1959 Ontario general election

Last updated

1959 Ontario general election
Flag of Ontario.svg
  1955 June 11, 1959 1963  

98 seats in the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
50 seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Leslie Frost Premier of Ontario.jpg LIB Donald C. Macdonald crop.JPG
Leader Leslie Frost John Wintermeyer Donald C. MacDonald
Party Progressive Conservative Liberal Co-operative Commonwealth
Leader since April 27, 1949 April 20, 1958 November 21, 1953
Leader's seat Victoria Waterloo North York South
Last election83113
Seats won71225
Seat changeDecrease2.svg12Increase2.svg11Increase2.svg2
Percentage46.3%36.6%16.7%
SwingDecrease2.svg2.2pp Increase2.svg3.3pp Increase2.svg0.2pp

Premier before election

Leslie Frost
Progressive Conservative

Premier after election

Leslie Frost
Progressive Conservative

The 1959 Ontario general election was held on June 11, 1959, to elect the 98 members of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario. [1]

Contents

The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by Leslie Frost, won a sixth consecutive term in office, and maintained its majority in the legislature, although it lost 12 of the 83 seats it had won in the previous election.

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by John Wintermeyer, increased its caucus from 11 to 22 members, and continued in the role of official opposition. Liberal-Labour MPP Albert Wren was re-elected and continued to sit with the Liberal caucus. Wren died in 1961 and was succeeded in a by-election by Robert Gibson.

The social democratic Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), led by Donald C. MacDonald, won two additional seats, for a total of five.

Campaign

Riding contests, by number of candidates (1959) [1]
CandidatesPCLibLLCCFLab-CCFLab-PrSCIndI-PCWCTotal
2171734
364631631192
41515157421160
522221110
Total9897180195221296

Results

[1]

Elections to the 26th Parliament of Ontario (1959)
Political partyParty leaderMPPsVotes
Candidates 1955 Dissol. 1959±#%± (pp)
Progressive Conservative Leslie Frost 98837112Decrease2.svg868,81546.15%1.91Decrease2.svg
Liberal John Wintermeyer 97102111Increase2.svg682,58936.26%3.46Increase2.svg
Co-operative Commonwealth Donald C. MacDonald 80352Increase2.svg313,83416.67%0.13Increase2.svg
Liberal–Labour 111Steady2.svg6,5590.35%0.06Decrease2.svg
Independent-PC211Decrease2.svg2,1190.11%0.29Decrease2.svg
Labor–Progressive Bruce Magnuson 94,3040.23%0.96Decrease2.svg
Social Credit Edgar Shipley Birrell51,7400.09%New
Labour-CCF11,5120.08%New
Independent 28320.04%0.48Decrease2.svg
White Canada12680.01%New
Independent-LiberalDid not campaign
Independent-Social CreditDid not campaign
 Socialist-LabourDid not campaign
Vacant
Total2969898981,882,572100.00%
Blank and invalid ballots21,272
Registered voters / turnout3,187,80159.72%1.68Decrease2.svg
Seats and popular vote by party
PartySeatsVotesChange (pp)
  Progressive Conservative
71 / 98
46.15%
-1.91
 
  Liberal
21 / 98
36.26%
3.463.46
 
  Co-operative Commonwealth
5 / 98
16.67%
0.130.13
 
 Other
1 / 98
0.92%
-1.68
 


Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1959 Ontario general election [1]
RidingWinning partyTurnout
[a 1]
Votes
Name [a 2] 1955 PartyVotesShareMargin
#
Margin
%
PCLib/LLCCFLab-PrSCIndOthTotal
 
