Grande Prairie (provincial electoral district)

Grande Prairie is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has existed twice, first from 1930 to 1993 and again from 2019. It is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Grande Prairie
Alberta electoral district
The Grande Prairie district (red) within the City of Grande Prairie (white), 2017 boundaries.
Provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of Alberta
MLA
 
 
 
Tracy Allard
United Conservative
District created1930
District abolished1993
District re-created2017
First contested1930
Last contested1989
Demographics
Population (2016)[1]46,343
Area (km²)111.13
Pop. density (per km²)417
Census division(s)19
Census subdivision(s)Grande Prairie

Geography

Grande Prairie is a predominantly urban riding. The riding includes most of the City of Grande Prairie, including the downtown core, residential areas to the north, west, and south, and a small agricultural area to the northwest that falls within city limits. Some neighbourhoods on the city's east side are part of Grande Prairie-Wapiti, a rural riding that completely surrounds its urban counterpart.

The riding also includes the community of Flyingshot Lake, which is immediately adjacent to the city but is governed as part of the County of Grande Prairie No. 1.

Grande Prairie is one of only five urban ridings in Alberta outside of Edmonton and Calgary, and the only one located in Northern Alberta.

Boundary history

The first incarnation of Grande Prairie, a sprawling rural district, was created out of the southern half of Peace River in 1930. It was reduced in size for the 1940 election when its northern area was transferred to the new district of Spirit River, and further reduced in 1986 to the city of Grande Prairie and the rural areas to its west and south. The riding was abolished in 1993, with the northern half of the city transferred to the new district of Grande Prairie-Smoky, and the remainder becoming Grande Prairie-Wapiti.

In 2017, the Electoral Boundaries Commission recommended re-uniting the two halves of the city into a new, urban-only district called Grande Prairie, abolishing Grande Prairie-Smoky. The rural areas to the north and east, along with some neighbourhoods on the east side of the city, were transferred to Grande Prairie-Wapiti, which now surrounds the new district.[2]

Representation history

Members of the Legislative Assembly
for Grande Prairie
Assembly Years Member Party
See Peace River 1905–1930
7th 1930–1935 Hugh Allen United Farmers
8th 1935–1940 William Sharpe Social Credit
9th 1940–1944 Lewis O'Brien Unity Movement
10th 1944–1948 Ira McLaughlin Social Credit
11th 1948–1952
12th 1952–1955
13th 1955–1959
14th 1959–1963
15th 1963–1967
16th 1967–1971
17th 1971–1975 Winston Backus Progressive
Conservative
18th 1975–1979
19th 1979–1982 Elmer Borstad
20th 1982–1986 Bob Elliott
21st 1986–1989
22nd 1989–1993
See Grande Prairie-Smoky and Grande Prairie-
Wapiti
1993–2019
30th 2019 Tracy Allard United Conservative

1930-1993

When the district of Peace River was split in 1930, incumbent MLA Hugh Allen chose to run in the new district of Grande Prairie. Since no other candidates challenged him, no election was held, and he was acclaimed.

In 1935, Allen finished third, and Social Credit candidate William Sharpe picked the district up as part of their province-wide sweep. However, he would serve only one term as MLA.

In 1940, the traditional parties attempted to defeat Social Credit by running joint candidates as independents in what became known as the Unity Movement. Their candidate in Grande Prairie, Lewis O'Brien, defeated Sharpe on the second count. He, too, would serve only one term as MLA, and did not run for re-election. O'Brien was the only opposition member ever elected in Grande Prairie, making the riding something of a bellwether while it existed.

Social Credit took Grande Prairie back in the 1944 election, with candidate Ira McLaughlin easily cruising to victory. He was re-elected six more times, serving as MLA until 1971.

Progressive Conservative candidate Winston Backus won Grande Prairie in 1971. The PCs held the riding until it was abolished, but Backus served only two terms, retiring in 1979. The next PC candidate, Elmer Borstad, served only one term.

The riding's final representative was Bob Elliott, who became MLA in 1982 and served three terms, until Grande Prairie was split in 1993.

