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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Okotoks-High River
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.

History

Okotoks-High River
Assembly Years Member Party
Riding created from High River, Okotoks and Rocky Mountain
7th  1930–1935     George Hoadley United Farmers
8th  1935–1935     William Morrison Social Credit
 1935–1940 William Aberhart
9th  1940–1944     John T. Broomfield Independent
10th  1944–1948     Ivan Casey Social Credit
11th  1948–1952
12th  1952–1955
13th  1955–1959     Ross Laird Ellis Liberal–Conservative
14th  1959–1963     Ernest George Hansell Social Credit
15th  1963–1967 Edward P. Benoit
16th  1967–1971
Riding dissolved into Highwood

The Okotoks—High River electoral district was formed prior to the 1930 Alberta general election from the Okotoks electoral district, northern portion of the High River electoral district, and a small portion of the Rocky Mountain electoral district. The electoral district was named after the Town of Okotoks and Town of High River.

The Okotoks-High River electoral district would be abolished in the 1971 electoral boundary re-distribution, and merge with the northern portion of the Pincher Creek-Crowsnest electoral district to form the Highwood electoral district.

Electoral history

The first member of the Legislative Assembly elected in the Okotoks-High River electoral district was United Farmers of Alberta representative George Hoadley, who had previously held the former Okotoks electoral district through its entire history from 1909 to 1930. Hoadly would soundly defeat his Liberal opponent and former Mayor from 1928-1929 Malcolm MacGougan.

Hoadley would fail to hold the seat in the 1935 Alberta general election, falling to Social Credit candidate William Morrison. Morrison would defeat two other candidates, Liberal A. S. Dick and future Mayor of Okotoks and Conservative Victor E. Hessell. Morrison would only represent the district for a couple of weeks before resigning to provide a seat for newly confirmed party leader and Premier William Aberhart. Aberhart had convinced Morrison to resign so that he could take the seat and provide cabinet representation to southern Alberta to quell complaints about the lack of ministers for the region. Morrison's resignation occurred before the newly elected Legislative Assembly had its first sitting. Aberhart would only represent the district for one sitting, choosing to contest the 1940 Alberta general election in the Calgary electoral district.

Election results

1930

1930 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Farmers George Hoadley 2,834 62.95% –
Liberal Malcolm MacGougan 1,668 37.05% –
Total 4,502 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 238 – –
Eligible electors / turnout 6,499 72.93% –
United Farmers pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1935

1935 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit William Morrison 3,062 55.78% –
United Farmers George Hoadley 1,005 18.31% -44.64%
Liberal A. S. Dick 970 17.67% -19.38%
Conservative Victor E. Hessell 452 8.23% –
Total 5,489 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 165 – –
Eligible electors / turnout 6,590 85.80% 12.86%
Social Credit gain from United Farmers Swing 5.79%
Source(s)
Source: "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1935 by-election

Alberta provincial by-election, November 4, 1935
Upon the resignation of William Morrison to provide a seat for the Premier
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit William Aberhart Acclaimed – –
Total N/A – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A – –
Eligible electors / turnout N/A N/A –
Social Credit hold Swing N/A
Source(s)
"Past By-Election results". Elections Alberta. Retrieved June 12, 2020.

1940

1940 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent John T. Broomfield 4,352 57.80% –
Social Credit Ivan Casey 3,178 42.20% -13.58%
Total 7,530 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 268 – –
Eligible electors / turnout 9,681 80.55% -5.25%
Independent gain from Social Credit Swing -10.94%
Source(s)
Source: "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1940 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1944

1944 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes
1st count		 % Votes
final count		 ±%
Social Credit Ivan Casey 2,932 44.61% 3,425 2.41%
Independent John T. Broomfield 2,196 33.41% 2,347 -24.38%
Co-operative Commonwealth J. A. Jeffery 1,444 21.97% – –
Total 6,572 – – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 107 – – –
Eligible electors / turnout 9,854 67.78% -12.77% –
Social Credit gain from Independent Swing -2.20%
Source(s)
Source: "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1944 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.

