Little Bow

Last updated

Little Bow
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta electoral district
LittleBow in Alberta.jpg
2010 boundaries
Defunct provincial electoral district
Legislature Legislative Assembly of Alberta
District created1913
District abolished2019
First contested 1913
Last contested 2015

Little Bow was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1913 to 2019.

Contents

Throughout its history, this district has been dominated by agricultural activities. Because the area is prone to summer time drought and frequent water rationing, agriculture has been limited to grain crops and cattle ranches. The 2003 BSE crisis, and the subsequent closure of the US border to Canadian cattle, became a major election issue.

The district's major communities, Vulcan, Coalhurst, the Siksika Nation, Arrowwood, Picture Butte and Mossleigh provide service centres for area's agricultural and oil & gas industries.

History

The electoral district was created in the 1913 boundary redistribution from four different districts. It was primarily carved out of Lethbridge District and also took land from the eastern portion of High River, Claresholm and Nanton.

The 2010 electoral boundary re-distribution saw the electoral district change only slightly as a portion of land was moved into the district from Highwood. [1]

The Little Bow electoral district was dissolved in the 2017 electoral boundary re-distribution, and portions of the district would form the Cardston-Siksika and Taber-Warner electoral districts. [2]

Boundary history

Representation history

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Little Bow
AssemblyYearsMemberParty
See High River 1905–1913, Claresholm,
Lethbridge District, and Nanton 1909–1913
3rd 1913–1917 James McNaughton Liberal
4th 1917–1921
5th 1921–1926 Oran McPherson United Farmers
6th 1926–1930
7th 1930–1935
8th 1935–1940 Peter Dawson Social Credit
9th 1940–1944
10th 1944–1948
11th 1948–1952
12th 1952–1955
13th 1955–1959
14th 1959–1963
1963Vacant
15th 1963–1967 Raymond Speaker Social Credit
16th 1967–1971
17th 1971–1975
18th 1975–1979
19th 1979–1982
1982Independent
20th 1982–1985
1985 Political Alternative
1985-1986Representative
21st 1986–1987
1987-1989 Progressive Conservative
22nd 1989–1992
1992Vacant
1992-1993 Barry McFarland Progressive Conservative
23rd 1993–1997
24th 1997–2001
25th 2001–2004
26th 2004–2008
27th 2008–2012
28th 2012–2014 Ian Donovan Wildrose
2014–2015Progressive Conservative [5]
29th 2015–2017 Dave Schneider Wildrose
2017–2019 United Conservative
See Cardston-Siksika and Taber-Warner 2019–

The electoral district was created in 1913 in the controversial and scandal ridden redistricting that year. It was created from four different ridings which had a mixture of representation primarily Liberals as well as Independents and a Conservative.

Through the first 100 years in the history of this district, it was only represented by five members of the Legislative Assembly. Historically, voters in this riding tended to favour the candidate more than the party, as shown by Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Raymond Speaker's lengthy term in office.

The first representative elected in 1913 was Liberal candidate James McNaughton. He won re-election with a landslide majority in 1917. McNaughton would be defeated running for his third term in office by United Farmers of Alberta candidate Oran McPherson.

McPherson became Speaker of the Legislature in 1922. He was re-elected to his second term in 1926 defeating McNaughton for the last time and acclaimed to his third term in 1930. Near the end of his third term McPherson went through a scandal-ridden divorce that made front-page headlines. He lost favour with his constituents at a time when the United Farmers lost popularity due to the great depression and the John Edward Brownlee sex scandal.

Little Bow would change representatives in 1935. The electors went along with most of the province in returning a Social Credit candidate. Peter Dawson would easily defeat McPherson with a landslide majority as his party formed government. Dawson became the second speaker of the Assembly to represent the district in 1937.

Dawson would enjoy a long career in the Assembly easily winning re-election in 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1955 and 1959 without his popular support dropping below 50%. On March 24, 1963, McPherson would die from a heart attack. Little Bow would be left vacant until the 1963 general election held a few months later.

