Didsbury
Alberta electoral district
Defunct provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of Alberta
District created1909
District abolished1963
First contested1909
Last contested1959

Didsbury was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1963.[1]

History

The Didsbury electoral district was formed from the Rosebud electoral district prior to the 1909 Alberta general election. The Didsbury electoral district would be abolished and the Olds-Didsbury and Three Hills electoral districts would be formed in its place prior to the 1963 Alberta general election.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Didsbury
Assembly Years Member Party
See Rosebud electoral district from 1905-1909
2nd  1909–1913     Joseph E. Stauffer Liberal
3rd  1913–1917
4th  1917–1921 Henry B. Atkins
5th  1921–1926     Austin Claypool United Farmers
6th  1926–1930
7th  1930–1935
8th  1935–1940     Edward P. Foster Social Credit
9th  1940–1944     Ernest M. Brown Independent
10th  1944–1948     Howard G. Hammell Social Credit
11th  1948–1952
12th  1952–1955
13th  1955–1959 James Lawrence Owens
14th  1959–1960
 1960–1963 Robert Curtis Clark
See Olds-Didsbury electoral district from 1963-1997
and Three Hills electoral district from 1963-1993

Election results

1909 general election

1909 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalJoseph E. Stauffer99373.18%–
ConservativeS. T. Scarlett20815.33%–
IndependentCornelius Hiebert15611.50%–
Total 1,357––
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A––
Eligible electors / turnout 2,05466.07%–
Liberal pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1909 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1913 general election

1913 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalJoseph E. Stauffer94859.32%-13.85%
ConservativeG. B. Sexsmith65040.68%25.35%
Total 1,598––
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A––
Eligible electors / turnout 2,22271.92%5.85
Liberal hold Swing -19.60%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1913 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1917 general election

1917 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalHenry B. Atkins1,39452.80%-6.52%
ConservativeW. L. Tolton1,24647.20%6.52%
Total 2,640––
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A––
Eligible electors / turnout 4,37660.33%-11.59%
Liberal hold Swing -6.52%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1917 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1921 general election

1921 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
United FarmersAustin Claypool2,52859.31%–
LiberalGeo. H. Webber1,73440.69%-12.12%
Total 4,262––
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,62164.37%4.04%
United Farmers gain from Liberal Swing 6.51%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1921 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1926 general election

1926 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
United FarmersAustin B. Claypool2,29257.21%-2.10%
LiberalD. MacDonald89522.34%-18.34%
ConservativeS. P. Williams81920.44%–
Total 4,262––
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,62164.37%4.04%
United Farmers hold Swing 1.90%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1926 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1930 general election

1930 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
United FarmersAustin Claypool1,75654.43%-2.78%
IndependentW. A. Austin1,47045.57%–
Total 3,226––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 144––
Eligible electors / turnout 4,29078.55%17.28%
United Farmers hold Swing -13.00%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1935 general election

1935 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditEdward P. Foster2,73164.24%–
United FarmersAustin Claypool61014.35%-40.08%
LiberalA. Sheline60714.28%–
ConservativeA. S. Gough3037.13%–
Total 4,251––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 114––
Eligible electors / turnout 5,13684.99%6.43%
Social Credit gain from United Farmers Swing 20.51%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1940 general election

1940 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
IndependentErnest M. Brown2,37950.71%–
Social CreditEdward P. Foster2,31249.29%-14.96%
Total 4,691––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 181––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,53874.52%-10.47%
Independent gain from Social Credit Swing -24.23%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1940 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1944 general election

1944 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditHoward G. Hammell2,48559.46%10.18%
IndependentC. C. Gillespie96623.12%-27.60%
Co-operative CommonwealthRaymond C. Bell72817.42%–
Total 4,179––
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,05669.01%-5.51%
Social Credit gain from Independent Swing 17.46%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1948 general election

1948 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditHoward G. Hammell2,64766.19%6.73%
IndependentMatthew Schmaltz93523.38%0.27%
Co-operative CommonwealthRaymond C. Bell41710.43%-6.99%
Total 3,999––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 306––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,67864.47%-4.54%
Social Credit hold Swing 3.23%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1952 general election

1952 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditHoward G. Hammell2,87069.61%3.42%
LiberalLudwig L. Schmaltz1,25330.39%–
Total 4,123––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 192––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,96461.96%-2.50%
Social Credit hold Swing -1.80%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1955 general election

1955 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditJames Lawrence Owens260153.74%-14.87%
CoalitionBen Brown2,23946.26%–
Total 4,840––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 275––
Eligible electors / turnout 7,02472.31%10.35%
Social Credit hold Swing 10.35%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1959 general election

1959 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditJames Lawrence Owens3,04272.15%18.41%
Progressive ConservativeDouglas N. Anderson84920.14%–
LiberalWalter P. Hourihan3257.71%–
Total 4,216––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 740––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,89471.89%-0.42%
Social Credit hold Swing -13.59%
Source(s)
Source: "Didsbury Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1960 by-election

Alberta provincial by-election, November 30, 1960
Upon the death of James Lawrence Owens on September 27, 1960
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditRobert Curtis Clark2,21753.51%-18.64%
LiberalJames A. Lore1,16228.05%20.34%
Progressive ConservativeW. H. Metz76418.44%-1.70%
Total valid votes 4,143––
Rejected, spoiled and declined –––
Electors / turnout –––
Social Credit hold Swing N/A
Source(s)
"By-elections". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 26, 2020.

Plebiscite results

1957 liquor plebiscite

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Didsbury[2]
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 1,961 59.12%
Yes 1,356 40.88%
Total votes 2,429 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 34
6,535 eligible electors, turnout 51.28%

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.[3]

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.[2]

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts while Question B passed in all five districts. Didsbury voted against the proposal by a wide margin. The voter turnout in the district was well above the province wide average of 46% with well over half the electors turning out to vote.[2]

Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957.[2] The Social Credit government in power at the time did not consider the results binding.[4] However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act.[5]

Municipal districts lying inside electoral districts that voted against the plebiscite such as Didsbury 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.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Election results for Didsbury". abheritage.ca. Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 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

51°39′N 114°08′W / 51.65°N 114.14°W / 51.65; -114.14


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