Athabasca (provincial electoral district)

Athabasca was a provincial electoral district covering north east Alberta, Canada.

The riding, was created in 1905 when Alberta first became a province. The riding disappeared in 1986 when it merged with Lac La Biche to form the riding of Athabasca-Lac La Biche.

Athabasca history

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Athabasca[1]
Assembly Years Member Party
1st 1905–1909 William Bredin Liberal
2nd 1909–1913 Jean Côté
3rd 1913–1917 Alexander MacKay
4th 1917–1918
1918 Vacant
1918–1920 Alexander MacKay Liberal
1920 Vacant
1920 George Mills Liberal
5th 1921–1926
1926 Independent Liberal
6th 1926–1930 John Frame Liberal
1930 United Farmers
7th 1930–1935 Frank Falconer Liberal
8th 1935 Clarence Tade Social Credit
1935 Vacant
1935–1938 Charles Ross Social Credit
1938 Vacant
1938–1940 Clarence Tade Social Credit
9th 1940–1944 Gordon Lee
10th 1944–1948
11th 1948–1952
12th 1952–1955 Antonio Aloisio
13th 1955–1959 Richard Hall Liberal
14th 1959–1963 Antonio Aloisio Social Credit
15th 1963–1967
16th 1967–1971
17th 1971–1975 Frank Appleby Progressive Conservative
18th 1975–1979
19th 1979–1982
20th 1982–1986
See Athabasca-Lac La Biche 1986-1993

Election results

1905 general election

Returning Officer[2]
Henry Barrington Round

The Athabasca electoral district was created in 1905 as part of the original twenty-five electoral districts when Alberta was formed into a province from the Northwest Territories. The district consisted mostly undeveloped wilderness covering the eastern half of northern Alberta. In 1905 the primary occupation was hunting and trapping and the local economy existed around the fur trade. The town of Athabasca which was the only major settlement in the district was experiencing a boom at that time as people flocked north to buy real estate.[3]

1905 Alberta general election results[4]
Affiliation Candidate Votes
  Liberal William Bredin Acclaimed

The provincial Liberal party nominated candidate William Fletcher Bredin as their candidate. He was a pioneer fur trader who was well known in the district.[5] Bredin made history by becoming the first person acclaimed to serve in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.[4] The provincial Conservative party being very weak in organization in northern Alberta was unable to find a candidate to oppose him. This was the only electoral district during this general election that sent a candidate to Edmonton by acclimation.

1975 - 1982

1982 Results Turnout 77.60% 1979 Results Turnout 67.73% 1975 Results Turnout 69.97%
Affiliation Candidate Votes
 % Affiliation Candidate Votes % Affiliation Candidate Votes
 %
  Progressive Conservative Frank Pierpoint Appleby 5,342 57.03%     Progressive Conservative Frank Pierpoint Appleby 4,153 55.46%     Progressive Conservative Frank Pierpoint Appleby 3,723 59.88%
  N.D.P. Ed Caraher 1,952 20.85% N.D.P. Peter Opryshko 1,792 23.93%     N.D.P. Peter Opryshko 1,686 27.12%
Western Canada ConceptCon Sehn1,53816.43% Social Credit Ernest Master 989 13.21% Social Credit Peter Hupka 582 9.36%
  Social Credit Adam Hauch 529 5.65% Liberal Robert Logan 554 7.40% Liberal John Murphy 226 3.64%
Total 9,361 100% Total 7,488 100% Total 6,217 100%

1963 - 1971

1971 Results Turnout 76.452% 1967 Results Turnout 68.59% 1963 Results Turnout 73.21%
Affiliation Candidate Votes
 % Affiliation Candidate Votes % Affiliation Candidate Votes
 %
  Progressive Conservative Frank Pierpoint Appleby 3,261 46.71%     Social Credit Antonio Aloisio 1,733 45.11%     Social Credit Antonio Aloisio 2,241 50.83%
  Social Credit Allan Gerlach 2,585 37.02% N.D.P. George Opryshko 1,170 30.45%     Liberal Dave Hunter 1,827 41.44%
  N.D.P. Peter Opryshko 1,136 16.27% Liberal Dave Hunter 939 24.44% N.D.P. Judith Johnston 223 5.06%
Communist Trygve Hansen 118 2.67%
Total 6,982 100% Total 3,842 100% Total 4,258 100%

1955 - 1959

1959 Results Turnout 71.80% 1955 Ballot Transfer Results Turnout 71.80%
Affiliation Candidate Votes
 % Affiliation Candidate 1st % Last %
  Social Credit Antonio Aloisio 2,333 54.29%     Liberal Richard Hall 2,069 46.34% 2,145 50.57%
  Liberal Richard Hall 1,069 24.88%     Social Credit Antonio Aloisio 2,073 46.43% 2,097 49.43%
  Progressive Conservative Robert Shopland 707 16.45% Labor–Progressive John Harry 293 7.23% Eliminated
Labor–Progressive John Harry 188 4.38%
Total 4,297 100% Total 4,435 100% 4,242 100%

1948 - 1952

1952 Results Turnout 65.42% 1948 Results Turnout 59.02%
Affiliation Candidate Votes
 % Affiliation Candidate Votes %
  Social Credit Antonio Aloisio 2,012 50.78%     Social Credit Gordon W. Lee 2,374 52.08%
  Liberal Val Brekenridge 864 21.81% C.C.F. Norman Shopland 1,226 26.90%
     C.C.F. J. Lyall McMillan 623 15.72 Liberal Victor Hicks 958 21.02%
  Non-Partisan Farmer Sam Nowakowsky 463 11.69%
Total 3,962 100% Total 4,558 100%