The 1963 election saw Social Credit candidate Raymond Speaker win his first election easily with 64% of the popular vote. He would be re-elected to his second term with a landslide in 1967. After the election Premier Ernest Manning appointed Speaker to the provincial cabinet as a Minister without Portfolio. When Premier Harry Strom came to power in 1968, Speaker remained in cabinet, this time becoming Minister of Social Development.

Speaker would win his third term in office in the 1971 election with a large majority. He would lose his cabinet post as his party was swept out of government. He would win re-election as a Social Credit MLA with large majorities in 1975 and 1979 despite the near total collapse of his party.

On October 5, 1982, Speaker, who was acting as parliamentary leader of the Social Credit caucus, had issues with Party leader Rod Sykes. After a motion to disband the moribund party failed, Speaker and Walt Buck resigned from Social Credit to run as independents in the 1982 election. He retained his seat with just over 50% of the popular vote.

After the 1982 election, Speaker and Buck tried to form the official opposition instead of the two man NDP caucus. The legislature denied them funding and they didn't get the same budget that the NDP had because they weren't a party. In 1984 they registered the Political Alternative Association with Elections Alberta, which they quickly renamed the Representative Party of Alberta. Speaker became leader of the party and led it into the 1986 election.

The Representative Party would hold its two seats with Speaker winning his seventh term in office. He would abandon the Representative Party to cross the floor to the Progressive Conservative caucus in 1987. Speaker ran for re-election as a Progressive Conservative candidate in 1989 and won his eighth term. He was re-appointed to cabinet by Premier Don Getty as Minister of Municipal Affairs after an 18-year absence.

Speaker vacated his seat in 1992 after being nominated by the Reform Party of Canada to run for a seat to the House of Commons of Canada. After Speaker left, a contentious and divided by-election took place. Progressive Conservative candidate Barry McFarland barely retained this seat for the party. The Liberals came very close to taking back Little Bow, with its best result in 70 years.

McFarland was re-elected five times without serious difficulty. He retired in 2012, and Wildrose candidate Ian Donovan took the seat. Donovan crossed the floor to the Tories in 2014. He was narrowly defeated in his bid for a second term by his replacement as Wildrose candidate, Dave Schneider. It was the first time in the riding's history that its member had not been returned for a second term. Because of the Electoral Boundary changes as of the 2019 election, Schneider became the last Member of the Legislative Assembly to represent the Little Bow riding.

Legislative election results

1913

1913 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal James McNaughton 72152.02%
Conservative John T. MacDonald33924.46%
Independent F.A. Bryant20214.57%
Socialist Alfred Buddon1248.95%
Total1,386
Rejected, spoiled and declinedN/A
Eligible electors / turnout1,772N/A
Liberal pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1913 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1917

1917 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal James McNaughton 80877.39%25.37%
Socialist Homer Thomas23622.61%
Total1,044
Rejected, spoiled and declinedN/A
Eligible electors / turnout2,90935.89%
Liberal hold Swing 13.61%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1917 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1921

1921 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
United Farmers Oran Leo McPherson 1,55464.48%
Liberal James McNaughton 85635.52%-41.88%
Total2,410
Rejected, spoiled and declinedN/A
Eligible electors / turnout3,25873.97%38.08%
United Farmers gain from Liberal Swing -12.91%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1921 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1926

1926 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
United Farmers Oran Leo McPherson 1,36757.01%-7.48%
Liberal James McNaughton 55623.19%-12.33%
Conservative P.M. Patterson47519.81%
Total2,398
Rejected, spoiled and declined123
Eligible electors / turnout3,23577.93%3.96%
United Farmers hold Swing 2.43%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1926 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1930

1930 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
United Farmers Oran Leo McPherson Acclaimed
TotalN/A
Rejected, spoiled and declinedN/A
Eligible electors / turnoutN/A
United Farmers hold Swing N/A
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1935