Algoma—Manitoulin PCPC8,05541.20%1,0465.35%62.75%8,0557,0094,48819,552
Brant LibLib8,51247.42%1,1666.50%59.81%7,3468,5122,09217,950
Brantford LibLib8,01145.08%1,4608.22%71.17%6,5518,0113,20817,770
Bruce LibLib8,94061.52%3,34823.04%77.24%5,5928,94014,532
Carleton PCPC6,41059.85%2,66224.86%49.24%6,4103,74837317910,710
Cochrane North PCPC5,59645.03%1,31910.61%68.18%5,5964,2772,55512,428
Cochrane South PCPC12,24748.66%4,65918.51%66.66%12,2474,7507,58858525,170
Dufferin—Simcoe PCPC8,39068.90%4,60337.80%52.70%8,3903,78712,177
Durham PCPC6,94650.87%1,97414.46%64.13%6,9464,9721,73613,654
Elgin PCPC9,15751.60%1,83310.33%62.73%9,1577,32496330217,746
Essex North LibLib12,41242.00%3,58412.13%66.91%8,82812,4128,31329,553
Essex South PCPC8,35650.78%1,0016.08%65.35%8,3567,35574316,454
Fort William PCLib9,25542.09%1,3366.08%74.77%7,9199,2554,43438221,990
Frontenac—Addington PCPC6,83456.81%2,23818.60%67.37%6,8344,59660012,030
Glengarry PCPC4,57550.38%690.76%70.61%4,5754,5069,081
Grenville—Dundas PCPC8,46268.78%4,62137.56%56.00%8,4623,84112,303
Grey North PCPC8,16755.03%3,15321.25%70.93%8,1675,0141,65914,840
Grey South LibLib6,10652.43%5654.85%75.01%5,5416,10611,647
Haldimand—Norfolk PCPC13,00759.37%4,10418.73%64.25%13,0078,90321,910
Halton PCPC10,38543.23%7273.03%50.49%10,3859,6583,97724,020
Hamilton Centre PCPC7,28739.76%1,3147.17%49.97%7,2874,6025,97346718,329
Hamilton East PCCCF7,80541.61%1,0175.42%54.90%6,7883,5747,80559118,758
Hamilton—Wentworth PCPC10,45356.55%5,95832.24%56.98%10,4534,4953,53518,483
Hastings East PCPC6,14156.95%1,90417.66%65.66%6,1414,23740610,784
Hastings West PCPC10,38459.06%4,20923.94%58.32%10,3846,1751,02317,582
Huron PCPC7,75955.84%1,62411.69%76.34%7,7596,13513,894
Huron—Bruce PCPC6,68355.42%1,30810.85%76.53%6,6835,37512,058
Kenora LLLL6,55944.98%470.32%69.75%6,5126,559 [a 3] 1,51214,583
Kent East LibLib7,35256.14%1,60812.28%77.45%5,7447,35213,096
Kent West PCPC9,94151.15%4462.29%55.95%9,9419,49519,436
Kingston PCPC10,33056.53%3,35818.37%63.73%10,3306,97297318,275
Lambton East PCPC6,67353.69%9177.38%70.91%6,6735,75612,429
Lambton West PCPC10,86148.54%2,0949.36%62.60%10,8618,7672,74622,374
Lanark PCPC8,84362.24%3,47924.49%64.26%8,8435,36414,207
Leeds PCPC11,31865.35%6,01034.70%67.15%11,3185,30869217,318
Lincoln PCPC18,08949.57%5,99816.44%56.06%18,08912,0916,31436,494
London North PCPC9,25354.97%3,28819.53%54.28%9,2535,9651,61516,833
London South PCPC9,88850.71%2,84014.56%49.95%9,8887,0482,56419,500
Middlesex North PCPC6,45262.34%2,90728.09%65.99%6,4523,54535310,350
Middlesex South PCPC9,31755.98%3,12418.77%59.45%9,3176,1931,13216,642
Muskoka PCPC5,99556.47%2,16620.40%71.63%5,9953,82979310,617
Niagara Falls PCLib12,40352.07%4,34518.24%59.22%8,05812,4033,35723,818
Nickel Belt PCPC8,24436.86%4532.03%71.16%8,2447,7916,33322,368
Nipissing PCLib10,39049.91%1,8708.98%62.87%8,52010,3901,90820,818
Northumberland PCPC10,32258.28%3,34118.87%79.32%10,3226,98140717,710
Ontario PCPC9,01859.67%4,82231.90%62.69%9,0184,1961,90015,114
Oshawa CCFCCF10,24341.98%1,6006.56%56.87%8,6435,51310,24324,399
Ottawa East PCPC7,96549.27%3131.94%50.87%7,9657,65254816,165
Ottawa South PCPC12,98951.66%1,8707.44%56.34%12,98911,1191,03725,145
Ottawa West PCPC8,50551.44%1,4448.73%58.29%8,5057,06196916,535
Oxford LibLib11,41447.39%2160.90%68.65%11,19811,4141,47524,087
Parry Sound PCPC6,54057.81%3,04426.91%71.19%6,5403,4961,27711,313
