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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Pincher Creek-Crowsnest

Pincher Creek-Crowsnest was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1993.

History

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Pincher Creek-Crowsnest
Assembly Years Member Party
See Pincher Creek electoral district from 1905-1940
and Cardston electoral district from 1905-1940
9th  1940–1944     Ernest O. Duke Social Credit
10th  1944–1948
11th  1948–1952 William A. Kovach
12th  1952–1955
13th  1955–1959
14th  1959–1963
15th  1963–1966
 1966–1967     Garth A. Turcott New Democratic
16th  1967–1971     Charles Duncan Drain Social Credit
17th  1971–1975
18th  1975–1979     Frederick Deryl Bradley Progressive Conservative
19th  1979–1982
20th  1982–1986
21st  1986–1989
22nd  1989–1993
See Pincher Creek-Macleod electoral district from 1993-1997

The Pincher Creek-Crowsnest electoral district was formed prior to the 1940 Alberta general election from the Pincher Creek and Rocky Mountain electoral districts.

The Pincher Creek-Crowsnest electoral district was abolished in the 1993 electoral district re-distribution, and merged with portions of Macleod and Highwood electoral districts to form Pincher Creek-Macleod.

Election results

1940

1940 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes
1st count
% Votes
final count
±%
Social Credit Ernest O. Duke 2,356 42.59% 2,443
Independent C.J. Tompkins 2,129 38.49% 2,210
Dominion Labor Enoch Williams 1,047 18.93%
Total 5,532
Rejected, spoiled and declined 195
Eligible electors / turnout 6,650 86.12%
Social Credit pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest 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

1944 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes
1st count
% Votes
final count
±%
Social Credit Ernest O. Duke 2,109 43.40% 2,228 0.82%
Labour United Enoch Williams 1,788 36.80% 1,870
Co-operative Commonwealth W.H. Irwin 962 19.80%
Total 4,859
Rejected, spoiled and declined 50
Eligible electors / turnout 6,703 73.24% -12.88%
Social Credit hold Swing 1.25%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest 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
1st count
% Votes
final count
±%
Social Credit William A. Kovach 2,210 45.30% 2,292 1.89%
Liberal J. W. Rutherford 998 20.46% 1,045
Labor–Progressive B. R. Swankey 856 17.54%
Co-operative Commonwealth John Lloyd 815 16.70% -3.09%
Total 4,879
Rejected, spoiled and declined 498
Eligible electors / turnout 7,465 72.03% -1.21%
Social Credit hold Swing 9.12%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1948 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.

1952

1952 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit William A. Kovach 3,207 76.09% 30.79%
Liberal Thomas J. Costigan 1,008 23.91% 3.46%
Total 4,215
Rejected, spoiled and declined 429
Eligible electors / turnout 7,446 62.37% -9.66%
Social Credit hold Swing 13.66%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1955

1955 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit William A. Kovach 2,799 61.44% -14.65%
Liberal–Conservative H. Ferguson 1,394 30.60%
Labor–Progressive B. R. Swankey 363 7.97%
Total 4,556
Rejected, spoiled and declined 288
Eligible electors / turnout 6,614 73.24% 10.87%
Social Credit hold Swing -10.67%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1959

1959 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit William A. Kovach 3,145 67.09% 5.65%
Progressive Conservative Alex Grant 1,133 24.17%
Liberal C. Boyden 410 8.75%
Total 4,688
Rejected, spoiled and declined 14
Eligible electors / turnout 6,280 74.87% 1.63%
Social Credit hold Swing 6.04%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1963

1963 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit William A. Kovach 2,524 54.43% -12.65%
Progressive Conservative Frank Lynch-Staunton 953 20.55% -3.62%
New Democratic Arthur Lees 621 13.39%
Liberal Thomas J. Costigan 539 11.62% 2.88%
Total 4,637
Rejected, spoiled and declined 11
Eligible electors / turnout 6,847 67.88% -6.99%
Social Credit hold Swing -4.52%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1963 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1966 by-election

Alberta provincial by-election, October 6, 1966
Upon the death of William A. Kovach
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Garth A. Turcott 1,767 34.53% 21.14%
Social Credit J. H. Hanrahan 1,631 31.87% -22.56%
Progressive Conservative Alexander B. Wells 951 18.59% -1.96%
Liberal F. Benton Murphy 768 15.01% 3.39%
Total valid votes 5,117
Rejected, spoiled, and declined
Electors / turnout
New Democratic gain from Social Credit Swing N/A
Source(s)
"By-elections". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 26, 2020.

