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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Wainwright (provincial Electoral District)

Wainwright was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1913 to 2004.

History

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Wainwright
Assembly Years Member Party
See Alexandra electoral district from 1909-1913
and Vermilion electoral district from 1905-1913
3rd  1913–1917     George LeRoy Hudson Conservative
4th  1917–1921
5th  1921–1926     John Russell Love United Farmers
6th  1926–1930
7th  1930–1935
8th  1935–1940     William Masson Social Credit
9th  1940–1944
10th  1944–1948
11th  1948–1952
12th  1952–1955
13th  1955–1959 Henry A. Ruste
14th  1959–1963
15th  1963–1967
16th  1967–1971
17th  1971–1975
18th  1975–1979     Charles Stewart Progressive Conservative
19th  1979–1982
20th  1982–1986 Butch Fischer
21st  1986–1989
22nd  1989–1993
23rd  1993–1997
24th  1997–2001
25th  2001–2002
 2002–2004 Doug Griffiths
See Battle River-Wainwright electoral district from 2004-2019

Election results

1913

1913 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George LeRoy Hudson 711 53.62%
Liberal Henry Yale Pawling 615 46.38%
Total 1,326
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A
Eligible electors / turnout 2,082 63.69%
Conservative pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1913 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1917

1917 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George LeRoy Hudson Acclaimed
Total N/A
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A
Eligible electors / turnout N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1917 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1921

1921 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Farmers John Russell Love 1,877 57.77%
Liberal Harcus Strachan 913 28.10%
Conservative George LeRoy Hudson 459 14.13%
Total 3,249
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A
Eligible electors / turnout 3,273 99.27%
United Farmers gain from Conservative Swing N/A
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1921 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1926

1926 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Farmers John Russell Love 1,609 61.27% 3.50%
Conservative George LeRoy Hudson 1,017 38.73% 24.60%
Total 2,626
Rejected, spoiled and declined 139
Eligible electors / turnout 3,896 70.97% -28.30%
United Farmers hold Swing -3.56%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1926 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1930

1930 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes
1st count
% Votes
final count
±%
United Farmers John Russell Love 1,446 46.63% 1,564 -14.64%
Independent Ernest A. Pitman 1,005 32.41% 1,254
Liberal Stephen R. Bowerman 650 20.96%
Total 3,101
Rejected, spoiled and declined 144
Eligible electors / turnout 4,333 74.89% 3.92%
United Farmers hold Swing -4.16%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1930 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.

1935

1935 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit William Masson 2,382 54.88%
Liberal Peter Milne 953 21.96% 1.00%
United Farmers H. L. Coursier 811 18.69% -27.94%
Conservative Robert Smallwood 194 4.47%
Total 4,340
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A
Eligible electors / turnout 5,191 83.61% 8.72%
Social Credit gain from United Farmers Swing 9.35%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1940

1940 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes
1st count
% Votes
final count
±%
Social Credit William Masson 2,296 43.23% 2,583 -11.65%
Independent N. P. Strachan 1,611 30.33% 2,169
Co-operative Commonwealth Kenneth S. Tory 1,039 19.56%
Independent Progressive Albert Lester Blue 365 6.87%
Total 5,311
Rejected, spoiled and declined 189
Eligible electors / turnout 7,201 76.38% -7.23%
Social Credit hold Swing -10.01%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright 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 % ±%
Social Credit William Masson 2,939 65.71% 22.47%
Co-operative Commonwealth M. D. Meade 1,300 29.06% 9.50%
Labor–Progressive R. Garneau 234 5.23%
Total 4,473
Rejected, spoiled and declined 92
Eligible electors / turnout 6,448 70.80% -5.58%
Social Credit hold Swing 11.87%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1948

1948 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit William Masson 2,877 62.58% -3.12%
Co-operative Commonwealth Stewart Wright 887 19.30% -9.77%
Liberal John Alexander Kelly 833 18.12%
Total 4,597
Rejected, spoiled and declined 314
Eligible electors / turnout 6,979 70.37% -0.43%
Social Credit hold Swing 3.32%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1952

1952 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit William Masson 2,578 58.75% -3.83%
Liberal John Davidson 1,105 25.18% 7.06%
Independent Kenneth S. Tory 705 16.07%
Total 4,388
Rejected, spoiled and declined 301
Eligible electors / turnout 5,443 86.15% 15.78%
Social Credit hold Swing -4.86%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1955

1955 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Henry A. Ruste 2,637 54.86% -3.89%
Liberal John M. Saville 1,537 31.97% 6.79%
Co-operative Commonwealth James Jackson 570 11.86%
Labor–Progressive E. P. Taylor 63 1.31%
Total 4,807
Rejected, spoiled and declined 548
Eligible electors / turnout 7,434 72.03% -14.11%
Social Credit hold Swing -5.34%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1959

1959 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Henry A. Ruste 3,465 72.28% 17.42%
Progressive Conservative Donald Mills 668 13.93%
Liberal Henry D. Frizzell 387 8.07%
Co-operative Commonwealth John Wesley Connelly 274 5.72% -6.14%
Total 4,794
Rejected, spoiled and declined 10
Eligible electors / turnout 7,283 65.96% -6.07%
Social Credit hold Swing 17.73%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1963

