1956 British Columbia general election

The 1956 British Columbia general election was the 25th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 13, 1956, and held on September 19, 1956. The new legislature met for the first time on February 7, 1957.

1956 British Columbia general election

← 1953 September 19, 1956 1960 →

52 seats of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
27 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader W. A. C. Bennett Robert Strachan Arthur Laing
Party Social Credit CCF Liberal
Leader since 1952 1956 1953
Leader's seat South Okanagan Cowichan-Newcastle Vancouver-Point Grey (lost re-election)
Last election 28 14 4
Seats won 39 10 2
Seat change Increase 11 Decrease 4 Decrease 2
Popular vote 374,711 231,511 177,922
Percentage 45.84% 28.32% 21.77%
Swing Increase 8.09 Decrease 2.53 Decrease 1.82

Premier before election

W. A. C. Bennett
Social Credit

Premier after election

W. A. C. Bennett
Social Credit

The conservative Social Credit of Premier W.A.C. Bennett was re-elected with a majority in the legislature to a third term in government with over 45% of the popular vote.

The social democratic CCF formed the official opposition.

The British Columbia Liberal Party lost two of its four seats despite winning over 20% of the popular vote.

The Progressive Conservative Party lost its single seat in the legislature, and would not win a seat again until the 1972 election.

One seat was won by a Labour candidate, Tom Uphill of Fernie.

Changes to election laws

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In 1953, as part of a revision to the Provincial Elections Act, the voting age was reduced from 21 to 19.[1] As well, the instant runoff voting system that was in effect for the 1952 and 1953 elections was abolished and the previous first past the post rules were revived.

In 1955, a further Act was passed that increased the Legislative from 48 members to 52 through the following changes:[2]

Results

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Elections to the 25th Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (1956)[3]
Political party Party leader MLAs Votes[a 1]
Candidates 1953 1956 ± # ± % ± (pp)
Social Credit W.A.C. Bennett 52 28 39 11  374,711 99,940  45.84 8.09 
Co-operative Commonwealth Bob Strachan 51 14 10 4  231,511 6,998  28.32 2.53 
Liberal Arthur Laing 52 4 2 2  177,922 6,161  21.77 1.82 
Progressive Conservative Deane Finlayson 22 1 1  25,373 15,407  3.11 2.49 
Labour Tom Uphill 1 1 1   1,321 280  0.16 0.06 
Labor–Progressive 14 3,381 4,115  0.41 0.62 
Independent 7 3,178 1,207  0.39 0.12 
Total 199 48 52 817,397 100.00%
Rejected ballots[4] 6,642 37,124 
Actual voters who voted[4] 509,409 12,643  65.43% 5.12 
Registered voters[4] 778,587 38,581 
  1. ^ Measured against 1953 first-preference votes.
Seats and popular vote by party[3]
Party Seats Votes Change (pp)
 Social Credit
39 / 52
45.84%
8.09 8.09
 
 Co-operative Commonwealth
10 / 52
28.52%
-2.53
 
 Liberal
2 / 52
21.77%
-1.82
 
 Progressive Conservative
0 / 52
3.11%
-2.49
 
 Other
1 / 52
0.76%
-1.25
 

MLAs elected

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  1. ^ Died before the opening of the new Legislative Assembly. His son-in-law Cedric Cox won the subsequent byelection.

Synopsis of results

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Results by riding - 1956 British Columbia general election (single-member districts)[5]
Riding Winning party Votes
Name 1953 Party Votes Share Margin
#
Margin
%
SC CCF Lib PC LPP Ind Total
 
Alberni CCF CCF 3,362 50.60% 1,468 22.09% 1,894 3,362 1,388 6,644
Atlin CCF SC 454 48.04% 94 9.94% 454 360 131 945
Cariboo SC SC 3,014 60.86% 1,873 37.82% 3,014 797 1,141 4,952
Chilliwack SC SC 9,008 57.10% 5,890 37.34% 9,008 2,992 3,118 658 15,776
Columbia SC SC 1,074 54.41% 422 21.38% 1,074 248 652 1,974
Comox CCF SC 4,916 41.63% 361 3.06% 4,916 4,555 2,339 11,810
Cowichan-Newcastle CCF CCF 5,015 51.18% 1,842 18.80% 3,173 5,015 1,611 9,799
Cranbrook CCF CCF 3,321 53.26% 1,309 20.99% 2,012 3,321 902 6,235
Dewdney SC SC 10,267 47.49% 3,056 14.14% 10,267 7,211 4,141 21,619
Esquimalt SC SC 3,530 43.70% 1,517 18.78% 3,530 2,013 1,714 821 8,078
Fernie Lab Lab 1,321 42.43% 140 4.49% 1,181 611 1,321 3,113
Fort George SC SC 3,774 58.48% 2,398 37.16% 3,774 1,304 1,376 6,454
Grand Forks-Greenwood CCF CCF 877 42.57% 11 0.53% 866 877[a 1] 317 2,060
Kamloops SC SC 4,948 61.02% 2,931 36.15% 4,948 1,144 2,017 8,109
Kaslo-Slocan CCF CCF 1,512 54.31% 537 19.29% 975 1,512 297 2,784
Lillooet Lib SC 2,055 52.41% 1,096 27.95% 2,055 907 959 3,921
Mackenzie CCF CCF 4,502 48.41% 1,256 13.50% 3,246 4,502 1,362 189 9,299
Nanaimo and the Islands PC SC 3,827 45.52% 864 12.60% 3,827 2,963 2,142 69 9,001
Nelson-Creston SC SC 4,190 51.02% 1,859 22.64% 4,190 2,331 1,622 70 8,213
New Westminster CCF CCF 4,469 38.83% 293 2.55% 4,176 4,469 2,220 645 11,510
North Okanagan SC SC 4,583 54.74% 2,311 27.60% 4,583 1,429 2,272 88 8,372
North Peace River New SC 1,087 53.23% 664 32.52% 1,087 359 423 173[a 2] 2,042
Oak Bay Lib Lib 3,940 49.38% 1,249 15.65% 2,691 429 3,940 919 7,979
Omineca SC SC 1,685 54.06% 838 26.89% 1,685 585 847 3,117
Prince Rupert Lib SC 2,151 42.39% 487 9.60% 2,151 1,259 1,664 5,074
Revelstoke CCF SC 1,339 49.81% 354 13.17% 1,339 985 364 2,688
Rossland-Trail SC SC 5,097 50.23% 2,258 22.25% 5,097 2,839 1,960 252 10,148
Saanich SC SC 6,542 39.45% 1,103 6.65% 6,542 5,439 3,344 1,257 16,582
Salmon Arm SC SC 2,131 51.24% 677 16.28% 2,131 1,454 339 487 4,159
Similkameen SC SC 5,189 53.94% 2,989 31.07% 5,189 2,200 1,744 487 9,620
Skeena CCF SC 1,886 37.01% 63 1.24% 1,886 1,823 1,387 5,096
South Okanagan SC SC 7,694 69.70% 6,031 54.63% 7,694 1,663 1,230 451 11,038
South Peace River New SC 1,787 50.80% 512 14.56% 1,787 1,275 456 3,518
Yale SC SC 1,315 47.34% 612 22.03% 1,315 599 703 161 2,778
  1. ^ Lois Haggen accepted the nomination after her husband Rupert Haggen chose to retire because of health problems.
  2. ^ Campaigned as People's Party of BC.
  = open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = winning candidate was in previous Legislature
  = incumbent had switched allegiance
  = previously incumbent in another riding
  = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
  = incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = other incumbents renominated
  = campaigned as Independent SC
  = multiple candidates
Results by riding - 1956 British Columbia general election (multiple-member districts)[5]
Riding Winning party Votes Voters
who voted[6]
Name MLAs 1953 1956 SC CCF Lib PC LPP Ind Total
Burnaby 2
  1
  2
12,103 15,304 3,972 513 60,540 31,243
11,583 12,692 3,895 478
Delta 2
  1
  2
18,848 11,202 5,149 355 69,066 35,578
17,762 10,798 4,680 272
North Vancouver 2
  1
  2
11,974 4,718 8,425 5,121 211 902[a 1] 53,719 28,602
11,298 4,266 6,386 191 227
Vancouver-Burrard 2
  2
  2
12,824 7,826 4,972 1,095 260 203 52,369 27,798
12,180 7,322 4,424 1,006 257
Vancouver Centre 2
  2
  2
9,112 4,561 3,996 969 485 36,302 19,128
8,614 4,393 3,727 445
Vancouver East 2
  2
  1
  1
18,640 19,774 4,229 720 84,422 44,795
17,821 18,541 4,156 541
Vancouver-Point Grey 3
  2
  1
  3
25,615 11,365 17,801 3,324 318 959 155,953 53,152
23,696 8,435 15,599 2,878
23,238 7,979 12,924 1,822
Victoria City 3
  3
  2
  1
9,199 3,432 8,408[a 2] 1,476 162 60,519 21,474
8,620 3,417 7,241 143
7,827 3,265 7,205 124
  1. ^ George Henry Tomlinson Jr., a Socred MLA in the previous Legislature.
  2. ^ George Frederick Thompson Gregory (Liberal)won the seat in a 1953 byelection, taking it from the Socreds.

Bold indicates incumbent in last Legislature.

  = winning candidate

See also

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Further reading

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  • Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871–1986 (PDF). Elections BC. 1988. ISBN 0-7718-8677-2.

References

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  1. ^ Provincial Elections Act, 1953, S.B.C. 1953 (2nd session), c. 5, s. 3
  2. ^ Constitution Act Amendment Act, 1955, S.B.C. 1955, c. 11
  3. ^ a b Elections BC 1988, pp. 243, 265.
  4. ^ a b c Elections BC 1988, pp. 2–3.
  5. ^ a b Elections BC 1988, pp. 267–271.
  6. ^ Elections BC 1988, p. 536.