Wetaskiwin (provincial electoral district)

Wetaskiwin
Alberta electoral district
Defunct provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of Alberta
District created1905
District abolished1971
First contested1905
Last contested1967

Wetaskiwin was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1971.[1]

History

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The Wetaskiwin electoral district was one of the original 25 electoral districts contested in the 1905 Alberta general election upon Alberta joining Confederation in September 1905. The district was carried over from the old Wetaskiwin electoral district which returned a single member to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1898 to 1905.[2]

Liberal candidate Anthony Rosenroll who was the incumbent in the previous Northwest Territories' Legislature since 1891 was the first member elected for the Wetaskiwin electoral district.[3]

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

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Members of the Legislative Assembly for Wetaskiwin
Assembly Years Member Party
1st  1905–1909     Anthony Rosenroll Liberal
2nd  1909–1913 Charles H. Olin
3rd  1913–1914
 1914–1917 Hugh John Montgomery
4th  1917–1921
5th  1921–1926     Evert E. Sparks United Farmers
6th  1926–1930
7th  1930–1935     Hugh John Montgomery Liberal
8th  1935–1940     John A. Wingblade Social Credit
9th  1940–1944
10th  1944–1948
11th  1948–1952
12th  1952–1955
13th  1955–1959
14th  1959–1963
15th  1963–1967 Albert W. Strohschein
16th  1967–1971

Legislative election results

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1905

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1905 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal A.L. Rosenroll [sic] 552 66.51%
Conservative R.W. Angus 278 33.49%
Total 830
Liberal pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1905 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

The Returning Officer for the 1905 election was James Kennedy Burgess[4]

1909

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Liberal Charles H. Olin defeated Conservative James George Anderson in the 1909 election. Anderson previously contested the 1908 Canadian federal election in the Strathcona district as an Independent.[5]

1909 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles H. Olin 713 59.82% -6.69%
Conservative James George Anderson 479 40.18% 6.69%
Total 1,192 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A – –
Eligible electors / Turnout N/A N/A –
Liberal hold Swing -6.69%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1909 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1913

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1913 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles H. Olin 780 57.35% -2.46%
Conservative George B. Campbell 580 42.65% 2.46%
Total 1,360 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A – –
Eligible electors / Turnout N/A N/A –
Liberal hold Swing -2.46%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1913 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1914 by-election

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Alberta provincial by-election, November 17, 1914
Upon the death of Charles H. Olin on October 4, 1914
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Hugh John Montgomery 990 66.94% 9.59%
Conservative F. B. Watson 489 33.06% -9.59%
Total 1,479 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A – –
Eligible electors / turnout N/A N/A –
Liberal hold Swing 9.59%
Source(s)
"Historical Results: By-elections". elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

1917

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1917 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Hugh John Montgomery 1,500 68.71% 11.36%
Conservative Robert MacLachlan Angus 683 31.29% -11.36%
Total 2,183 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A – –
Eligible electors / Turnout N/A N/A –
Liberal hold Swing 11.36%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1917 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1921

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1921 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Farmers Evert E. Sparks 1,508 55.36% –
Liberal Hugh John Montgomery 1,216 44.64% -24.07%
Total 2,724 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 3,345 81.43% –
United Farmers gain from Liberal Swing -13.35%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1921 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1926

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1926 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes
1st count		 % Votes
final count		 ±%
United Farmers Evert E. Sparks 1,274 46.16% 1,418 -9.20%
Liberal Hugh John Montgomery 1,198 43.41% 1,266 -1.23%
Conservative J.F. Inglis 288 10.43% – –
Total 2,760 – – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 139 – – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 3,617 80.15% -1.29% –
United Farmers hold Swing -3.98%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1926 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Instant-runoff voting requires a candidate to receive a plurality (greater than 50%) of the votes.
As no candidate received a plurality of votes, the bottom candidate was eliminated and their 2nd place votes were applied to both other candidates until one received a plurality.

1930

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1930 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Hugh John Montgomery 1,713 54.73% 11.32%
United Farmers Evert E. Sparks 1,417 45.27% -0.89%
Total 3,130 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 1 – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 4,040 77.50% -2.65%
Liberal gain from United Farmers Swing 3.35%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1935

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1935 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit John A. Wingblade 2,762 58.21% –
Liberal Hugh John Montgomery 1,149 24.21% -30.51%
United Farmers W. Stevens 506 10.66% -34.61%
Conservative R. H. Inglis 187 3.94% –
Communist A. E. Bolton 141 2.97% –
Total 4,745 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 117 – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 5,671 85.73% 8.23%
Social Credit gain from Liberal Swing 12.27%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1940

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1940 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes
1st count		 % Votes
final count		 ±%
Social Credit John A. Wingblade 2,480 47.19% 2,761 -11.02%
Independent T. S. Steedman 1,874 35.66% 2,179 –
Co-operative Commonwealth H. G. Young 901 17.15% – –
Total 5,255 – – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 77 – – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 7,412 71.94% -13.80% –
Social Credit hold Swing -11.23%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1940 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Instant-runoff voting requires a candidate to receive a plurality (greater than 50%) of the votes.
As no candidate received a plurality of votes, the bottom candidate was eliminated and their 2nd place votes were applied to both other candidates until one received a plurality.

