1934 Ontario general election

Canadian provincial election From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1934 Ontario general election was the 19th general election held in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 19, 1934, to elect the 19th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs").[1]

Quick facts 90 seats in the 19th Legislative Assembly of Ontario 46 seats were needed for a majority, First party ...
1934 Ontario general election
← 1929
June 19, 1934
1937 â†’
90 seats in the 19th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
46 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Mitchell Hepburn George S. Henry John Mitchell
Party Liberal Conservative Co-operative Commonwealth
Leader since December 17, 1930 1930 1934
Leader's seat Elgin York East Ran in Wentworth (Lost)
Last election 11 90 (new)
Seats won 64 17 1
Seat change Increase53 Decrease73 Increase1
Percentage 46.56% 39.78% 6.98%
Swing Increase15.06pp Decrease16.88pp Increase6.98pp
Premier before election

George S. Henry
Conservative

 Premier after election

Mitchell Hepburn
Liberal

Close

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Mitchell Hepburn, defeated the governing Ontario Conservative Party, led by George Stewart Henry. Hepburn was assisted by Harry Nixon's Progressive bloc of MLAs who ran in this election as Liberal-Progressives on the understanding that they would support a Hepburn led government. Nixon, himself, became a senior cabinet minister in the Hepburn government.

Campaign

The campaign was brief and bitter, and both sides gained ammunition to use during that time.[2] The Liberals were helped by the effects of the Great Depression, in much the same manner as their colleagues in the recent elections in Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.[a][2] They also aggressively pledged to reduce the cost of government once in office,[3] and downplayed the issue of temperance, by pledging to bring recently passed amendments to liquor legislation[4] into force as soon as they attained office.[5]

Under their new leader Mitchell Hepburn, the Liberals were considered to possess more energy in campaigning as a party than at any time since the collapse of the Ross government in 1905.[2] In several meetings (starting in Milton in April 1934), Hepburn especially accused several Conservatives of operating a "tollgate system" in agencies selling British liquor to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario through which they earned kickbacks based on the volume sold.[5]

The Liberals fielded candidates in 81 of the 90 ridings. None of the remaining nine were won by Conservatives: they were taken by 5 Liberal-Progressives, 1 UFO, 1 Liberal-Labour, 1 CCF and 1 Independent.

More information Candidates, Total ...
Riding contests, by number of candidates (1934)
Candidates Lib Con CCF L-P UFO Lib-Lab Ind Ind-Lib Comm Other Total
2 343931178
3 2831222611293
4 1313101416452
5 342213520
6 33323418
Total 8190375211431315261
Close
Election ad for the Ontario Conservatives run in the 1934 Ontario general election

Outcome

The Liberals won a majority in the Legislature, while the Conservatives lost four out of every five seats that they had won in the previous election. Eight Cabinet ministers were defeated, and no riding west of York County returned a Tory MPP.[6] Northern Ontario went solidly Liberal.[7]

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, in its first provincial election, ran 37 candidates[8] and won a seat in the Ontario Legislature for the first time with the election of Samuel Lawrence in Hamilton East.

The United Farmers of Ontario had affiliated with the CCF but disaffiliated immediately prior to the 1934 election due to a row over suspected Communist infiltration of the party. Accordingly, two UFO nominated candidates, incumbent MLA Farquhar Oliver (Grey South) and Leslie Warner Oke, former MLA for Lambton East, ran as UFO candidates rather than with the CCF. Oliver was re-elected and later supported the Hepburn government.

Post-election developments

Three byelections had to be held shortly afterwards in August 1934:

Redistribution and reduction of ridings

Toronto ridings as constituted in 1926
Toronto riding boundaries after 1934 redistribution

The Legislative Assembly was reduced from 112 seats to 90 as a result of an Act passed in 1933:[10]

More information Abolished ridings, New ridings ...
Abolished ridingsNew ridings
Mergers of ridings
Riding abolished; parts transferred to other ridings
Change of name
Close
  1. [1]
    Part transferred to Carleton.
  2. [2]
    Also absorbed part of Bruce South.
  3. [3]
    Also absorbed part of Middlesex North.

