Hand Hills (electoral district)

Hand Hills was a provincial electoral district in Alberta mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1913 to 1963. It was abolished prior to the 1963 Alberta general election due to redistribution, in favour of the new electoral district of Hand Hills-Acadia.[1]

Hand Hills
Alberta electoral district
Defunct provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of Alberta
District created1913
District abolished1963
First contested1913
Last contested1959

The electoral district took its name from Hand Hills.[2]

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)
Members of the Legislative Assembly for Hand Hills
Assembly Years Member Party
See Stettler electoral district from 1909-1913
3rd  1913–1917     Robert Eaton Liberal
4th  1917–1921
5th  1921–1926     Gordon Forster United Farmers
6th  1926–1930
7th  1930–1935
8th  1935–1940 Wallace Warren Cross
9th  1940–1944
10th  1944–1948
11th  1948–1952
12th  1952–1955
13th  1955–1959
14th  1959–1963 Clinton French
See Hand Hills-Acadia electoral district from 1963-1971

Election results

1910s
1913 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalRobert Eaton96253.36%–
ConservativeAlbert J. Robertson84146.64%–
Total 1,803––
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A––
Eligible electors / turnout 2,936N/A–
Liberal pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1913 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
1917 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalRobert EatonAcclaimed––
Total N/A––
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A––
Eligible electors / turnout N/AN/A–
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1917 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
One of eleven Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta acclaimed under The Elections Act Section 38, which stipulated that any member of the 3rd Alberta Legislative Assembly would be guaranteed re-election, with no contest held, if the member joined for wartime service in the First World War.
An Act amending The Election Act respecting Members of the Legislative Assembly on Active Service., SA 1917, c. 38

1920s
1921 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
United FarmersGordon Forster4,25272.87%–
LiberalRobert Eaton1,58327.13%–
Total 5,835––
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A––
Eligible electors / turnout 8,29170.38%–
United Farmers gain from Liberal Swing N/A
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1921 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
1926 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
United FarmersGordon Forster2,66566.08%-6.79%
LiberalW. G. Anderson77819.29%-7.84%
ConservativeC. L. Sitlington59014.63%–
Total 4,033––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 312––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,29669.01%–
United Farmers hold Swing 0.52%
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1926 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1930s
1930 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
United FarmersGordon Forster2,68964.08%-1.99%
IndependentJ. L. Newman1,50735.92%–
Total 4,196––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 173––
Eligible electors / turnout 5,88074.30%–
United Farmers hold Swing -9.31%
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
1935 Alberta general election: Hand Hills
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditWallace Warren Cross3,27072.20%–
United FarmersC.W. Robinson70715.61%-48.47%
LiberalWm. Gibson55212.19%–
Total 4,529––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 102––
Eligible electors / turnout 5,35286.53%–
Social Credit gain from United Farmers Swing 14.21%
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1940s
1940 Alberta general election: Hand Hills
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditWallace Warren Cross2,54756.39%-15.81%
IndependentWm. McAllister1,97043.61%–
Total 4,517––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 147––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,17975.48%–
Social Credit hold Swing -21.91%
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1940 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
1944 Alberta general election: Hand Hills
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditWallace Warren Cross3,12568.98%12.60%
Co-operative CommonwealthWm. P. Roberts87319.27%–
IndependentWilliam McAllister53211.74%-31.87%
Total 4,530––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 50––
Eligible electors / turnout 5,68880.52%–
Social Credit hold Swing 18.47%
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
1948 Alberta general election: Hand Hills
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditWallace Warren Cross2,77363.31%-5.67%
LiberalJoseph H. Cramer1,60736.69%–
Total 4,380––
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A––
Eligible electors / turnout 5,55078.92%–
Social Credit hold Swing -11.55%
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1950s
1952 Alberta general election: Hand Hills
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditWallace Warren Cross2,80671.02%7.71%
LiberalFred W. Slemp1,14528.98%-7.71%
Total 3,951––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 237––
Eligible electors / turnout 6,07368.96%–
Social Credit hold Swing 7.71%
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
1955 Alberta general election: Hand Hills
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditWallace Warren Cross2,68557.95%-13.07%
LiberalWm. Stainton1,66635.96%6.98%
IndependentArthur D. Brown2826.09%–
Total 4,633––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 260––
Eligible electors / turnout 5,93482.46%–
Social Credit hold Swing -10.02%
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
1959 Alberta general election: Hand Hills
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditClinton French3,05266.13%8.18%
Progressive ConservativeWilliam J. Newman1,07423.27%–
LiberalVal Gobel48910.60%-25.36%
Total 4,615––
Rejected, spoiled and declined 10––
Eligible electors / turnout 5,93477.94%–
Social Credit hold Swing 10.43%
Source(s)
Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Plebiscite results

1957 liquor plebiscite
1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Hand Hills[3]
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 1,669 57.87%
No 1,215 42.13%
Total votes 2,884 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 19
5,504 eligible electors, turnout 52.74%

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.[4]

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.[3]

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts, while Question B passed in all five districts. Hand Hills voted in favour of the proposal with a solid majority. Voter turnout in the district was good, as it was significantly higher than the province wide average of 46%.[3]

Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957.[3] The Social Credit government in power at the time did not consider the results binding.[5] However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act.[6]

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 who wanted a license had to petition for a binding municipal plebiscite in order to be granted a license.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Election results for Hand Hills". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
  2. Place-names of Alberta. Ottawa: Geographic Board of Canada. 1928. p. 61.
  3. Alberta Gazette. Vol. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2, 247–2, 249.
  4. "Albertans Vote 2 to 1 For More Liquor Outlets". Vol L No 273. The Lethbridge Herald. October 31, 1957. pp. 1–2.
  5. "No Sudden Change In Alberta Drinking Habits Is Seen". Vol L No 267. The Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1957. p. 1.
  6. "Entirely New Act On Liquor". Vol LI No 72. The Lethbridge Herald. March 5, 1958. p. 1.
  7. "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

Further reading

51.488°N 112.170°W / 51.488; -112.170

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