Dunvegan (electoral district)

Dunvegan was a provincial electoral district in Northwestern Alberta that existed twice: from 1959 until 1971, and again from 1986 until 2004. It was mandated to elect a single Member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and it was held by the governing party for every year it existed. The riding was named for the small community of Dunvegan, once home to a fur trade post, and now the site of a provincial park and historic site.

History

Boundary history

The first riding named Dunvegan was created out of the western half of Peace River in 1959. It was bounded on the south by the Peace River and extended north to the Northwest Territories border, containing the entire northwest corner of Alberta.[1] When it was abolished in 1971, the north section of the riding was transferred back to Peace River, and the southern two-thirds of the riding, along with the northern half of Spirit River, became Spirit River-Fairview.

In 1986 Dunvegan was re-created, replacing all of Spirit River-Fairview and a small part of Smoky River. In 1993 it absorbed another part of Smoky River (including the community of Falher) as well as a small part of Peace River (including Grimshaw). It was replaced by Dunvegan-Central Peace in 2004 with no boundary changes.

Representation history

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Dunvegan
Assembly Years Member Party
See Peace River 1905-1959
14th 1959-1963 Joseph Scruggs Social Credit
15th 1963-1967 Ernest Lee
16th 1967-1971
See Spirit River-Fairview 1971-1986
22nd 1986-1989 Glen Clegg Progressive
Conservative
23rd 1989-1993
24th 1993-1997
25th 1997-2001
26th 2001-2004 Hector Goudreau
See Dunvegan-Central Peace 2004-2012

The first MLA for Dunvegan was Joseph Scruggs, who narrowly picked the riding up for the governing Social Credit. He did not run for re-election in 1963, but Ernest Lee held the riding for the government for two more terms.

The riding was then replaced by Spirit River-Fairview, which was picked up by New Democrat leader Grant Notley, who held that riding almost until it was replaced by Dunvegan in 1986.

In that election, the governing Progressive Conservatives would win the riding for the first time, despite an NDP surge elsewhere in the province. MLA Glen Clegg represented the area for five terms, retiring in 2001.

PC candidate Hector Goudreau would hold the riding for the government in its final term, and went on to represent Dunvegan-Central Peace for both terms it existed, as well as Dunvegan-Central Peace-Notley until 2015.

Election results

1950s

Alberta general election, 1959
Party Candidate Votes%
Social CreditJoseph Scruggs1,08038.96%
Progressive ConservativeBennidict Griep66123.85%
LiberalSteven Tachit64823.38%
Co-operative CommonwealthFloyd Johnson38313.82%
Total valid votes[2] 2,772
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 17
Electors / Turnout 3,55178.54%
Social Credit pickup new district.

1960s

Alberta general election, 1963
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditErnest Leonard Lee1,30652.66%+13.70%
LiberalMilt Connery84934.23%+10.85%
New DemocraticRoy Mitchell32513.10%-0.72%
Total valid votes 2,480
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 10
Electors / Turnout 3,79065.70% -12.84%
Social Credit hold Swing +1.43%

NDP swing is compared to the CCF result in 1959.

Alberta general election, 1967
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditErnest Leonard Lee1,28041.84%-10.82%
New DemocraticPhil Thompson1,08035.31%+22.21%
CoalitionJohn Hammond69922.85%-11.38%
Total valid votes 3,059
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 24
Electors / Turnout 4,595 67.09% +1.39%
Social Credit hold Swing -16.52%

Liberal-PC Coalition swing is compared to the Liberal result in 1963.

1980s

Alberta general election, 1986
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeGlen Clegg4,14651.25%+21.32%
New DemocraticJim Gurnett3,94448.75%+12.06%
Total valid votes 8,090
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 32
Electors / Turnout 11,21372.43% +7.47%
Progressive Conservative notional gain from New Democratic Swing +4.63%

The 1986 swing is calculated from the 1984 by-election in Spirit River-Fairview, which had similar boundaries and which was won by Gurnett.

Alberta general election, 1989
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeGlen Clegg4,04956.22%+4.97%
New DemocraticJim Gurnett2,60336.14%-12.61%
LiberalGerald Eherer5507.64%
Total valid votes 7,202
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 13
Electors / Turnout 10,50768.67% -3.76%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing +8.79%

1990s

Alberta general election, 1993
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeGlen Clegg4,65046.05%-10.17%
LiberalHartmann Nagel4,34743.05%+35.41%
New DemocraticSheila Maxwell-Marks1,10010.89%-25.25%
Total valid votes 10,097
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 35
Electors / Turnout 16,27562.25% -6.42%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -22.79%
Alberta general election, 1997
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeGlen Clegg5,14954.64%+8.59%
LiberalFred Trotter3,31435.17%-7.88%
New DemocraticMarg McCuaig-Boyd96110.20%-0.69%
Total valid votes 9,424
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 14
Electors / Turnout 16,06158.76% -3.49%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing +8.24%

2000s

Alberta general election, 2001
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeHector Goudreau5,85767.25%+12.61%
LiberalBruce Rutley1,88821.68%-13.49%
New DemocraticYvonne Sinkevich5085.83%-4.37%
IndependentRon Miller2482.85%
IndependentFred Euler2082.39%
Total valid votes 8,709
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 30
Electors / Turnout 15,90754.94% -3.82%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing +13.05%

References

  1. ↑ "Alberta Heritage Foundation: Constituency Map for the year of 1959". Archived from the original on 2010-12-08. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
  2. ↑ "Alberta Heritage Foundation: Dunvegan Results". Archived from the original on 2010-12-08. Retrieved 2016-08-30.

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