A subsequent Act in 1934 modified the limits of several Toronto ridings.[11]

Results

[12]

More information Political party, Party leader ...
Elections to the 19th Parliament of Ontario (1934)
Political party Party leader MPPs Votes
Candidates[13] 1929 Dissol. 1934 ± # % ± (pp)
Liberal Mitchell Hepburn 8111166453Increase727,16846.56%15.06Increase
Conservative George Stewart Henry 9090881773Decrease621,21839.78%16.88Decrease
Co-operative Commonwealth John Mitchell [a 1] 37––11Increase108,9616.98%New
Liberal–Progressive[a 2] Harry Nixon 57452Decrease45,0902.89%1.92Decrease
Independent 14––11Increase19,1031.22%1.16Increase
United Farmers Farquhar Oliver 2111Steady8,6480.55%0.71Decrease
Liberal–Labour 1––11Increase5,8770.38%New
Independent Conservative 322–2Decrease4230.03%2.13Decrease
Labour 111–1Decrease2160.01%0.84Decrease
Independent Liberal 3––––12,2840.79%New
Communist 13––––9,5590.61%0.46Increase
Socialist Labor 5––––1,6260.10%New
Farmer–Labour 1––––6080.04%New
Independent Labour 1––––5340.03%New
Independent Dry 1––––1650.01%New
  Workers 1––––1580.01%New
  Dry Liberal 1––––1070.01%New
Socialist 1––––810.01%New
Total 26111211290-221,561,826100.00%
Blank and invalid ballots 17,267
Registered voters / turnout 2,145,255 73.61% 16.99Increase
Close
  1. [1]
    (party president)
  2. [2]
    Progressive and Liberal-Progressive 1929 results are combined.

Vote and seat summaries

Ternary plots - shift of electoral support (1929-1934)
  • Ternary plot of 1929 results
    1929
  • Ternary plot of 1934 results
    1934
Electoral districts identified by colours of winning parties


More information Party, Seats ...
Seats and popular vote by party
PartySeatsVotesChange (pp)
█ Liberal
64 / 90
46.56%
15.06
 
█ Conservative
17 / 90
39.78%
-16.88
 
█ Liberal–Progressive
5 / 90
2.89%
-1.92
 
█ Co-operative Commonwealth
1 / 90
6.96%
6.96
 
█ United Farmers
1 / 90
0.56%
-0.71
 
█ Liberal–Labour
1 / 90
0.38%
0.38
 
█ Prohibitionist
0 / 90
0.00%
-2.54
 
█ Other
1 / 90
2.87%
0.25
 
Close

Synopsis of results

More information Riding, Winning party ...
Results by riding - 1934 Ontario general election[12][14]
Riding Winning party Turnout
[a 1]		 Votes
Name[a 2] Party Votes Share Margin
#		 Margin
%		 Lib Con CCF L-Prog UFO LL Ind Comm Ind-Lib Ind-Oth Other Total
 