1967

1967 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Charles Duncan Drain 2,345 46.03% 15.16%
New Democratic Garth A. Turcott 1,772 34.79% 0.26%
Progressive Conservative Alexander B. Wells 722 14.17% -4.42%
Liberal F. Benton Murphy 255 5.01% -10.00%
Total 5,094
Rejected, spoiled and declined 28
Eligible electors / turnout 6,574 77.91% 10.03%
Social Credit gain from New Democratic Swing N/A
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1967 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1971

1971 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Charles Duncan Drain 2,379 43.06% -2.98%
Progressive Conservative Morgan Johnson 1,791 32.42% 18.24%
New Democratic Clarence W. Smith 1,355 24.52% -10.26%
Total 5,525
Rejected, spoiled and declined 31
Eligible electors / turnout 7,284 76.28% -1.64%
Social Credit hold Swing -0.30%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1971 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1975

1975 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Frederick Deryl Bradley 3,209 60.21% 27.79%
Social Credit Charles Drain 1,837 34.47% -8.59%
New Democratic David Elliot 235 4.41% -20.12%
Independent Gwen Gyulai 49 0.92%
Total 5,330
Rejected, spoiled and declined 35
Eligible electors / turnout 7,488 71.65% -4.63%
Progressive Conservative gain from Social Credit Swing 7.55%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1975 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1979

1979 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Frederick Deryl Bradley 3,567 60.67% 0.47%
Social Credit Robert (Bob) Westrop 1,503 25.57% -8.90%
New Democratic Ian Downie 628 10.68% 6.27%
Liberal Ann Gill 181 3.08%
Total 5,879
Rejected, spoiled and declined 24
Eligible electors / turnout 8,788 67.17% -4.48%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 4.68%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1979 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1982

1982 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Frederick Deryl Bradley 4,388 64.69% 4.02%
New Democratic Mike Cooper 1,636 24.12% 13.44%
Western Canada Concept Dennis Olson 650 9.58%
Liberal Jerry Potts 109 1.61% -1.47%
Total 6,783
Rejected, spoiled and declined 18
Eligible electors / turnout 9,188 74.02% 6.85%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 2.73%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1982 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1986

1986 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Frederick Deryl Bradley 3,134 51.53% -13.16%
New Democratic Mike Cooper 2,948 48.47% 24.35%
Total 6,082
Rejected, spoiled and declined 21
Eligible electors / turnout 9,251 65.97% -8.05%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -18.76%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1986 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1989

1989 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Frederick Deryl Bradley 3,262 52.68% 1.15%
New Democratic Mike Cooper 2,119 34.22% -14.25%
Liberal Stan Stoklosa 811 13.10%
Total 6,192
Rejected, spoiled and declined 14
Eligible electors / turnout 9,044 68.62% 2.65%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 7.70%
Source(s)
Source: "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Official Results 1989 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Plebiscite results

1957 liquor plebiscite

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Pincher Creek-Crowsnest
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 1,656 65.87%
No 858 34.13%
Total votes 2,514 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 9
6,009 eligible electors, turnout 41.99%

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. Pincher Creek-Crowsnest voted in favour of the proposal with a near landslide majority. Voter turnout in the district was poor, as it fell significantly below 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 Pincher Creek-Crowsnest". abheritage.ca. Wayback Machine: Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  2. ^ Alberta Gazette. Vol. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2, 247–2, 249.
  3. ^ "Albertans Vote 2 to 1 For More Liquor Outlets". Vol L No 273. The Lethbridge Herald. October 31, 1957. pp. 1–2.
  4. ^ "No Sudden Change In Alberta Drinking Habits Is Seen". Vol L No 267. The Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1957. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Entirely New Act On Liquor". Vol LI No 72. The Lethbridge Herald. March 5, 1958. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

Further reading

49°27′N 114°34′W / 49.45°N 114.57°W / 49.45; -114.57