1935 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Peter Dawson 2,32266.34%
United Farmers Oran Leo McPherson 70420.11%
Liberal L.H. Stack47413.54%
Total3,500
Rejected, spoiled and declined113
Eligible electors / turnout4,11087.91%
Social Credit gain from United Farmers Swing N/A
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1940

1940 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Peter Dawson 2,16251.53%-14.82%
Independent E.H. Griffin2,03448.47%
Total4,196
Rejected, spoiled and declined146
Eligible electors / turnout5,04886.01%-1.89%
Social Credit hold Swing -21.59%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1940 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1944

1944 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Peter Dawson 1,95855.14%3.61%
Independent J.D. Hagerman82623.26%
Co-operative Commonwealth Rudolph Kotkas76721.60%
Total3,551
Rejected, spoiled and declined18
Eligible electors / turnout4,67476.36%-9.66%
Social Credit hold Swing 14.41%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1948

1948 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Peter Dawson 1,86555.08%-0.06%
Independent George M. Carson1,08632.07%
Co-operative Commonwealth John P. Griffin43512.85%-8.75%
Total3,386
Rejected, spoiled and declined173
Eligible electors / turnout4,74075.08%-1.27%
Social Credit hold Swing -4.44%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1952

1952 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Peter Dawson 2,66865.39%10.31%
Liberal Maxwell R. Morrison1,00124.53%
Co-operative Commonwealth David S. Smith41110.07%-2.77%
Total4,080
Rejected, spoiled and declined265
Eligible electors / turnout6,12170.99%-4.10%
Social Credit hold Swing 8.93%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1955

1955 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Peter Dawson 2,48157.03%-8.36%
Liberal Varno Westersund1,35931.24%6.71%
Conservative Norman Scotney51011.72%
Total4,350
Rejected, spoiled and declined257
Eligible electors / turnout6,12375.24%4.26%
Social Credit hold Swing -7.53%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1959

1959 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Peter Dawson 2,93964.86%7.83%
Progressive Conservative Bernard W. Tonken98921.83%
Liberal Donald A. McNiven60313.31%-17.93%
Total4,531
Rejected, spoiled and declined11
Eligible electors / turnout5,80578.24%3.00%
Social Credit hold Swing 8.62%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1963

1963 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Raymond Albert Speaker 3,36864.01%-0.86%
Progressive Conservative Douglas H. Galbraith1,24523.66%1.83%
Liberal Arthur W. Ulrich64912.33%-0.97%
Total5,262
Rejected, spoiled and declined24
Eligible electors / turnout7,58269.72%-8.53%
Social Credit hold Swing -1.35%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1963 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1967

1967 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Raymond Albert Speaker 3,36768.48%4.47%
Independent Arthur W. Ulrich97819.89%
New Democratic John K. Head57211.63%
Total4,917
Rejected, spoiled and declined16
Eligible electors / turnout7,41366.55%-3.17%
Social Credit hold Swing 4.12%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1967 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1971

1971 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Raymond Albert Speaker 3,40058.53%-9.95%
Progressive Conservative John C. Green2,11436.39%
New Democratic Edward H. Rodney2955.08%-6.55%
Total5,809
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined11
Eligible electors / Turnout7,38278.84%12.30%
Social Credit hold Swing -13.22%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1971 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1975

1975 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Raymond Albert Speaker 3,13257.64%-0.89%
Progressive Conservative George McMorris2,01937.15%0.76%
Liberal Ben Loman1572.89%
New Democratic Wayne Doolittle1262.32%-2.76%
Total5,434
Rejected, spoiled and declined11
Eligible electors / turnout7,35474.04%-4.80%
Social Credit hold Swing -0.83%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1975 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1979

1979 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Social Credit Raymond Albert Speaker 3,74865.63%7.99%
Progressive Conservative Richard Papworth1,68429.49%-7.67%
New Democratic Beth Jantzie2364.13%1.81%
Liberal John W. Fujimargari430.75%-2.14%
Total5,711
Rejected, spoiled and declined22
Eligible electors / turnout8,23869.59%-4.45%
Social Credit hold Swing 7.83%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1979 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1982