Addington Con 7,22353.81%1,0247.63%79.40%6,1997,223–––––––––13,422
Algoma—Manitoulin Lib 9,24762.87%3,78625.74%79.07%9,2475,461–––––––––14,708
Brant L-P 9,40268.65%5,10837.30%70.69%–4,294–9,402–––––––13,696
Brantford Ind 8,34950.17%2,01412.10%81.55%–6,3351,958–––8,349––––16,642
Bruce Lib 10,10060.07%3,38720.15%77.98%10,1006,713–––––––––16,813
Carleton Con 6,84256.36%1,54512.73%72.73%5,2976,842–––––––––12,139
Cochrane North Lib 5,30453.41%1,98119.95%79.83%5,3043,323770––––––534–9,931
Cochrane South Lib 8,18347.02%3,06117.59%71.56%8,1835,1222,975–––210759–156–17,405
Dufferin—Simcoe Lib 8,39353.60%1,1267.19%76.21%8,3937,267–––––––––15,660
Durham Lib 6,23245.75%2681.97%74.32%6,2325,9641,425––––––––13,621
Elgin Lib 11,92256.58%2,77213.15%82.13%11,9229,150–––––––––21,072
Essex North Lib 7,45950.71%3,03020.60%77.04%7,4594,4291,812––––1,009–––14,709
Essex South Lib 7,11055.56%1,42311.12%66.68%7,1105,687–––––––––12,797
Fort William Lib 9,10062.87%3,72525.73%82.43%9,1005,375–––––––––14,475
Glengarry Lib 6,39161.55%2,39823.09%68.33%6,3913,993–––––––––10,384
Grenville—Dundas Con 8,85953.97%1,3027.93%73.56%7,5578,859–––––––––16,416
Grey North L-P 9,77060.52%3,39621.04%79.81%–6,374–9,770–––––––16,144
Grey South UFO 8,30159.66%2,68919.33%73.46%–5,612––8,301––––––13,913
Haldimand—Norfolk Lib 12,16456.43%2,77112.85%74.32%12,1649,393–––––––––21,557
Halton L-P 6,92950.00%1,3019.39%74.60%–5,6281,3016,929–––––––13,858
Hamilton East CCF 10,45854.86%3,24517.02%67.64%–7,21310,458–––416815––16219,064
Hamilton Centre Lib 11,25051.71%3,22214.81%70.34%11,2508,0282,478––––––––21,756
Hamilton—Wentworth Lib 11,12757.18%4,28422.01%77.45%11,1276,8431,491––––––––19,461
Hastings East Con 6,25751.73%4183.46%78.35%5,8396,257–––––––––12,096
Hastings West Lib 9,62753.26%1,1796.52%80.01%9,6278,448–––––––––18,075
Huron Lib 8,25457.52%2,28115.90%78.86%8,2545,973––––122––––14,349
Huron—Bruce Lib 9,59165.78%4,60231.56%73.25%9,5914,989–––––––––14,580
Kenora L-L 5,87762.41%2,33724.82%71.92%–3,540–––5,877–––––9,417
Kent East L-P 8,39964.60%4,06431.26%72.89%–4,335–8,399[a 3]––267––––13,001
Kent West Lib 11,01658.81%4,87926.04%74.30%11,0166,137––––1,580––––18,733
Kingston Con 7,63453.92%1,1097.83%79.02%6,5257,634–––––––––14,159
Lambton East Lib 7,83556.80%2,40617.44%74.64%7,8355,429––347–183––––13,794
Lambton West Lib 7,47354.75%2,30716.90%76.57%7,4735,166––––1,010––––13,649
Lanark Con 8,46852.27%7374.55%73.20%7,7318,468–––––––––16,199
Leeds Lib 10,19553.24%1,2426.49%77.95%10,1958,953–––––––––19,148
Lincoln Lib 12,92448.85%1,4365.43%76.94%12,92411,4882,047––––––––26,459
London Lib 16,44254.69%3,11910.37%74.95%16,44213,323––––––––30030,065
Middlesex North Lib 7,75354.75%1,3459.50%72.72%7,7536,408–––––––––14,161
Middlesex South Lib 8,23960.33%2,82120.66%73.33%8,2395,418–––––––––13,657
Muskoka—Ontario L-P 10,59056.86%2,55413.71%79.04%–8,036–10,590–––––––18,626
Niagara Falls Lib 9,09653.12%3,98223.25%73.04%9,0965,1142,914––––––––17,124
Nipissing Lib 12,14966.80%6,11133.60%74.90%12,1496,038–––––––––18,187
Northumberland Lib 9,08752.53%8765.06%83.20%9,0878,211–––––––––17,298
Ontario Lib 11,40956.63%5,04625.05%76.42%11,4096,3632,375––––––––20,147
Ottawa East Lib 10,31443.37%3,03912.78%81.10%10,3147,275––––––6,11679–23,784
Ottawa South Con 16,98347.56%2460.69%74.20%16,73716,9831,531––––192–16510035,708
Oxford Lib 11,76750.11%2,47210.53%79.50%11,7679,2952,422––––––––23,484
Parry Sound Lib 7,19962.83%2,94025.66%78.82%7,1994,259–––––––––11,458
Peel Lib 7,96048.42%2441.48%78.04%7,9607,716764––––––––16,440
Perth Lib 16,37160.23%5,56020.45%78.88%16,37110,811–––––––––27,182
Peterborough Con 9,39444.64%340.16%76.36%9,3609,3942,288––––––––21,042
Port Arthur Lib 7,51458.93%3,22825.32%81.10%7,5144,286342–––––––60812,750
Prescott Lib 5,00438.79%2281.77%76.80%5,0043,119––––––4,776––12,899
Prince Edward—Lennox Lib 7,86652.15%6504.31%74.95%7,8667,216–––––––––15,082
Rainy River Lib 4,72568.26%2,52836.52%76.13%4,7252,197–––––––––6,922