1944

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1944 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit John A. Wingblade 2,700 52.63% 5.44%
Co-operative Commonwealth J. G. Baker 1,259 24.54% 7.40%
Independent Hugh John Montgomery 1,007 19.63% -16.03%
Labor–Progressive David Graham 164 3.20% –
Total 5,130 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 115 – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 6,827 76.83% 4.89%
Social Credit hold Swing 8.28%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1948

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1948 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit John A. Wingblade 2,827 51.65% -0.98%
Liberal Morley Merner 1,414 25.84% –
Co-operative Commonwealth Henry Young 1,232 22.51% -2.03%
Total 5,473 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 215 – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 7,507 75.77% -1.06%
Social Credit hold Swing -1.14%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1952

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1952 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit John A. Wingblade 2,664 54.12% 2.47%
Co-operative Commonwealth Harry Van Dyke 1,029 20.91% –
Liberal William W. Draayer 1,029 20.91% –
Independent Social Credit Arnold D. Olsen 200 4.06% –
Total 4,922 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 354 – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 7,914 66.67% -9.10%
Social Credit hold Swing N/A
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1955

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1955 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes
1st count		 % Votes
final count		 ±%
Social Credit John A. Wingblade 2,695 49.17% 2,756 -4.95%
Liberal Ernest Oscar Larson 1,636 29.85% 1,731 8.94%
Co-operative Commonwealth M. Jevne 892 16.27% 942 -4.63%
Conservative W. C. Kimmel 258 4.71% – –
Total 5,481 – – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 399 – – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 8,135 72.28% 5.61% –
Social Credit hold Swing -6.95%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Instant-runoff voting requires a candidate to receive a plurality (greater than 50%) of the votes.
As no candidate received a plurality of votes, the bottom candidate was eliminated and their 2nd place votes were applied to both other candidates until one received a plurality.

1959

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1959 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit John A. Wingblade 3,352 58.27% 9.10%
Progressive Conservative Robert D. Angus 1,010 17.56% –
Co-operative Commonwealth David Pat. Garland 749 13.02% -3.26%
Liberal Fred R. MacNaughton 642 11.16% -18.69%
Total 5,753 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 14 – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 8,231 70.06% -2.22%
Social Credit hold Swing 10.69%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1963

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1963 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Albert W. Strohschein 3333 61.11% 2.85%
Liberal Albert Dyberg 1298 23.80% 12.64%
New Democratic Leslie Pritchard 823 15.09% 2.07%
Total 5,454 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 9 – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 8,601 63.52% -6.55%
Social Credit hold Swing -1.70%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1963 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1967

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1967 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Albert W. Strohschein 2,879 45.79% -15.32%
Progressive Conservative Dallas Schmidt 2,408 38.30% –
New Democratic Robert P. Christensen 1,000 15.91% 0.82%
Total 6,287 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 17 – –
Eligible electors / Turnout 9,129 68.87% –
Social Credit hold Swing -14.91%
Source(s)
Source: "Wetaskiwin Official Results 1967 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Plebiscite results

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1957 liquor plebiscite

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1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Wetaskiwin[6]
Question A: Do you approve additional types of outlets for the
sale of beer, wine and spirituous liquor subject to a local vote?
Ballot choice Votes %
No 1,892 51.62%
Yes 1,773 48.78%
Total votes 3,665 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 9
7,650 eligible electors, turnout 48.03%

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.[7]

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.[6]

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts while Question B passed in all five districts. Wetaskiwin was the only other city in Alberta aside from Lethbridge to vote against the proposal. The vote was nearly even with the No side winning by a slim margin. The voter turnout in the district was slightly above the province wide average of 46%.[6]

Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957.[6] The Social Credit government in power at the time did not considered the results binding.[8] However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act.[9]

Municipal districts lying inside electoral districts that voted against the Plebiscite such as Wetaskiwin 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.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Election results for Wetaskiwin". abheritage.ca. Wayback Machine: Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  2. ^ "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-30.
  3. ^ "Election results for Wetaskiwin, 1905". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
  4. ^ "Territories Elections Ordinance; Province of Alberta". Vol VI No. 12. The Rocky Mountain Echo. October 30, 1905. p. 4.
  5. ^ "Wetaskiwin Conservatives Convention". The Edmonton Bulletin. March 10, 1909. p. 7.
  6. ^ a b c d Alberta Gazette. Vol. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2, 247–2, 249.
  7. ^ "Albertans Vote 2 to 1 For More Liquor Outlets". Vol L No 273. The Lethbridge Herald. October 31, 1957. pp. 1–2.
  8. ^ "No Sudden Change In Alberta Drinking Habits Is Seen". Vol L No 267. The Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1957. p. 1.
  9. ^ "Entirely New Act On Liquor". Vol LI No 72. The Lethbridge Herald. March 5, 1968. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

Further reading

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