Gleichen (electoral district)
Defunct provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada
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Gleichen was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1963.[1]
 Alberta electoral district | |
|---|---|
| Defunct provincial electoral district | |
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly of Alberta |
| District created | 1905 |
| District abolished | 1963 |
| First contested | 1905 |
| Last contested | 1959 |
History
Gleichen was one of the original 25 electoral districts contested in the 1905 Alberta general election upon Alberta becoming a province in September 1905.
From 1906 to 1913, two Riley brothers, of the Conservative party, took turns with two McArthur brothers (candidates for the Liberal party) in representing Gleichen in the Alberta Legislature. Ezra Riley represented the Gleichen district from 1906 (by-election) to 1910, then resigned but ran in the subsequent by-election, losing to Archibald J. McArthur. After the death of Archibald McArthur, H.W.H. Riley ran as a Conservative Party candidate against Liberal candidate John Peter McArthur, brother to the late Archibald McArthur. The October 31, 1911 by-election became known as the brothers by-election, as each candidate was a brother of a former Gleichen MLA. Riley won the by-election and served Gleichen until the 1913 election, when he ran in the Bow Valley district and was defeated by George Lane of the Liberal party.[2]
From 1924 to 1956, the district used instant-runoff voting to elect its MLA.[3]
The electoral district was merged with Drumheller prior to the 1963 Alberta general election to form the short lived Drumheller-Gleichen electoral district.
The district was named after the town of Gleichen, Alberta.
Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)
| Members of the Legislative Assembly for Gleichen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | Years | Member | Party | |
| 1st | 1905–1906 | Charles A. Stuart | Liberal | |
| 1906–1909 | Ezra H. Riley | |||
| 2nd | 1909–1910 | |||
| 1910–1911 | Archibald J. McArthur | |||
| 1911–1913 | Harold Riley | Conservative | ||
| 3rd | 1913–1917 | John Peter McArthur | Liberal | |
| 4th | 1917–1921 | Fred Davis | Conservative | |
| 5th | 1921–1926 | John C. Buckley | Social Credit | |
| 6th | 1926–1930 | |||
| 7th | 1930–1935 | |||
| 8th | 1935–1940 | Isaac M. McCune | ||
| 9th | 1940–1944 | Donald J. McKinnon | Independent | |
| 10th | 1944–1948 | George E. Bell | Social Credit | |
| 11th | 1948–1952 | |||
| 12th | 1952–1955 | |||
| 13th | 1955–1959 | |||
| 14th | 1959–1963 | |||
| See Drumheller-Gleichen electoral district from 1963-1971 | ||||
Election results
1905
| 1905 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Charles A. Stuart | 667 | 51.03% | – | ||||
| Conservative | John W. Hayes | 640 | 48.97% | – | ||||
| Total | 1,307 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 1,307 | 100.00% | – | |||||
| Liberal pickup new district. | ||||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1905 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1906 by-election
| Alberta provincial by-election, December 7, 1906 Upon Charles Stuart's appointment to the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories in October 1906 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Ezra Riley | 560 | 56.28% | – | ||||
| Conservative | William L. Walsh | 435 | 42.72% | – | ||||
| Total | 995 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | N/A | N/A | – | |||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | ||||||
Source(s)
"By-elections". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 26, 2020. | ||||||||
1909
| 1909 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Ezra H. Riley | 720 | 57.83% | 6.80% | ||||
| Conservative | James Shouldice | 525 | 42.17% | -6.80% | ||||
| Total | 1,245 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 1,666 | 74.37% | – | |||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | 6.80% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1909 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1910 by-election
| Alberta provincial by-election, October 3, 1910 Upon resignation of Ezra Riley in protest against leadership of his party | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Archibald J. McArthur | 1,119 | 54.91% | – | ||||
| Independent | Ezra Riley | 919 | 45.09% | – | ||||
| Total | 2,038 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | N/A | N/A | – | |||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | ||||||
Source(s)
"By-elections". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 26, 2020. | ||||||||
1911 by-election
| Alberta provincial by-election, October 31, 1911 Upon the death of Archibald J. McArthur on June 5, 1911 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Conservative | Harold Riley | 1,370 | 56.29% | – | ||||
| Liberal | John Peter McArthur | 1,064 | 43.71% | – | ||||
| Total | 2,434 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | N/A | N/A | – | |||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | ||||||
Source(s)
"By-elections". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 26, 2020. | ||||||||
1913
| 1913 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | John Peter McArthur | 641 | 52.67% | -5.16% | ||||
| Conservative | George McElroy | 576 | 47.33% | 5.16% | ||||
| Total | 1,217 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 1,565 | 77.76% | 3.39% | |||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | -5.16% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1913 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1917
| 1917 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Conservative | Fred Davis | 762 | 42.76% | -4.57% | ||||
| Liberal | John Peter McArthur | 712 | 39.96% | -12.72% | ||||
| Nonpartisan League | John W. Leedy | 308 | 17.28% | – | ||||
| Total | 1,782 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 2,711 | 65.73% | -12.03% | |||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | -1.27% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen 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 C. Buckley | 1,565 | 59.51% | – | ||||
| Liberal | H. Scott | 1,065 | 40.49% | 0.54% | ||||
| Total | 2,630 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 3,708 | 70.93% | 5.20% | |||||
| United Farmers gain from Conservative | Swing | 8.10% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen 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 C. Buckley | 1,584 | 56.90% | -2.61% | ||||
| Conservative | Hugh Miller | 722 | 25.93% | – | ||||
| Liberal | Frank Lount | 478 | 17.17% | -23.32% | ||||
| Total | 2,784 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 166 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 4,428 | 66.62% | -4.31% | |||||