1963 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Henry A. Ruste 3,465 76.66% 4.38%
Liberal John M. Saville 668 14.78% -6.71%
New Democratic John Wesley Connelly 387 8.56% 2.82%
Total 4,520
Rejected, spoiled and declined 24
Eligible electors / turnout 7,284 62.38% -3.58%
Social Credit hold Swing 1.77%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1963 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1967

1967 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Henry A. Ruste 3,807 82.83% 6.17%
New Democratic Glenn Valleau 789 17.17% 8.61%
Total 4,596
Rejected, spoiled and declined 38
Eligible electors / turnout 7,307 63.42% 1.04%
Social Credit hold Swing 1.89%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1967 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1971

1971 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Henry A. Ruste 3,311 63.38% -19.45%
Progressive Conservative Clifford Smallwood 1,366 26.15%
New Democratic Gary Luciow 547 10.47% -6.70%
Total 5,224
Rejected, spoiled and declined 28
Eligible electors / turnout 7,272 72.22% 8.80%
Social Credit hold Swing -14.22%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1971 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1975

1975 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Charles Stewart 3,039 59.00% 32.85%
Social Credit Bev Penman 1,616 31.37% -32.01%
New Democratic Harold Tangen 496 9.63% -0.84%
Total 5,151
Rejected, spoiled and declined 8
Eligible electors / turnout 7,291 70.76% -1.46%
Progressive Conservative gain from Social Credit Swing -4.80%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1975 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1979

1979 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Charles Stewart 3,489 56.47% -2.52%
Social Credit Keith Cornish 2,103 34.04% 2.67%
New Democratic Alan Richards 509 8.24% -1.39%
Liberal Sultan Tejani 77 1.25%
Total 6,178
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A
Eligible electors / turnout 8,660 71.34% 0.58%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -2.60%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1979 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1982

1982 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Robert A. (Butch) Fischer 4,589 61.78% 5.31%
Western Canada Concept Bill Veitch 2,145 28.88%
New Democratic Wes Connelly 476 6.41% -1.83%
Liberal Joseph A. Vermette 218 2.93% 1.69%
Total 7,428
Rejected, spoiled and declined 12
Eligible electors / turnout 9,766 76.18% 4.84%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 5.23%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1982 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1986

1986 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Robert A. (Butch) Fischer 4,244 68.56% 6.78%
New Democratic Willy Kelch 1,106 17.87% 11.46%
Western Canada Concept Allen Abrassart 475 7.67% -21.20%
Liberal Joseph A. Vermette 365 5.90% 2.96%
Total 6,190
Rejected, spoiled and declined 11
Eligible electors / turnout 11,100 55.86% -20.32%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 8.90%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1986 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1989

1989 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Robert A. (Butch) Fischer 4,009 67.75% -0.81%
New Democratic Willy Kelch 1,182 19.98% 2.11%
Liberal Joseph A. Vermette 726 12.27% 6.37%
Total 5,917
Rejected, spoiled and declined 19
Eligible electors / turnout 10,801 54.96% -0.91%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -1.46%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1989 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1993

1993 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Robert A. (Butch) Fischer 5,294 54.80% -12.96%
Liberal Evangéline Forcier 1,933 20.01% 7.74%
Social Credit Dale Trefz 1,760 18.22%
New Democratic Tom A. Samuel 674 6.98% -13.00%
Total 9,661
Rejected, spoiled and declined 16
Eligible electors / turnout 15,882 60.93% 5.97%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -6.49%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1997

1997 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Robert A. (Butch) Fischer 6,232 52.74% -2.06%
Social Credit Jerry D. Barber 3,348 28.33% 10.12%
Liberal Ronald Williams 1,568 13.27% -6.74%
New Democratic Lilas I. Lysne 668 5.65% -1.32%
Total 11,816
Rejected, spoiled and declined 29
Eligible electors / turnout 19,756 59.96% -0.97%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -5.19%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 1997 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

2001

2001 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Robert A. (Butch) Fischer 6,910 63.62% 10.88%
Alberta First Jerry D. Barber 1,394 12.83%
Liberal Ronald Williams 1,269 11.68% -1.59%
Independent Jeff Newland 868 7.99%
New Democratic Lilas I. Lysne 420 3.87% -1.79%
Total 10,861
Rejected, spoiled and declined 16
Eligible electors / turnout 19,292 56.38% -3.58%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 13.19%
Source(s)
Source: "Wainwright Official Results 2001 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

2002 by-election

Alberta provincial by-election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative Doug Griffiths 2,924 44.6
Alberta First Jerry D. Barber 1,695 25.9
Liberal Horst Schreiber 1,114 17.0
Social Credit Robin Skitteral 519 7.9
New Democratic Lilas Lysne 227 3.5
Green Colleen Biggs 73 1.1
Turnout 6,552 33.6

Plebiscite results

1957 liquor plebiscite

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Wainwright
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 1,674 50.65%
Yes 1,631 49.35%
Total votes 3,305 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 33
6,897 eligible electors, turnout 48.40%

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 were 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. Wainwright was divided on the issue with the vote almost being a tie. The voter turnout in the district was light but still slightly 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 such as Wainwright 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 Wainwright". 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, 1968. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

Further reading

52°48′N 110°48′W / 52.8°N 110.8°W / 52.8; -110.8