1982 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Raymond Albert Speaker 3,17450.09%
Progressive Conservative Cliff Wright2,14433.83%4.35%
Western Canada Concept Wayne Lawlor85113.43%
New Democratic Beth Jantzie1682.65%-1.48%
Total6,337
Rejected, spoiled and declined15
Eligible electors / turnout8,16877.77%8.17%
Independent notional hold Swing -9.94%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1982 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Raymond Speaker crossed the floor to become an Independent in 1982.

1986

1986 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Representative Raymond Albert Speaker 3,79163.65%
Progressive Conservative Cliff Wright1,80530.31%-3.53%
Confederation of Regions Dean Oseen1582.65%
New Democratic Christina Tomaschuk1372.30%-0.35%
Liberal Ben Loman651.09%
Total5,956
Rejected, spoiled and declined10
Eligible electors / turnout9,60462.12%-15.65%
Representative notional hold Swing 8.55%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1986 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Raymond Speaker crossed the floor to become an Representative in 1985.

1989

1989 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Progressive Conservative Raymond Albert Speaker 3,90779.54%49.23%
Liberal Elzien Schopman57911.79%10.70%
New Democratic Keith Ford4268.67%6.37%
Total4,912
Rejected, spoiled and declined7
Eligible electors / turnout9,14553.79%-8.33%
Progressive Conservative notional hold Swing 17.20%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1989 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Raymond Speaker crossed the floor to become an Progressive Conservative in 1987.

1992 by-election

Alberta provincial by-election, March 5, 1992
following the resignation of Raymond Speaker on January 3, 1992
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Progressive Conservative Barry McFarland 1,96635.20-44.34
Liberal Donna Graham1,70430.5118.72
New Democratic Ruth Scalplock 60110.762.09
Social Credit Al Strom5219.33
Alliance Larry Haller3997.14
Confederation of Regions Dean Oseen3947.06
Total5,585
Rejected, spoiled and declined18
Eligible electors / turnout9,15861.18%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -31.53
Source(s)
Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (1992). The report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the Little Bow by-election held Thursday, March 5, 1992 (Report). Edmonton: Alberta Legislative Assembly, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

1993

1993 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Progressive Conservative Barry McFarland 6,70967.24%32.04%
Liberal Donna L. Graham2,88628.93%-1.58%
New Democratic Rod Lachmuth3823.83%-6.93%
Total9,977
Rejected, spoiled and declined26
Eligible electors / turnout15,08766.30%5.12%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 16.81%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1997

1997 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Progressive Conservative Barry McFarland 6,72669.56%2.32%
Liberal Alida Hess2,07521.46%-7.47%
New Democratic Marko Hilgersom8688.98%5.15%
Total9,669
Rejected, spoiled and declined55
Eligible electors / turnout17,89654.34%-11.97%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 4.89%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 1997 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

2001

2001 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Progressive Conservative Barry McFarland 6,88164.80%-4.76%
Liberal Arij Langstraat2,53423.86%2.40%
Independent Jon Koch8858.33%
New Democratic Andrea Enes3193.00%-5.97%
Total10,619
Rejected, spoiled and declined17
Eligible electors / turnout18,77156.66%2.33%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -3.58%
Source(s)
Source: "Little Bow Official Results 2001 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

2004

2004 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Progressive Conservative Barry McFarland 4,89954.24%-10.56%
Liberal Arij Langstraat1,96121.71%-2.15%
Alberta Alliance Jay Phin8579.49%
Social Credit Brian Cook5546.13%
Separation Grant Shaw4334.79%
New Democratic Hugh Logie3283.63%0.63%
Total9,032
Rejected, spoiled and declined55
Eligible electors / turnout19,83545.81%-10.85%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -4.20%

2008

2008 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Progressive Conservative Barry McFarland 5,15058.06%3.82%
Wildrose Kevin Kinahan2,05123.12%12.63%
Liberal Everett Tanis1,08012.18%-9.54%
New Democratic Duane Petluk3223.63%0.00%
Green Marie Read2673.01%
Total8,870
Rejected, spoiled and declined32
Eligible electors / turnout20,78842.82%-2.99%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 1.20%
Source(s)
Source: "66 - Little Bow, 2008 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta . Retrieved May 21, 2020.