| United Farmers hold | Swing | 5.98% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1926 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1930
| 1930 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| United Farmers | John C. Buckley | 1,566 | 59.43% | 2.53% | ||||
| Independent | H. S. B. Chamberlain | 1,069 | 40.57% | – | ||||
| Total | 2,635 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 104 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 4,074 | 67.23% | 0.61% | |||||
| United Farmers hold | Swing | -6.05% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1935
| 1935 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Social Credit | Isaac M. McCune | 2,093 | 52.38% | – | ||||
| United Farmers | John C. Buckley | 895 | 22.40% | -37.03% | ||||
| Liberal | V. S. Kimpton | 569 | 14.24% | – | ||||
| Conservative | T. S. Hughes | 439 | 10.99% | – | ||||
| Total | 3,996 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 141 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 4,908 | 84.29% | 17.06% | |||||
| Social Credit gain from United Farmers | Swing | 5.56% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1940
| 1940 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Independent | Donald J. McKinnon | 2,255 | 51.46% | – | ||||
| Social Credit | Isaac M. McCune | 1,457 | 33.25% | -19.13% | ||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | J. H. Coldwell | 670 | 15.29% | – | ||||
| Total | 4,382 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 212 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 6,112 | 75.16% | -9.13% | |||||
| Independent gain from Social Credit | Swing | -5.88% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1940 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1944
| 1944 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Social Credit | George E. Bell | 2,032 | 50.22% | 16.97% | ||||
| Independent | Donald J. McKinnon | 1,072 | 26.50% | -24.97% | ||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | B. C. Henricks | 942 | 23.28% | 7.99% | ||||
| Total | 4,046 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 111 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 5,560 | 74.77% | -0.40% | |||||
| Social Credit gain from Independent | Swing | 2.76% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1948
| 1948 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Social Credit | George E. Bell | 2,354 | 64.37% | 14.15% | ||||
| Independent | Jonathan M. Wheatley | 1,303 | 35.63% | 9.13% | ||||
| Total | 3,657 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 221 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 5,926 | 65.44% | -9.33% | |||||
| Social Credit hold | Swing | 2.51% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1952
| 1952 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Social Credit | George E. Bell | 2,061 | 68.49% | 4.12% | ||||
| Liberal | Charles County | 675 | 22.43% | – | ||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | Aubrey E. Gibson | 273 | 9.07% | – | ||||
| Total | 3,009 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 161 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 5,192 | 61.06% | -4.38% | |||||
| Social Credit hold | Swing | 8.66% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1955
| 1955 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Social Credit | George E. Bell | 1,912 | 51.73% | -16.76% | ||||
| Liberal | Carman Ellis | 1,784 | 48.27% | 25.84% | ||||
| Total | 3,696 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 202 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 5,228 | 74.56% | 13.50% | |||||
| Social Credit hold | Swing | -21.30% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
1959
| 1959 Alberta general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Social Credit | George E. Bell | 2,267 | 60.08% | 8.35% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | A. John Van Wezel | 754 | 19.98% | – | ||||
| Liberal | Carman A. Parkyn | 752 | 19.93% | -28.34% | ||||
| Total | 3,773 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 9 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 5,244 | 72.12% | -2.44% | |||||
| Social Credit hold | Swing | 18.32% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Gleichen Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
Plebiscite results
1948 electrification plebiscite
District results from the first province wide plebiscite on electricity regulation.
| Option A | Option B |
|---|---|
| Are you in favour of the generation and distribution of electricity being continued by the Power Companies? | Are you in favour of the generation and distribution of electricity being made a publicly owned utility administered by the Alberta Government Power Commission? |
| 2,007 56.04% | 1,574 43.96% |
| Province wide result: Option A passed. | |
1957 liquor plebiscite
| 1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Gleichen[4] | |||
| 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 | 1,440 | 61.02% | |
| No | 920 | 38.98% | |
| Total votes | 2,360 | 100% | |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 13 | ||
| 4,885 eligible electors, turnout 48.58% | |||
| Question B1: Should mixed drinking be allowed in beer parlours in Calgary and the surrounding areas? | |||
| Ballot choice | Votes | % | |
| Yes | 5 | 100.00% | |
| No | 0 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 5 | 100% | |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 0 | ||
| 19 eligible electors, turnout 26.32% | |||
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.[5]
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 woman were allowed to drink together in establishments.[4] Question B was slightly modified depending on which city the voters were in.[4]
Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts while Question B passed in all five districts. Gleichen voted overwhelmingly in favour of the plebiscite. The district recorded about average voter turnout, being a couple points above the province wide 46% average.[4]
Gleichen also voted on question B1 with just 19 residents lying inside the electoral district within the corporate limits of Calgary. Only five residents showed up to vote, they unanimously voted to allow mixed drinking.[4]
Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957.[4] The Social Credit government in power at the time did not considered the results binding.[6] However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act.[7]
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 that wanted a licence had to petition for a binding municipal plebiscite in order to be granted a licence.[8]
By-election reasons
- December 7, 1906—Appointment of Mr. Charles Stuart to the Judicial Bench.
- October 3, 1910—Resignation Ezra Riley in protest against leadership of his party.
- October 31, 1911—Death of Mr. Archibald J. McArthur.