Peel PCPC13,27842.98%1,2033.89%59.45%13,27812,0755,53730,890
Perth PCPC11,79151.70%2,45810.78%68.36%11,7919,3331,68122,805
Peterborough PCPC13,98458.17%6,00925.00%58.23%13,9847,9751,83424624,039
Port Arthur PCPC10,88140.88%2,0227.60%70.89%10,8818,8596,87426,614
Prescott PCPC6,58758.76%1,96417.52%69.19%6,5874,62311,210
Prince Edward—Lennox PCPC7,24961.75%2,75823.49%58.08%7,2494,49111,740
Rainy River PCPC4,89652.57%2,28324.51%72.26%4,8961,8042,6139,313
Renfrew North PCPC8,44849.55%1,1186.56%68.64%8,4487,3301,27017,048
Renfrew South I-PCPC8,41156.96%2,05513.92%79.90%8,4116,35614,767
Russell PCPC13,94054.18%3,44513.39%52.82%13,94010,4951,29425,729
Stormont LibLib12,10962.63%4,88425.26%62.87%7,22512,10919,334
Sault Ste. Marie PCPC8,26040.10%1,3056.33%59.76%8,2606,9555,38620,601
Simcoe Centre PCPC8,62552.92%2,24013.74%62.63%8,6256,3851,28716,297
Simcoe East PCPC8,63157.28%4,22028.01%61.88%8,6314,4111,14488215,068
Sudbury PCLib10,90444.19%3,14312.74%68.56%7,76110,9046,00824,673
Temiskaming PCPC4,32741.11%1,11710.61%75.88%4,3273,2102,98910,526
Victoria PCPC11,11773.98%8,23354.79%65.92%11,1172,8841,02615,027
Waterloo North LibLib15,76743.35%4,16811.46%62.66%11,59915,7679,00336,369
Waterloo South PCPC9,07542.13%2,42511.26%66.43%9,0755,8166,65021,541
Welland PCPC12,91547.16%2,7299.96%62.44%12,91510,1864,28727,388
Wellington—Dufferin PCPC7,81161.17%2,85222.33%69.18%7,8114,95912,770
Wellington South LibLib10,42750.47%3,46716.78%69.71%6,96010,4273,27120,658
Wentworth PCLib9,31837.41%9453.79%58.07%8,3739,3187,21924,910
Wentworth East CCFCCF9,36651.01%3,81220.76%53.28%5,5543,4409,36618,360
Windsor—Walkerville PCLib6,34041.40%1,0246.69%63.05%5,3166,3403,65915,315
Windsor—Sandwich PCLib8,38838.23%1,0304.69%55.31%7,3588,3886,19721,943
York Centre PCLib15,85736.54%1,9914.59%51.21%13,86615,85713,40026843,391
York East PCPC21,82747.33%7,54516.36%50.17%21,82714,2829,12288146,112
York—Humber PCPC11,85044.02%3,30512.28%52.58%11,8508,5456,52226,917
York North PCPC12,98147.16%2,99910.90%49.89%12,9819,9824,56027,523
York—Scarborough PCPC18,77837.26%1,5363.05%50.28%18,77817,24214,38050,400
York South CCFCCF14,47846.89%5,30317.17%50.06%9,1755,53114,4784561,23730,877
York West PCPC18,35544.77%6,19115.10%51.63%18,35512,16410,48441,003
Beaches PCPC7,29445.90%2,89218.20%57.16%7,2944,1954,40215,891
Bellwoods PCPC6,40854.96%3,73332.02%57.67%6,4082,6751,86771011,660
Bracondale PCLib4,06936.59%3913.52%56.40%3,6784,0692,92545011,122
Dovercourt PCLib5,33634.74%2181.42%54.46%5,1185,3364,43447315,361
Eglinton PCPC14,80557.35%6,95026.92%51.93%14,8057,8553,15325,813
High Park PCPC6,41437.85%5042.97%57.20%6,4145,9104,22939416,947
Parkdale PCLib9,23347.05%2,70313.77%56.77%6,5309,2333,86219,625
Riverdale PCPC7,81451.25%3,91125.65%48.09%7,8143,5303,90315,247
St. Andrew PCPC3,78742.16%7818.70%53.63%3,7873,0061,6554021328,982
St. David PCPC5,81343.70%1,52011.43%51.47%5,8134,2932,97122613,303
St. George PCPC7,96054.31%3,04720.79%49.17%7,9604,9131,78314,656
St. Patrick PCPC5,29859.21%2,76730.92%51.76%5,2982,5311,1198,948
Woodbine PCCCF7,88341.87%2671.42%57.44%7,6163,3307,88318,829
  1. including spoilt ballots
  2. order is as given in EO reports
  3. Albert Wren was already a member of the Legislature
  = open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = other incumbents renominated
  = Liberal-Labour candidate
  = Labour-CCF candidate

Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place [1]
Party in 1st placeParty in 2nd placeTotal
PCLibCCF
Progressive Conservative 65671
Liberal 2121
Liberal–Labour 11
Co-operative Commonwealth 55
Total2765698
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party [1]
Parties1st2nd3rd4th5th
  Progressive Conservative 7127
  Liberal 216511
  Co-operative Commonwealth 5669
  Liberal–Labour 1
 Labour CCF1
  Labor–Progressive 81
  Social Credit 41
  Independent 2
 Independent PC2
 White Canada1
Resulting composition of the 26th Legislative Assembly [1]
SourceParty
PCLibLib-LabCCFTotal
Seats retainedIncumbents returned63101377
Open seats held77
Seats changing handsIncumbents defeated8210
Open seats gained33
Byelection gains held11
Total71211598

Seats that changed hands

Elections to the 26th Parliament of Ontario – seats won/lost by party, 1955–1959
Party1955Gain from (loss to)1959
PCLibCCFL-LI-PC
Progressive Conservative 83(11)(2)171
Liberal 101121
Co-operative Commonwealth 325
Liberal–Labour 11
Independent-PC1(1)
Total9813(1)(11)(2)198

There were 14 seats that changed allegiance in the election.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario New Democratic Party</span> Provincial political party in Ontario, Canada

The Ontario New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. The party currently forms the Official Opposition in Ontario following the 2018 general election. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961 from the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nova Scotia New Democratic Party</span> Political party in Canada

The Nova Scotia New Democratic Party is a social-democratic, progressive provincial party in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the provincial entity of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP). It was founded as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in 1932, and became the New Democratic Party in 1961. It became the governing party of Nova Scotia following the 2009 Nova Scotia election, winning 31 seats in the Legislature, under the leadership of Premier Darrell Dexter. It is the first New Democratic Party in Atlantic Canada to form a government, and the second to form a government in a province east of Manitoba. The party lost government at the 2013 election, losing 24 seats, including Dexter's seat. Gary Burrill, the party’s leader from 2016 to 2022, is credited with bringing the party back to its left-wing roots. The party currently holds 6 seats in the Legislature and has been led by Claudia Chender since June 2022.

There have been various groups in Canada that have nominated candidates under the label Labour Party or Independent Labour Party, or other variations from the 1870s until the 1960s. These were usually local or provincial groups using the Labour Party or Independent Labour Party name, backed by local labour councils made up of many union locals in a particular city, or individual trade unions. There was an attempt to create a national Canadian Labour Party in the late 1910s and in the 1920s, but these were only partly successful.