Renfrew North Lib 7,77060.86%2,77221.71%76.80%7,7704,998–––––––––12,768
Renfrew South Lib 8,40665.18%3,91530.36%76.00%8,4064,491–––––––––12,897
Russell Lib 6,38154.55%2,97125.40%72.36%6,3813,410––––1,906––––11,697
Sault Ste. Marie Lib 7,53055.47%1,81113.34%77.94%7,5305,719327––––––––13,576
Simcoe Centre Lib 9,00462.59%3,62225.18%74.46%9,0045,382–––––––––14,386
Simcoe East Lib 9,32757.15%2,33414.30%80.64%9,3276,993–––––––––16,320
Stormont Lib 9,43063.06%3,90526.11%72.25%9,4305,525–––––––––14,955
Sudbury Lib 10,51652.88%1,6048.07%76.86%10,5168,912–––––458–––19,886
Temiskaming Lib 5,57348.48%2,30020.01%73.92%5,5733,2732,649––––––––11,495
Victoria Lib 10,62957.11%2,64714.22%81.29%10,6297,982–––––––––18,611
Waterloo North Lib 11,82753.11%6,24128.03%68.87%11,8275,5864,327––––528–––22,268
Waterloo South Lib 8,86050.43%2,33713.30%75.91%8,8606,5232,186––––––––17,569
Welland Lib 10,38655.74%4,16422.35%73.36%10,3866,2222,024––––––––18,632
Wellington North Lib 10,20966.29%5,01732.58%74.10%10,2095,192–––––––––15,401
Wellington South Lib 10,37660.36%3,56120.71%84.97%10,3766,815–––––––––17,191
Wentworth Lib 6,27234.47%1190.65%71.89%6,2726,1535,771––––––––18,196
Windsor—Walkerville Lib 10,10457.58%5,32430.34%76.74%10,1044,7802,151––––512–––17,547
Windsor—Sandwich Lib 9,93456.51%3,95322.49%69.85%9,9345,9811,664––––––––17,579
York East Con 12,81542.60%2,7419.11%69.78%10,07412,8156,223–––225664––8130,082
York North Lib 11,40256.20%3,48917.20%77.52%11,4027,913974––––––––20,289
York South Con 10,15939.70%9803.83%69.06%9,17910,1595,546––––706–––25,590
York West Lib 11,60045.60%2,1198.33%63.36%11,6009,4813,875––––483–––25,439
Beaches Con 7,82244.38%2,87616.32%67.62%4,8597,8224,946––––––––17,627
Bellwoods Lib 9,33955.17%3,97323.47%70.70%9,3395,366––––1,1331,091–––16,929
Bracondale Con 6,45241.10%2891.84%64.84%6,1636,4522,734––––312––3915,700
Dovercourt Con 9,26641.13%4101.82%66.94%8,8569,2664,192–––––––21622,530
Eglinton Lib 12,55646.51%1,6656.17%68.03%12,55610,891––––3,287–––26526,999
High Park Con 8,93442.14%9934.68%68.08%7,9418,9344,327––––––––21,202
Parkdale Con 10,08742.26%2120.89%67.01%9,87510,0873,906––––––––23,868
Riverdale Lib 10,89848.90%5352.40%63.70%10,89810,363––––––––1,02522,286
St. Andrew Lib 6,05542.20%1,3719.55%66.57%6,0554,684–––––2,0301,392188–14,349
St. David Con 6,75140.51%1,0956.57%64.63%5,6566,7514,260––––––––16,667
St. George Lib 8,29645.49%4262.34%62.16%8,2967,8701,862–––210––––18,238
St. Patrick Lib 5,70450.08%180.16%63.00%5,7045,686–––––––––11,390
Woodbine Con 9,33441.76%2,1909.80%65.43%7,1449,3345,666–––205––––22,349
Close
  1. [1]
    including spoilt ballots
  2. [2]
    order is as given in EO reports
  3. [3]
    byelection gain was under the Liberal banner
  = open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = winning candidate was in previous Legislature
  = incumbent switched allegiance for the election
  = incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = other incumbents renominated
  = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
  = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
  = multiple candidates
More information Party in 1st place, Party in 2nd place ...
Party candidates in 2nd place
Party in 1st placeParty in 2nd placeTotal
LibConCCFI-Lib
Liberal 63164
Conservative 16117
Liberal–Progressive 55
United Farmers 11
Liberal–Labour 11
Co-operative Commonwealth 11
Independent 11
Total 16721190
Close
More information Parties, 1st ...
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party
Parties1st2nd3rd4th5thTotal
█ Liberal 6416190
█ Conservative 1772190
█ Liberal–Progressive 55
█ Co-operative Commonwealth 1134137
█ Independent 174214
█ United Farmers 112
█ Liberal–Labour 11
█ Independent Liberal 1113
█ Communist 31013
█ Socialist Labor 224
█ Farmer–Labour 11
█ Independent Conservative 112
█ Independent Labour 11
█ Labour 11
█ Workers 11
█ Dry Liberal 11
█ Independent Dry 11
Close

