Turnout5,37878.10% +9.67%
Liberal hold Swing -21.18%
Alberta provincial by-election, December 7, 1936
Upon the death of Leonidas Giroux
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Tremblay 1,66852.26%-3.63%
Social Credit W. J. Desrosiers1,52447.74%+12.14%
Total valid votes3,192
Rejected, spoiled and declinedN/A
Electors / turnoutN/AN/A
Liberal hold Swing -7.89%
Source(s)
"By-elections". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 26, 2020.

1940s

1940 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Tremblay 1,74739.05%-13.21%
Social Credit J.A. Maurice1,70338.06%-9.68%
Co-operative Commonwealth Michael O'Grady1,02422.89%
Second Count
Liberal Joseph Tremblay1,96550.05%+11.00%
Social Credit J.A. Maurice1,96149.95%+11.89%
No second preference548
Total valid votes [2] 4,474
Rejected, spoiled and declined197
Electors / Turnout7,52862.05% -
Liberal hold Swing -1.77%

First-count swing is calculated from the 1936 by-election, while second-count swing reflects increase in vote share from the first count.

1944 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit William Fallow 2,61257.29%+19.23%
Co-operative Commonwealth Mike O'Grady1,56034.22%+11.33%
Labor–Progressive Merie Evanuk3878.49%
Total valid votes [2] 4,559
Rejected, spoiled and declined168
Electors / Turnout7,01967.35% +5.30%
Social Credit gain from Liberal Swing +3.95%
1948 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit John Wood 2,49344.58%-12.71%
Liberal André Dechêne1,85033.08%
Co-operative Commonwealth D.B. Fraser1,24922.34%-11.88%
Second Count
Social Credit John Wood2,71758.63%+14.05%
Liberal André Dechêne1,91741.37%+8.29%
No second preference958
Total valid votes [2] 5,592
Rejected, spoiled and declined376
Electors / Turnout7,88175.73% +8.38%
Social Credit hold Swing -22.90%

1950s

Alberta provincial by-election, June 21, 1951
Upon the resignation of John Wood
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Desfosses 2,27544.16%+11.08%
Social Credit D. McLaughlin2,19742.64%-1.94%
Co-operative Commonwealth C.R. Clark68013.20%-9.14%
Total valid votes5,152
Rejected, spoiled and declinedN/A
Electors / turnoutN/AN/A
Liberal gain from Social Credit Swing +6.51%
Source(s)
"By-elections". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
1952 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Desfosses 2,35842.54%-1.62%
Social Credit Joseph St. Arnaud2,23440.30%-2.34%
Co-operative Commonwealth Charlton R. Clark95117.16%+3.96%
Second Count
Liberal Joseph Desfosses2,55851.54%+9.00%
Social Credit Joseph St. Arnaud2,40548.46%+8.16%
No second preference580
Total valid votes [2] 5,543
Rejected, spoiled and declined335
Electors / Turnout8,97465.50% -
Liberal hold Swing +0.36%
1955 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Desfosses 2,85549.70%+7.16%
Social Credit Fred Bullen2,31940.37%+0.07%
Co-operative Commonwealth Charlton R. Clark5719.94%-7.22%
Second Count
Liberal Joseph Desfosses3,02655.41%+5.71%
Social Credit Fred Bullen2,43544.59%+4.22%
No second preference284
Total valid votes [2] 5,745
Rejected, spoiled and declined510
Electors / Turnout9,27167.47% +1.97%
Liberal hold Swing +3.55%
1959 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Roy Ells 3,72757.23%+16.86%
Liberal Paul Maisonneuve1,47622.67%-27.03%
Progressive Conservative Paul Soulodre1,30920.10%
Total valid votes [2] 6,512
Rejected, spoiled and declined25
Electors / Turnout9,02072.47% +5.00%
Social Credit gain from Liberal Swing +21.95%

1960s

1963 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Roy Ells 3,83262.81%+5.58%
Liberal Gunner Wahlstrom1,59526.14%+3.47%
New Democratic Clifford Tollefson67411.05%
Total valid votes [2] 6,101
Rejected, spoiled and declined42
Electors / Turnout9,16967.00% -5.47%
Social Credit hold Swing +1.06%
1967 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Roy Ells 3,36351.30%-11.51%
New Democratic Stan Daniels2,20733.67%+22.62%
Liberal Gunner Wahlstrom98515.03%-11.11%
Total valid votes [2] 6,555
Rejected, spoiled and declined36
Electors / Turnout10,32363.85% -8.62%
Social Credit hold Swing -17.07%

Plebiscite results

1957 liquor plebiscite

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Grouard [3]
Question A: Do you approve additional types of outlets for the
sale of beer, wine and spirituous liquor subject to a local vote?
Ballot choiceVotes%
Yes1,38869.99%
No59530.01%
Total votes1,983100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined48
8,426 eligible electors, turnout 24.10%

On October 30, 1957, a stand-alone plebiscite was held province wide in all 50 of the then current provincial electoral districts in Alberta. The government decided to consult Alberta voters to decide on liquor sales and mixed drinking after a divisive debate in the legislature. The plebiscite was intended to deal with the growing demand for reforming antiquated liquor control laws. [4]

The plebiscite was conducted in two parts. Question A, asked in all districts, asked the voters if the sale of liquor should be expanded in Alberta, while Question B, asked in a handful of districts within the corporate limits of Calgary and Edmonton, asked if men and women should be allowed to drink together in establishments. [3]

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts while Question B passed in all five districts. Grouard voted in favour of the proposal with a landslide majority. Voter turnout in the district was the lowest in the province, at half the province wide average of 46%. [3]

Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957. [3] The Social Credit government in power at the time did not consider the results binding. [5] However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act. [6]

Municipal districts lying inside electoral districts that voted against the plebiscite were designated Local Option Zones by the Alberta Liquor Control Board and considered effective dry zones. Business owners who wanted a license had to petition for a binding municipal plebiscite in order to be granted a license. [7]

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References

  1. "Election results for Grouard". abheritage.ca. Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Results for Grouard". Community Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Alberta Gazette. Vol. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2, 247–2, 249.
  4. "Albertans Vote 2 to 1 For More Liquor Outlets". Vol L No 273. The Lethbridge Herald. October 31, 1957. pp. 1–2.
  5. "No Sudden Change In Alberta Drinking Habits Is Seen". Vol L No 267. The Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1957. p. 1.
  6. "Entirely New Act On Liquor". Vol LI No 72. The Lethbridge Herald. March 5, 1958. p. 1.
  7. "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

Further reading