Current district

In the 2019 election, Grande Prairie elected Tracy Allard of the newly-formed United Conservative Party as MLA.

Election results

1930s

1930 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes[3]
United FarmersHugh AllenAcclaimed
Total valid votes 0
United Farmers pickup new district.
1935 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditWilliam Sharpe2,74137.04%
LiberalW.J. Thomson2,38732.25%
United FarmersHugh Allen1,80924.44%
ConservativeJ.S. McKenzie4646.27%
Second count
Social CreditWilliam Sharpe3,14250.65%+13.61%
LiberalW.J. Thomson3,06149.35%+17.10%
  Neither 1,198
Total valid votes 7,401
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 401
Electors / Turnout 10,31775.62%
Social Credit gain from United Farmers Swing -

Final count swing reflects increase in vote share from the first count.

1940s

1940 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Independent MovementLewis O'Brien1,99847.26%
Social CreditWilliam Sharpe1,55636.80%-0.24%
Co-operative CommonwealthWilliam Rigby67415.94%
Second count
Independent MovementLewis O'Brien2,23355.59%+8.33%
Social CreditWilliam Sharpe1,78444.41%+7.61%
  Neither 211
Total valid votes 4,228
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 226
Electors / Turnout 6,32870.39% -5.23%
Independent Movement gain from Social Credit Swing +23.75%
1944 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditIra McLaughlin2,36655.93%+19.13%
Co-operative CommonwealthWilliam Rigby1,12826.67%+10.73%
IndependentD.W. Patterson73617.40%
Total valid votes 4,230
Rejected, spoiled, and declined -
Electors / Turnout - -
Social Credit gain from Independent Movement Swing +4.20%
1948 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditIra McLaughlin2,95262.29%+6.36%
Co-operative CommonwealthLeslie Harris1,01921.50%-5.17%
LiberalPatrick Croken76816.21%
Total valid votes 4,739
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 373
Electors / Turnout 7,46868.45%
Social Credit hold Swing +5.77%

1950s

1952 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditIra McLaughlin2,96761.76%-0.53%
LiberalJohn Cox93519.46%+3.25%
Co-operative CommonwealthPercy Johnson90218.78%-2.72%
Total valid votes 4,804
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 356
Electors / Turnout 7,88665.43% -3.02%
Social Credit hold Swing -1.89%
1955 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditIra McLaughlin3,24057.49%-4.27%
LiberalMary Gray1,48126.28%+6.82%
Co-operative CommonwealthJames Hughson5389.55%-9.23%
ConservativePaul Galway3776.69%
Total valid votes 5,636
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 482
Electors / Turnout 9,69470.77% +4.57%
Social Credit hold Swing -5.55%

In 1959, Alberta abandoned instant runoff voting in rural districts, instead electing MLAs by the first past the post method. Although a second round had not been needed in Grande Prairie since 1940, this change is evident in the dramatic drop in rejected (incorrectly marked) ballots.

1959 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditIra McLaughlin4,21365.62%+8.13%
Progressive ConservativeDavid Williamson1,39121.67%+14.98%
LiberalMac Perkins81612.71%-13.57
Total valid votes 6,420
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 19
Electors / Turnout 9,69466.42% -4.35%
Social Credit hold Swing -3.43%

1960s

1963 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditIra McLaughlin4,76373.03%+7.41%
LiberalEd Kimpe99715.29%+2.58%
New DemocraticCharles Evaskevich76211.68%
Total valid votes 6,522
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 8
Electors / Turnout 11,36857.44% -8.98%
Social Credit hold Swing +2.42%
1967 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Social CreditIra McLaughlin4,84755.54%-17.49%
New DemocraticAlan Bush2,74831.49%+19.81%
LiberalGeorge Repka1,13212.97%-2.32%
Total valid votes 8,727
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 25
Electors / Turnout 12,66669.10% +11.66%
Social Credit hold Swing -18.65%