2012

2012 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Wildrose Ian A. Donovan 6,75054.03%30.91%
Progressive Conservative John Kolk4,50236.04%-22.02%
New Democratic Bev Muendel-Atherstone7676.14%2.51%
Liberal Everett Tanis4743.79%-8.38%
Total12,493
Rejected, spoiled, and declined52
Eligible electors / turnout23,57253.22%10.40%
Wildrose gain from Progressive Conservative Swing -8.47%
Source(s)
Source: "70 - Little Bow, 2012 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta . Retrieved May 21, 2020.

2015

2015 Alberta general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Wildrose David Schneider 4,80335.35%-18.68%
Progressive Conservative Ian A. Donovan 4,79335.28%-0.76%
New Democratic Bev Muendel-Atherstone3,36424.76%18.62%
Liberal Helen McMenamin3772.77%-1.02%
Social Credit Caleb Van Der Weide2491.83%
Total13,586
Rejected, spoiled and declined42
Eligible electors / turnout25,51653.41%0.19%
Wildrose hold Swing -8.96%
Source(s)
Source: "70 - Little Bow, 2015 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta . Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Senate nominee election results

2004

2004 Senate nominee election results: Little Bow [6] Turnout 45.49%
AffiliationCandidateVotes% votes% ballotsRank
Progressive Conservative Bert Brown 3,80516.94%51.29%1
Progressive Conservative Betty Unger 2,86112.74%38.56%2
 Independent Link Byfield 2,77112.33%37.35%4
Progressive Conservative Cliff Breitkreuz 2,1849.72%29.44%3
Progressive Conservative Jim Silye 2,0289.03%27.34%5
Alberta Alliance Vance Gough1,9928.87%26.85%8
Progressive Conservative David Usherwood1,8928.42%25.50%6
Alberta Alliance Michael Roth1,8438.20%24.84%7
Alberta Alliance Gary Horan1,6487.34%22.21%10
 Independent Tom Sindlinger 1,4426.41%19.44%9
Total votes22,466100%
Total ballots7,4193.03 votes per ballot
Rejected, spoiled and declined2,712

Voters had the option of selecting four candidates on the ballot

2012

Student vote results

2004

Participating schools [7]
Calvin Christian School
Champion School
Coalhurst High School
Dorothy Danliesh Elementary School
Huntsville School
Lomond Colony School
Noble Central School
Picture Butte High School
R.I. Baker Middle School
St. Josephs' School

On November 19, 2004, a student vote was conducted at participating Alberta schools to parallel the 2004 Alberta general election results. The vote was designed to educate students and simulate the electoral process for persons who have not yet reached the legal majority. The vote was conducted in 80 of the 83 provincial electoral districts with students voting for actual election candidates. Schools with a large student body that reside in another electoral district had the option to vote for candidates outside of the electoral district then where they were physically located.

2004 Alberta student vote results [8]
AffiliationCandidateVotes%
Progressive Conservative Barry McFarland 39641.12%
  Liberal Arij Langstraat17618.28%
  New Democrat Hugh Logie11411.84%
Alberta Alliance Jay Phin10611.01%
  Social Credit Brian Cook9810.17%
Separation Grant Shaw737.58%
Total963100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined74

2012

2012 Alberta student vote results
AffiliationCandidateVotes%
Progressive Conservative John Kolk%
Wildrose Ian Donovan
  Liberal Everett Tanis%
  NDP Bev Muendel-Atherstone%
Total100%

Plebiscite results

1948 electrification plebiscite

District results from the first province wide plebiscite on electricity regulation.