The United Farmers of Ontario (UFO) was an agrarian and populist provincial political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farquhar Oliver</span> Canadian politician

Farquhar Robert Oliver was a politician in Ontario, Canada.

The Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) (French: Parti communiste du Canada (Ontario)) is the Ontario provincial wing of the Communist Party of Canada. Using the name Labor-Progressive Party from 1943 until 1959, the group won two seats in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario: A.A. MacLeod and J.B. Salsberg were elected in the 1943 provincial election as "Labour" candidates but took their seats as members of the Labor-Progressive Party, which the banned Communist Party launched as its public face in a convention held on August 21 and 22, 1943, shortly after both the August 4 provincial election and the August 7 election of Communist Fred Rose to the House of Commons in a Montreal by-election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Jolliffe</span> Canadian politician

Edward Bigelow Jolliffe was a Canadian social democratic politician and lawyer from Ontario. He was the first leader of the Ontario section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and leader of the Official Opposition in the Ontario Legislature during the 1940s and 1950s. He was a Rhodes Scholar in the mid-1930s, and came back to Canada to help the CCF, after his studies were complete and being called to the bar in England and Ontario. After politics, he practised labour law in Toronto and would eventually become a labour adjudicator. In retirement, he moved to British Columbia, where he died in 1998.

The Liberal–Labour banner has been used several times by candidates in Canadian elections:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)</span> Political party in Canada

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation – The Farmer-Labor Party of Ontario, more commonly known as the Ontario CCF, was a democratic socialist provincial political party in Ontario that existed from 1932 to 1961. It was the provincial wing of the federal Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). The party had no leader in the beginning, and was governed by a provincial council and executive. The party's first Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) was elected by voters in the 1934 Ontario general election. In the 1937 general election, no CCF members were elected to the Ontario Legislature. In 1942, the party elected Toronto lawyer Ted Jolliffe as its first leader. He led the party to within a few seats of forming the government in the 1943 general election; instead, it formed the Official Opposition. In that election, the first two women were elected to the Ontario Legislature as CCFers: Agnes Macphail and Rae Luckock. The 1945 election was a setback, as the party lost most of its seats in the Legislature, including Jolliffe's seat. The party again became the Official Opposition after the 1948 general election, and defeated the Conservative premier George Drew in his seat, when Bill Temple unexpectedly won in the High Park constituency. The middle and late 1940s were the peak years for the Ontario CCF. After that time, its electoral performances were dismal, as it was reduced to a rump of two seats in the 1951 election, three seats in the 1955 election, and five seats in the 1959 election. Jolliffe stepped down as leader in 1953, and was replaced by Donald C. MacDonald.

The 1945 Ontario general election was held on June 4, 1945, to elect the 90 members of the 22nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario.

The 1948 Ontario general election was held on June 7, 1948, to elect the 90 members of the 23rd Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario.

The 1951 Ontario general election was held on November 22, 1951, to elect the 90 members of the 24th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario.

The 1955 Ontario general election was held on June 9, 1955, to elect the 98 members of the 25th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1963 Ontario general election</span>

The 1963 Ontario general election was held on September 25, 1963, to elect the 108 members of the 27th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1967 Ontario general election</span> Canadian provincial election, 1967

The 1967 Ontario general election was held on October 17, 1967, to elect the 117 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1971 Ontario general election</span>

The 1971 Ontario general election was held on October 21, 1971, to elect the 117 members of the 29th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1975 Ontario general election</span>

The 1975 Ontario general election was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada.

The 1943 Ontario general election was held on August 4, 1943, to elect the 90 Members of the 21st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1911 Ontario general election</span>

The 1911 Ontario general election was the 13th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on December 11, 1911, to elect the 106 Members of the 13th Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The 1937 Ontario general election was held on October 6, 1937, to elect the 90 Members of the 20th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs"). It was the 20th general election held in the Province of Ontario.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "1959 general election results". Elections Ontario . Retrieved October 10, 2023.