1970s

1971 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeWinston Backus4,55342.76%
Social CreditWilliam Bowes4,10438.54%-17.00%
New DemocraticArthur Macklin1,99218.71%-12.78%
Total valid votes 10,649
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 32
Electors / Turnout 14,15775.45% +6.35%
Progressive Conservative gain from Social Credit Swing +29.88%
1975 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeWinston Backus6,46661.27%+18.51%
New DemocraticRoss Campbell1,96218.59%-0.12%
Social CreditJohn Baergen1,47513.98%-24.56%
LiberalGordon Astle6516.17%
Total valid votes 10,554
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 32
Electors / Turnout 16,61563.71% -11.74%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing +9.32%
1979 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeElmer Borstad6,31350.26%-11.01%
Social CreditDonald Wood3,38026.91%+12.93%
New DemocraticRoss Campbell2,26618.04%-0.55%
LiberalHelen Rice6014.79%-1.38%
Total valid votes 12,560
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 5
Electors / Turnout 20,71860.79% -2.92%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -11.97%

1980s

1982 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeBob Elliott9,55558.22%+7.96%
New DemocraticBernie Desrosiers3,28019.98%+1.94%
Western Canada ConceptJack Smith2,24913.70%
IndependentJake Paetkau5043.07%
Social CreditRoy Housworth4943.01%-23.90%
LiberalColin Nash3312.02%-2.77%
Total valid votes 16,413
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 31
Electors / Turnout 24,63966.74% +5.95%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing +3.01%
1986 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeBob Elliott6,23961.58%+3.36%
New DemocraticBernie Desrosiers3,09530.55%+10.57%
RepresentativeAndy Haugen5575.50%
IndependentRoy Housworth2402.37%
Total valid votes 10,131
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 26
Electors / Turnout 22,20945.73% -21.01%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -3.61%
1989 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeBob Elliott5,31952.62%-8.96%
New DemocraticEvelyn Vardalas2,69626.67%-3.88%
LiberalIrv Macklin1,61115.94%
Social CreditMurray Gauvreau4824.77%
Total valid votes 10,108
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 20
Electors / Turnout 22,85044.32% -1.41%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -2.54%

2010s

2015 Alberta general election redistributed results
Party Votes %
New Democratic 4,780 34.24%
Progressive Conservative 4,338 31.07%
Wildrose 3,314 23.74%
  Others 1,530 10.96%
2019 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
United ConservativeTracy Allard12,71363.02%8.21%
New DemocraticTodd Russell4,36121.62%-12.62%
Alberta PartyGrant Berg2,51612.47%4.14%
Freedom ConservativeBernard Hancock3921.94%
Alberta IndependenceRay Robertson1260.62%
IndependentRony Rajput660.33%
Total 20,174
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined 217
Eligible electors / Turnout 31,77564.17%
United Conservative notional hold Swing +10.03%
Source(s)
Source: "63 - Grande Prairie, 2019 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Plebiscite results

1957 liquor plebiscite

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Grande Prairie[4]
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 1,462 58.57%
No 1,034 41.43%
Total Votes 2,496 100%
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined 9
8,907 Eligible Electors, Turnout 28.12%

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.[5]

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.[4]

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts while Question B passed in all five districts. Grande Prairie voted in favour of the proposal by a solid majority. Voter turnout in the district was abysmal, and one of the lowest districts in the province falling well under the province wide average of 46%.[4]

Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957.[4] The Social Credit government in power at the time did not considered the results binding.[6] However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act.[7]

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.[8]

References

  1. Statistics Canada: 2016
  2. Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission (October 2017). "Proposed Electoral Division Areas, Boundaries, and Names for Alberta. Final Report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. ISBN 978-1-988620-04-6. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  3. "Alberta Heritage Foundation: Grande Prairie Results". Archived from the original on 2010-10-24. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  4. Alberta Gazette. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2, 247–2, 249.
  5. "Albertans Vote 2 to 1 For More Liquor Outlets". Vol L No 273. The Lethbridge Herald. October 31, 1957. pp. 1–2.
  6. "No Sudden Change In Alberta Drinking Habits Is Seen". Vol L No 267. The Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1957. p. 1.
  7. "Entirely New Act On Liquor". Vol LI No 72. The Lethbridge Herald. March 5, 1958. p. 1.
  8. "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.