Reorganization of ridings

More information Riding, Party ...
1929 1934
Riding Party Riding Party
Mergers of ridings
Algoma █ Conservative Algoma—Manitoulin █ Liberal
Manitoulin █ Conservative
Brockville █ Conservative Leeds █ Liberal
Leeds █ Conservative
Bruce North █ Liberal Bruce █ Liberal
Bruce South █ Liberal
Dufferin █ Progressive Dufferin—Simcoe █ Liberal
Simcoe Southwest █ Conservative
Elgin East █ Conservative Elgin █ Liberal
Elgin West █ Conservative
Dundas █ Conservative Grenville—Dundas █ Conservative
Grenville █ Conservative
Haldimand █ Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk █ Liberal
Norfolk █ Conservative
Hamilton West █ Conservative Wentworth █ Liberal
Wentworth South █ Conservative
Lanark North █ Conservative Lanark █ Conservative
Lanark South █ Conservative
Lincoln █ Conservative Lincoln █ Liberal
St. Catharines █ Conservative
London North █ Conservative London █ Liberal
London South █ Conservative
Muskoka █ Conservative Muskoka—Ontario █ Liberal–Progressive
Ontario North █ Conservative
Nipissing █ Conservative Nipissing █ Liberal
Sturgeon Falls █ Conservative
Ottawa North █ Conservative Ottawa South █ Conservative
Ottawa South █ Conservative
Oxford North █ Liberal–Progressive Oxford █ Liberal
Oxford South █ Liberal
Perth North █ Conservative Perth █ Liberal
Perth South █ Conservative
Peterborough City █ Conservative Peterborough █ Conservative
Peterborough County █ Conservative
Prince Edward █ Conservative Prince Edward—Lennox █ Liberal
Frontenac-Lennox █ Conservative
Victoria North █ Liberal–Progressive Victoria █ Liberal
Victoria South █ Conservative
Riding abolished; parts transferred to other ridings
Brockton █ Conservative
Greenwood █ Conservative
Hastings North █ Conservative
Close

Seats that changed hands

More information Party, Gain from (loss to) ...
Elections to the 18th Parliament of Ontario – unaltered seats won/lost by party, 1929–1934
Party 1929 Gain from (loss to) 1934
Con Lib Pro L-Pro UFO Lab I-Con CCF Ind
Conservative 55(39)(1)(1)(1)13
Liberal 8391250
Progressive 3(1)(2)–
Liberal–Progressive 1124
United Farmers 11
Labour[a 1] 11
Independent-Conservative 2(2)–
Co-operative Commonwealth –11
Independent –11
Total7142––(42)3––(3)––––2––(1)–(1)71
Close
  1. [1]
    Incumbent changed affiliation to Liberal-Labour for the 1934 election

Of the unaltered seats, there were 47 that changed allegiance in the election:

See also

Notes and references

Further reading

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI