1917 Alberta general election

1917 Alberta general election

7 June 1917 (1917-06-07)
58 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta 30 seats were needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Arthur Sifton Edward Michener Party Liberal Conservative Leader since 1910 1910 Leader's seat Vermilion Red Deer Last election 39 seats, 49.2% 17 seats, 45.1% Seats before 39 17 Seats won 34 19 Seat change 5 2 Popular vote 54,212 47,055 Percentage 48.14% 41.79% Swing 1.1% 3.3%   Third party Fourth party   ANPL Leader None William Irvine Party Alberta Non-Partisan League Labor Representation Leader since n/a 1917 Leader's seat n/a ran in South Calgary Last election pre-creation pre-creation Seats before n/a 0 Seats won 2 1 Seat change 2 1 Popular vote 2,700 3,576 Percentage 3% 3.17% Swing n/a 3.2
Premier before election Arthur Sifton Liberal Premier after election Arthur Sifton Liberal

The 1917 Alberta general election was held on 7 June 1917 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The Liberals won a fourth term in office, defeating the Conservative Party of Edward Michener.

Because of World War I, eleven Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) were re-elected by acclamation, under Section 38 of the Election Act, which stipulated that any member of the 3rd Alberta Legislative Assembly, would be guaranteed re-election, with no contest held, if members joined for war time service. Eleven MLAs were automatically re-elected through this clause. (None were re-elected in the next election.)

In addition, soldiers and nurses from Alberta serving in the First World War elected two MLAs. Two extra seats were thus added just for this election. The MLAs were non-partisan officially. But both Robert Pearson and Roberta MacAdams allied themselves to Labour and Non-Partisan League MLAs by showing social consciousness in regards the conditions available for returned soldiers and working families. These two members were elected in one contest, while each other MLA was elected through first past the post in a single-member district.

In 1917, the main issue facing the nation was conscription. In Alberta, where support for conscription was high, the incumbent Liberal government of Arthur Sifton decided to break with federal Liberal leader Wilfrid Laurier and support Conservative Prime Minister Robert Borden's efforts to form a coalition government. The two major parties both supported conscription, but growing labour and farmer activism, and the entry of women into politics, both as voters and candidates, made the election exciting enough that 30,000 more votes were cast than in the previous election (although they were nothing like the high numbers that would be cast in the 1921 election).

This was the last time Liberals won an Alberta provincial election. The 1917 election was the tightest majority ever formed in Alberta history, with the combined opposition equaling 41% of the MLAs on the government benches. Premier Sifton resigned in October 1917 in order to serve in the federal Unionist government of Prime Minister Borden and was replaced by Charles Stewart.

This was the first election in Alberta that women (those who were British subjects or Canadian citizens more than 20 years of age who were not Treaty Indian) had the right to vote and run. Two women were elected in the legislature that year. One of these was Roberta MacAdams, elected as one of two representatives of soldiers and nurses serving in the war. The other, Louise McKinney, was elected as a candidate of the Non-Partisan League. Her election and the election of fellow NPL candidate James Weir were harbingers of the rise of farmer politics that would see the election of the UFA government in 1921.

The Alberta Labor Representation League, which opposed conscription, elected one member in Calgary, Alex Ross.

The vote in the Athabasca district was conducted on 27 June 1917 due to the remoteness of the riding.

Electoral system

All but two of the MLAs elected in this election were elected through first past the post. Alberta had used multiple-member districts in Edmonton and Calgary previously, but for this election they had been split into single-member districts.

The two overseas army members were elected through plurality block voting.

Results

Party		Party Leader	# of candidates	Seats			Popular Vote
				1913	Elected	% Change	#	%	% Change
	Liberal	Arthur Sifton	49	38/39	34	−12.8%	54,212	48.14%	−1.09%
	Conservative	Edward Michener	48	17	19	+11.8%	47,055	41.79%	−3.31%
	Non-Partisan League	None	5		2		2700	2%
	Labor Representation	William Irvine	2		1		3,576	3.17%
	Socialist	Charles M. O'Brien	3	-	-	-	784	0.70%	−1.17%
	Independent		9	-	0		4000	4%	+2.08%
Sub-total			114	55/56	56	-	96,985	100%
	Soldiers' vote (Province at large)		2		2		8,000	30%
	Soldiers' vote (Province at large)		19		0		17,000	70%
Total			135	55/56	58	+3.6%	125,898
Source: Elections Alberta

Notes

Popular vote Liberal   48.14% Conservative   41.79% Labor Rep.   3.17% NPL   2.00% Others   4.90%

Popular vote Liberal   58.62% Conservative   32.76% NPL   3.45% Labor Rep.   1.72% Others   3.45%

Members of the Legislative Assembly

For complete electoral history, see individual districts

Electoral district	Candidates						Incumbent
	Liberal		Conservative		Other
Acadia		John A. McColl 1,842 48.22%		E. Gordon Jonah 1,229 32.17%		Lorne Proudfoot 749 19.61%		John A. McColl
Alexandra				James R. Lowery Acclaimed				James R. Lowery
Athabasca		Alexander Grant MacKay 752 65.79%		Alfred F. Fugl 391 34.21%				Alexander Grant MacKay
Beaver River		Wilfrid Gariepy 1,134 64.07%		Ambrose E. Gray 636 35.93%				Wilfrid Gariepy
Bow Valley		Charles Richmond Mitchell 604 58.13%		Edmund F. Purcell 435 41.87%				George Lane
Centre Calgary				Thomas M.M. Tweedie 1,273 48.94%		Alex Ross 1,328 51.06%		Thomas M.M. Tweedie
North Calgary		William McCartney Davidson 2,701 54.72%		Samuel Bacon Hillocks 2,235 45.28%				Samuel Bacon Hillocks
South Calgary				Thomas H. Blow 3,273 48.01%		William Irvine (Labour-Rep.) 2,248 32.98% John McNeill 1,296 19.01%		Thomas H. Blow
Camrose		George P. Smith 2,258 65.22%		Frank P. Layton 1,204 34.78%				George P. Smith
Cardston		Martin Woolf 972 56.38%		W.G. Smith 752 43.62%				Martin Woolf
Claresholm		William Moffat 670 44.40%				Louise McKinney 839 55.60%		William Moffat
Clearwater		Joseph E. State 188 64.38%		Robert Neville Frith 104 35.62%				Henry William McKenney
Cochrane		Charles Wellington Fisher 630 57.32%		H.E.G.H. Scholefield 469 42.68%				Charles Wellington Fisher
Coronation		Harry S. Northwood 1,575 46.92%		William Wallace Wilson 1,782 53.08%				Frank H. Whiteside
Didsbury		Henry B. Atkins 1,394 52.80%		Wilbur Leslie Tolton 1,246 47.20%				Joseph E. Stauffer
Edmonton East		Fredrick Duncan 2,553 37.86%		James Ramsey 3,035 45.00%		Joseph A. Clarke 811 12.03% Sydney R. Keeling (Socialist) 345 5.12%		New District from Edmonton
Edmonton-South		Robert Blyth Douglas 2,178 44.10%		Herbert Howard Crawford 2,761 55.90%				Herbert Howard Crawford
Edmonton West		William Thomas Henry 2,884 43.30%		Albert Freeman Ewing 3,776 56.70%				New District from Edmonton
Edson		Charles Wilson Cross 1,116 62.91%		J.R. McIntosh 455 25.65%		John Reid (Socialist) 203 11.44%		Charles Wilson Cross
Gleichen		John P. McArthur 712 39.96%		Fred Davis 762 42.76%		John W. Leedy 308 17.28%		John P. McArthur
Grouard		Jean Léon Côté 688 70.71%		Eugene Gravel 285 29.29%				Jean Léon Côté
Hand Hills		Robert Berry Eaton Acclaimed						Robert Berry Eaton
High River		Dan F. Riley 885 48.95%		George Douglas Stanley 923 51.05%				George Douglas Stanley
Innisfail		Daniel J. Morkeberg 905 51.33%		Frederick William Archer 766 43.45%		James K. Wilson 92 5.22%		Frederick William Archer
Lac Ste. Anne		Ralph E. Barker 766 48.91%		George R. Barker 800 51.09%				Peter Gunn
Lacombe		William Franklin Puffer 1,333 48.37%		Andrew Gilmour 1,423 51.63%				William Franklin Puffer
Leduc		Stanley G. Tobin 1,707 73.67%		George Currie 610 26.33%				Stanley G. Tobin
Lethbridge City				John S. Stewart Acclaimed				John S. Stewart
Little Bow		James McNaughton 808 77.39%						James McNaughton
Macleod		George Skelding 728 51.78%		Robert Patterson 678 48.22%				Robert Patterson
Medicine Hat				Nelson C. Spencer Acclaimed				Nelson C. Spencer
Nanton		John M. Glendenning 415 32.88%		J.T. Cooper 408 32.33%		James Weir 439 34.79%		John M. Glendenning
Okotoks		Angus McIntosh 535 40.50%		George Hoadley 786 59.50%				George Hoadley
Olds		Duncan Marshall 1,283 56.35%		George H. Cloakey 994 43.65%				Duncan Marshall
Peace River		William A. Rae 1,994 62.92%		D.H. Minchin 712 22.47%		L. Harry Adair 463 14.61%		Alphaeus Patterson
Pembina		Gordon MacDonald Acclaimed						Gordon MacDonald
Pincher Creek		Thomas Hammond 448 32.94%		John H.W.S. Kemmis 496 36.47%		J. E. Hillier (Non-partisan) 416 30.59%		John H.W.S. Kemmis
Ponoka		William A. Campbell 857 49.11%		Charles Orin Cunningham 888 50.89%				William A. Campbell
Red Deer		Robert B. Welliver 1,272 44.87%		Edward Michener 1,295 45.68%		George Paton 268 9.45%		Edward Michener
Redcliff		Charles S. Pingle Acclaimed						Charles S. Pingle
Ribstone		James Gray Turgeon Acclaimed						James Gray Turgeon
Rocky Mountain				Robert E. Campbell Acclaimed				Robert E. Campbell
Sedgewick		Charles Stewart 1,657 63.05%		John Reeve Lavell 971 36.95%				Charles Stewart
St. Albert		Lucien Boudreau 1,095 59.61%		Hector L. Landry 742 40.39%				Lucien Boudreau
St. Paul		Prosper-Edmond Lessard 1,077 66.65%		James Brady 539 33.35%				Prosper-Edmond Lessard
Stettler		Edward H. Prudden 1,408 39.45%		George McMorris 1,375 38.53%		J.R. Knight 786 22.02%		Robert L. Shaw
Stony Plain		Frank A. Smith 705 48.65%		Frederick W. Lundy 744 51.35%				Conrad Weidenhammer
Sturgeon		John Robert Boyle 1,546 47.19%		James Sutherland 1,212 37.00%		H. Mickleson 518 15.81%		John Robert Boyle
Taber		Archibald J. McLean 1,804 63.75%		Thomas O. King 1,026 36.25%				Archibald J. McLean
Vegreville		Joseph S. McCallum 1,864 59.12%		Malcolm R. Gordon 1,289 40.88%				Joseph S. McCallum
Vermilion		Arthur L. Sifton 2,063 63.03%		John B. Burch 1,210 36.97%				Arthur L. Sifton
Victoria		Francis A. Walker Acclaimed						Francis A. Walker
Wainwright				George LeRoy Hudson Acclaimed				George LeRoy Hudson
Warner		Frank S. Leffingwell 706 64.89%		Hy. James Tennant 382 35.11%				Frank S. Leffingwell
Wetaskiwin		Hugh John Montgomery 1,500 68.71%		Robert MacLachlan Angus 683 31.29%				Charles H. Olin
Whitford		Andrew S. Shandro Acclaimed						Andrew S. Shandro

Members acclaimed under Section 38

Eleven Liberal and Conservative MLAs serving in the army were allowed to retain their seats without election.

	District	Member	Party
	Alexandra	James Lowery	Conservative
	Hand Hills	Robert Eaton	Liberal
	Lethbridge City	John Smith Stewart	Conservative
	Medicine Hat	Nelson Spencer	Conservative
	Pembina	Gordon MacDonald	Liberal
	Redcliff	Charles Pingle	Liberal
	Ribstone	James Gray Turgeon	Liberal
	Rocky Mountain	Robert Campbell	Conservative
	Victoria	Francis A. Walker	Liberal
	Wainwright	George LeRoy Hudson	Conservative
	Whitford	Andrew Shandro	Liberal

1917 soldiers' and nurses' vote

Two extra seats were added for this election. Two MLAs were elected to represent the soldiers and nurses serving overseas. They were elected through plurality block voting, with each soldier and nurse having two votes. Roberta MacAdams, the sole woman in the race, capitalized on the two-vote system by instructing the soldiers to "give one vote to the man of your choice and the other vote to the Sister" (herself). She was successful, becoming the second woman elected in Alberta and in the whole of the British Empire.

Candidates and voters were Albertans who were enlisted for overseas military, naval or nursing service. The MLAs sat on the opposition benches. They were non-partisan officially, although both Robert Pearson and Roberta MacAdams allied themselves to Labour and NPL MLAs by showing social consciousness in regards the conditions available for returned soldiers and working families.

The vote was held on 18 September 1917.

Military Rank	Member	Votes	%
Captain	Robert Pearson	4,286	%
Lieutenant	Roberta MacAdams	4,023	%
Private	G.E. Harper	3,328	%
Lieutenant Colonel	James Cornwall	2,331	%
Lieutenant Colonel	I.F. Page	1,782	%
Lieutenant Colonel	W.H. Hewgill	1,744	%
Private	T.A.P. Frost	1,145	%
Major	James Walker	1,109	%
Lieutenant Colonel	J.W.H. McKinnery	918	%
Lieutenant Colonel	P.E. Bowen	882	%
Private	Herbert Stow	716	%
Lieutenant	Charles Taylor	519	%
Captain	W.D. Ferris	474	%
Captain	A.M. Calderon	438	%
Lieutenant Colonel	A.M. Jarvis	425	%
Captain	Lionel Asquith	423	%
Captain	D.W. Grey	374	%
Company Sergeant Major	H.L. Bateson	221	%
Lieutenant Colonel	A.E. Myatt	186	%
Order Room Sergeant	A. Joyce	180	%
Acting Staff Sergeant	C.M. Camroux	97	%
Total Votes		25,601	100%

See also

• List of Alberta political parties

Further reading

• Hopkins, J. Castell (1918). The Canadian Annual Review of Public Affairs, 1917. Toronto: The Annual Review.