1948

1948 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Ivan Casey 3,077 63.34% 18.73%
Liberal Percy C. Dougherty 1,291 26.57% –
Co-operative Commonwealth Ellis W. Oviatt 490 10.09% -11.89%
Total 4,858 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 1,105 – –
Eligible electors / turnout 9,538 62.52% -5.26%
Social Credit hold Swing 12.78%
Source(s)
Source: "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1952

1952 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Ivan Casey 3,077 70.44% 7.11%
Liberal Harold Sears 1,291 29.56% 2.98%
Total 4,368 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 277 – –
Eligible electors / turnout 7,171 64.77% 2.26%
Social Credit hold Swing 2.06%
Source(s)
Source: "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1955

1955 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal–Conservative Ross Laird Ellis 2,607 51.23% –
Social Credit Ivan Casey 2,482 48.77% -21.67%
Total 5,089 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 178 – –
Eligible electors / turnout 6,815 77.29% 12.51%
Liberal–Conservative gain from Social Credit Swing -19.22%
Source(s)
Source: "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1959

1959 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Ernest George Hansell 2,642 51.42% 2.65%
Independent Ross Laird Ellis 1,427 27.77% -33.46%
Progressive Conservative James S. McLeod 1,069 20.81% –
Total 5,138 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A – –
Eligible electors / turnout 6,939 74.05% -3.24%
Social Credit gain from Liberal–Conservative Swing 10.60%
Source(s)
Source: "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1963

1963 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Edward P. Benoit 2,361 52.70% 1.28%
Progressive Conservative Samuel Brown 1,585 35.38% 14.57%
Liberal Robert E. G. Armstrong 448 10.00% –
New Democratic Bill Steemson 86 1.92% –
Total 4,480 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 13 – –
Eligible electors / turnout 6,842 65.67% -8.38%
Social Credit hold Swing -3.16%
Source(s)
Source: "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1963 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1967

1967 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Edward P. Benoit 2,289 48.85% -3.85%
Progressive Conservative Thomas E. Hughes 2,097 44.75% 9.37%
New Democratic Georgina M. Smith 212 4.52% 2.60%
Liberal Ron A. Baker 88 1.88% -9.12%
Total 4,686 – –
Rejected, spoiled and declined 34 – –
Eligible electors / turnout 6,607 71.44% 5.77%
Social Credit hold Swing -6.61%
Source(s)
Source: "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1967 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Plebiscite results

1957 liquor plebiscite

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Okotoks—High River
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 %
Yes 2,088 62.18%
No 1,270 37.82%
Total votes 3,358 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 33
6,602 eligible electors, turnout 51.36%

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.

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.

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts while Question B passed in all five districts. Okotoks-High River voted in favour of the proposal by a wide margin. Voter turnout in the district was well above the province wide average of 46%.

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

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.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Election results for Okotoks-High River". abheritage.ca. Wayback Machine: Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "Past Mayors". okotoks.ca. Town of Okotoks. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  3. ^ "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  4. ^ "Okotoks-High River Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  5. ^ "Aberhart Chosen Premier Designate". Vol XXVIII No 218. The Lethbridge Herald. August 28, 1935. pp. 1–2.
  6. ^ "Denies Compulsion Used Oust Social Credit Candidate". Vol XXVIII No 222. The Lethbridge Herald. September 3, 1935. pp. 1–2.
  7. ^ Alberta Gazette. Vol. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2, 247–2, 249.
  8. ^ "Albertans Vote 2 to 1 For More Liquor Outlets". Vol L No 273. The Lethbridge Herald. October 31, 1957. pp. 1–2.
  9. ^ "No Sudden Change In Alberta Drinking Habits Is Seen". Vol L No 267. The Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1957. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Entirely New Act On Liquor". Vol LI No 72. The Lethbridge Herald. March 5, 1958. p. 1.
  11. ^ "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

Further reading

50°39′N 113°55′W / 50.65°N 113.92°W / 50.65; -113.92

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