1944 general election

1944 Alberta general election results[6] Turnout 61.39%
Affiliation Candidate Votes %
  Social Credit Gordon W. Lee 2,288 53.73%
     Cooperative Commonwealth John Ball 1,410 33.11%
Labor–ProgressiveG.J. McKenzie56013.16%
Total 4,258 100%
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined 120

1938 - 1940

1940 Ballot Transfer Results Turnout 61.92% 1938 by-election Results Turnout 75.56%
Affiliation Candidate 1st % Last % Affiliation Candidate Votes
 %
  Social Credit Gordon Lee 1,965 48.13% 2,078 58.13%     Social Credit Clarence Tade 1,743 70.43%
  Independent M.P. Cordingley 1,336 32.72% 1,497 41.87%     Liberal C.J.R. Whiteley 1,479 29.57%
     Cooperative Commonwealth Norman Shopland 782 19.15% Eliminated
Total 4,083 100% 3,575 100% Total 3,222 100%

1930 - 1935

1935 by-election Results Turnout n/a% 1935 Results Turnout 71.04% 1930 Results Turnout 62.10%
Affiliation Candidate Votes Affiliation Candidate Votes % Affiliation Candidate Votes
 %
  Social Credit Charles Ross Acclaimed     Social Credit Clarence Tade 1,764 58.24     Liberal Frank Falconer 1,057 55.11%
Liberal Frank Falconer 950 31.36%     United Farmers John W. Frame 861 45.89%
Conservative Angus McLeod 315 10.40%
Total n/a Total 3,029 100% Total 1,918 100%

1921 - 1926

1926 Ballot Transfer Results Turnout 68.34% 1921 Results Turnout 64.50%
Affiliation Candidate 1st % Last % Affiliation Candidate Votes
 %
  Liberal John W. Frame 373 32.89% 451 55.41%     Liberal George Mills 1,043 70.43%
United Farmers J.P. Evans 295 26.01% 363 44.59%     Conservative John Angelo 438 29.57%
  Conservative W.J. Dent 245 21.61% Eliminated
  Independent Liberal George Mills 221 19.49% Eliminated
Total 1,134 100% 814 100% Total 1481 100%

1917 - 1920

1920 by-election Results Turnout 52.91% 1918 by-election Results Turnout n/a% 1917 Results Turnout 71.66%
Affiliation Candidate Votes % Affiliation Candidate Votes Affiliation Candidate Votes
 %
  Liberal George Mills 640 69.12%     Liberal Alexander MacKay Acclaimed     Liberal Alexander MacKay 752 65.79%
  Independent James Cornwall 286 30.88%     Conservative A.F. Fugl 391 34.21%
Total 926 100% Total n/a Total 1,143 100%

1909 - 1913

1913 Results Turnout 53.86% 1909 Results Turnout 62.26%
Affiliation Candidate Votes % Affiliation Candidate Votes %
  Liberal Alexander MacKay 414 65.20%     Liberal Jean Côté 230 59.59%
  Conservative James L. Wood 221 34.80     Liberal William Bredin 149 38.60%
    Conservative V. Maurice 7 1.81%
Total 635 100% Total 386 100%

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?
1,262     29.08% 3,077     70.92%
Province wide result: Option A passed.

1957 liquor plebiscite

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Athabasca[7]
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 1,161 64.11%
No 650 35.89%
Total Votes 1,811 100%
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined 62
5,774 Eligible Electors, Turnout 32.44%

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.[8]

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.[7]

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts while Question B passed in all five districts. Athbasca voted by a large majority in favor of the issue. The district recorded one of the lowest turnouts. It was well below the province wide 46% average.[7]

Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957.[7] The Social Credit government in power at the time did not considered the results binding.[9] However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act.[10]

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 license had to petition for a binding municipal plebiscite in order to be granted a license.[11]

By-election's and Member Party Changes

  • September 27, 1918—Appointment of Mr. Alexander Grant MacKay as the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
  • June 3, 1920—Death of Mr. Alexander Grant MacKay.
  • November 4, 1935—Resignation Mr. Clarence Tade to provide a seat for Minister Charles Cathmer Ross.
  • November 7, 1938—Death of Mr. Charles Cathmer Ross.
  • 1921 - 1926—Mr. George Mills becomes an Independent Liberal date not available
  • 1926 - 1930—Mr. John W. Frame crosses the floor from the Liberals to the United Farmers of Alberta. date not available

References

  1. ↑ "Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta 1905-2006" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Territories Elections Ordinance; Province of Alberta". Vol VI No. 12. The Rocky Mountain Echo. October 30, 1905. p. 4.
  3. ↑ "Athabasca History". Athabasca Heritage Society. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  4. 1 2 "Athabasca election results 1905". Alberta Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  5. ↑ "The Roots & Birth of Mirror 1870 to 1930". Mirror and District Museum. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  6. ↑ "Athabasca Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Alberta Gazette. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2, 247–2, 249.
  8. ↑ "Albertans Vote 2 to 1 For More Liquor Outlets". Vol L No 273. The Lethbridge Herald. October 31, 1957. pp. 1–2.
  9. ↑ "No Sudden Change In Alberta Drinking Habits Is Seen". Vol L No 267. The Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1957. p. 1.
  10. ↑ "Entirely New Act On Liquor". Vol LI No 72. The Lethbridge Herald. March 5, 1968. p. 1.
  11. ↑ "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

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