Bruce (Alberta provincial electoral district)

Bruce was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1963.[1]

Bruce
Alberta electoral district
Defunct provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of Alberta
District created1940
District abolished1963
First contested1940
Last contested1959

History

The Bruce electoral district was formed from the Vegreville, Sedgewick, Camrose electoral districts prior to the 1940 Alberta general election. The Acadia electoral district would be abolished and the Vermilion and Vegreville-Bruce 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 Bruce
Assembly Years Member Party
See Vegreville electoral district from 1909-1940
Sedgewickelectoral district from 1909-1940
and Camrose electoral district from 1909-1940
9th  1940–1944     James L. McPherson Social Credit
10th  1944–1948
11th  1948–1952     Earl M. Hardy Social Credit
12th  1952–1955
13th  1955–1959
14th  1959–1963
See Vermilion electoral district from 1963-1971
and Vegreville-Bruce electoral district from 1963-1971

Election results

1940 general election
1940 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
First count
Social CreditJames L. McPherson2,01848.01%–
IndependentB. C. Gilpin1,43334.09%–
Co-operative CommonwealthE. A. Moen7529.19%–
Total 4,203––
Ballot transfer results
Social CreditJames L. McPherson2,20355.30%–
IndependentB. C. Gilpin1,78144.70%–
Total 3,984––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 122––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,02771.76%–
Social Credit pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Bruce 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 general election
1944 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditJames L. McPherson2,02453.76%-5.75%
Co-operative CommonwealthS. Lefsrud1,27433.84%24.65%
IndependentB. C. Gilpin46712.40%-21.69%
Total 3,765––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 97––
Eligible electors / turnout 5,74567.22%-4.54%
Social Credit hold Swing 9.96%
Source(s)
Source: "Bruce 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 CreditEarl M. Hardy2,24857.01%3.25%
Co-operative CommonwealthBeauchamp B. Starky1,08027.39%-6.45%
LiberalAlfred Lefsrud61515.60%–
Total 3,943––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 191––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,45664.03%-3.19%
Social Credit hold Swing 4.85%
Source(s)
Source: "Bruce 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 CreditEarl M. Hardy2,15752.32%-4.70%
Co-operative CommonwealthSigurd Lefsrud1,21029.35%1.96%
LiberalEdwin F. Watson75618.34%2.74%
Total 4,123––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 278––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,47867.94%3.90%
Social Credit hold Swing -3.33%
Source(s)
Source: "Bruce Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1955 general election
1955 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
First count
Social CreditEarl M. Hardy1,97843.27%-8.95%
LiberalClare M. Liden1,52533.36%15.04%
Co-operative CommonwealthNancy Zaseybida99816.85%-12.50%
ConservativeOliver H. Gunderson701.18%–
Total 4,571––
Ballot transfer results
Social CreditEarl M. Hardy2,10550.87%–
LiberalClare M. Liden2,03349.13%–
Total 4,138––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 261––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,50774.26%6.32%
Social Credit hold Swing -5.00%
Source(s)
Source: "Bruce 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 CreditEarl M. Hardy2,32455.22%-39.72%
Progressive ConservativeClifford G. Patterson83319.79%–
LiberalClare L. Liden53412.69%-56.31%
Co-operative CommonwealthEdward I. Thompson51812.31%-4.55%
Total 4,209––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 8––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,44165.47%-8.79%
Social Credit hold Swing 11.23%
Source(s)
Source: "Bruce Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Plebiscite results

1957 liquor plebiscite
1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Bruce[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 1,691 63.31%
Yes 980 36.69%
Total votes 2,671 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 21
6,108 eligible electors, turnout 44.07%

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. Bruce voted against the proposal by an overwhelming margin. The voter turnout in the district was almost equal to the province wide average of 46%.[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 Bruce 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 Bruce". abheritage.ca. Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 22, 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


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