Option AOption B
Are you in favour of the generation and distribution of electricity being continued by the Power Companies?Are you in favour of the generation and distribution of electricity being made a publicly owned utility administered by the Alberta Government Power Commission?
1,069     28.42%2,716     71.76%
Province wide result: Option A passed.

1957 liquor plebiscite

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Little Bow [9]
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%
Yes1,58451.50%
No1,49248.50%
Total Votes3,076100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined1
5,715 Eligible Electors, Turnout 53.84%

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. [10]

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 woman were allowed to drink together in establishments. [9]

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts while Question B passed in all five districts. Little Bow just barely voted in favour of the proposal with both sides polling a strong vote. Voter turnout in the district was one of the best in the province, significantly above the province wide average of 46%. [9]

Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957. [9] The Social Credit government in power at the time did not considered the results binding. [11] However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act. [12]

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 that wanted a license had to petition for a binding municipal plebiscite in order to be granted a license. [13]

Daylight saving plebiscites

1967

District data from the 1967 daylight saving plebiscite

Do you favour province-wide daylight saving time?
ForAgainst
1,365   27.98%3,185   72.01%
Province wide result: Failed

1971

District data from the 1971 daylight saving plebiscite

Do you favour province-wide daylight saving time?
ForAgainst
2,306   40.17%3,434   59.83%
Province wide result: Passed

See also

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Peace River is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting. The district used instant-runoff voting from 1926 to 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banff-Cochrane</span> Defunct provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada

Banff-Cochrane was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1975, and again from 1979 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camrose (provincial electoral district)</span> Provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada

Camrose is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting. The district was originally created in 1909 and dissolved in 1993, and recreated for the 2019 Alberta general election.

Vegreville was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1963 and again from 1971 to 1993.

Red Deer was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1986.

Leduc was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1971 and again from 1993 to 2004.

Bonnyville was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1952 to 1997. The Bonnyville electoral district was created in 1952 from the northern part of the St. Paul electoral district. In 1997 the riding was renamed Bonnyville-Cold Lake, to more accurately reflect the two largest population centres in the constituency.

Redwater was a provincial electoral district in Alberta mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1971 and again from 1993 to 2004.

Olds was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1963.

Okotoks-High River was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1930 to 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grande Prairie (provincial electoral district)</span> Provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada

Grande Prairie is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has existed twice, first from 1930 to 1993 and again from 2019. It is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

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

Lac La Biche was a provincial electoral district in Alberta mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1952 to 1971.

References

  1. Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission (June 2010). "Proposed Electoral Division Areas, Boundaries, and Names for Alberta. Final Report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. ISBN   978-0-9865367-1-7 . Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  2. Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission (October 2017). "Proposed Electoral Division Areas, Boundaries, and Names for Alberta. Final Report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. ISBN   978-1-988620-04-6 . Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  3. Electoral Divisions Act , S.A. 2003, c. E-4.1
  4. "Bill 28 Electoral Divisions Act" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. 2010.
  5. "Wildrose MLAs leave party to join PCs". Global Edmonton. November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  6. "Senate Nominee Election 2004 Tabulation of Official Results" (PDF). Elections Alberta. March 1, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2009.
  7. "School by School results". Student Vote Canada. Archived from the original on October 5, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  8. "Riding by Riding Results - the Candidates". Student Vote Canada. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Alberta Gazette. Vol. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2, 247–2, 249.
  10. "Albertans Vote 2 to 1 For More Liquor Outlets". Vol L No 273. The Lethbridge Herald. October 31, 1957. pp. 1–2.
  11. "No Sudden Change In Alberta Drinking Habits Is Seen". Vol L No 267. The Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1957. p. 1.
  12. "Entirely New Act On Liquor". Vol LI No 72. The Lethbridge Herald. March 5, 1958. p. 1.
  13. "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

Further reading

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