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1937 British Columbia general election

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1937 British Columbia general election
← 1933 June 1, 1937 1941 →
48 seats of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
25 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Con
CCF
Leader Thomas Dufferin Pattullo Frank Porter Patterson None[a]
Party Liberal Conservative Co-operative Commonwealth
Leader since 1928 1936
Leader's seat Prince Rupert Dewdney
Last election 34 1[b] 7
Seats won 31 8 7
Seat change Decrease3 Increase7[c] Steady
Popular vote 156,074 119,521 119,400
Percentage 37.34% 28.60% 28.57%
Swing Decrease4.40pp Increase24.55pp[c] Decrease2.96pp
Premier before election

Thomas Dufferin Pattullo
Liberal

Premier after election

Thomas Dufferin Pattullo
Liberal

The 1937 British Columbia general election was the nineteenth 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 April 14, 1937, and held on June 1, 1937. The new legislature met for the first time on October 26, 1937.

The governing Liberal Party, despite winning only 37% of the popular vote, benefited from the split in the vote between the Conservative Party and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, and won a solid majority of the seats in the legislature.

The rift in the Conservative Party that led to its decision not to nominate candidates in the 1933 election had been resolved, and the party was able to form the official opposition.

The Conservatives and CCF each won about 29% of the vote, and only 8 seats and 7 seats, respectively. The remaining two seats were won by Labour and Independent candidates.

Health insurance plebiscite

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In 1936, the Legislature passed an Act providing for the creation of a health insurance plan for the Province.[1] This was 26 years ahead of its introduction in Saskatchewan in 1962. The medical profession resisted its implementation to such a degree that a plebiscite was held on the same day as the election.

The question asked was, "Are you in favour of a comprehensive Health Insurance plan progressively applied?" The results were as follows:

1937 health insurance plebiscite[2]
Type of vote Yes No Total
Ordinary and absentee votes 143,218 98,946 242,164
Yes or No written on the ballot 4,613 4,687 9,300
Total 147,831 103,633 251,464
Percentage 58.79% 41.21% 100.00%
Electoral districts carried 42 6 48

Despite the majority in favour, the legislation was never brought into force,[2] but it would not be repealed until 1973.[3] Medicare was finally introduced after the 1967 passage of the Medical Services Act.[4]

Results

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Elections to the 19th Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (1937)[5]
Political party Party leader MLAs Votes
Candidates 1933[a 1] 1937 ± # ± % ± (pp)
Liberal Duff Pattullo 48 35 31 4Decrease 156,074 3,057Decrease 37.34 4.40Decrease
Conservative[a 2] Frank Porter Patterson 43 4 8 4Increase 119,521 54,278Increase 28.60 11.48Increase
  CCF split
█ Co-operative Commonwealth None[a 3] 46 7 7 Steady 119,400 785Decrease 28.57 2.96Decrease
█ Social Constructive Robert Connell 14 – – – 8,086 8,086Increase 1.93 New
Independent 11 1 1 Steady 7,341 18,317Decrease 1.76 4.97Decrease
Labour (all factions) 2 1 1 Steady 1,787 570Decrease 0.43 0.19Decrease
Social Credit League Andrew Henry Jukes 18 – – – 4,812 4,812Increase 1.15 New
Communist 1 – – – 567 567Increase 0.14 New
Socialist 2 – – – 287 287Increase 0.07 Returned
Financial Justice 1 – – – 54 54Increase 0.01 New
Total 186 48 48 417,929 100.00%
Rejected ballots[6] 4,143 763Increase
Actual voters who voted[6] 265,446 29,031Increase 71.20% 1.87Decrease
Registered voters[6] 372,781 49,241Increase
  1. ^ Assembly was increased mid-term by the division of Columbia-Revelstoke, thus reviving the previous districts of Columbia and Revelstoke.
  2. ^ Compared to the 1933 aggregate of all Conservative factions.
  3. ^ CCF leader Robert Connell was expelled from the party over doctrinal differences.
Seats and popular vote by party[5]
Party Seats Votes Change (pp)
█ Liberal
31 / 48
37.34%
 -4.40
 
█ Conservative (all factions)
8 / 48
28.60%
 11.48 11.48
 
█ Co-operative Commonwealth
7 / 48
28.57%
 -2.96
 
█ Social Constructive
0 / 48
1.93%
 1.93 1.93
 
█ Independent
1 / 48
1.76%
 -4.97
 
█ Social Credit League
0 / 48
1.15%
 1.15 1.15
 
█ Other
1 / 48
0.65%
 -2.23
 

MLAs elected

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Synopsis of results

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Results by riding - 1937 British Columbia general election (single-member districts)[7]
Riding Winning party Votes
Name 1933 Party Votes Share Margin
# 		Margin
% 		Lib Con CCF SCP SCL Ind Oth Total
 
Alberni-Nanaimo Lib Lib 3,616 44.34% 487 5.98% 3,616 1,014 3,129[a 1] 397 – – – 8,156
Atlin Lib Lib 562 54.56% 299 29.03% 562 205 263 – – – – 1,030
Burnaby CCF CCF 5,908 44.03% 2,529 18.85% 3,379 2,307 5,908 644 136 1,073 – 13,417
Cariboo Lib Lib 1,921 74.57% 1,266 49.14% 1,921 – – – – 655 – 2,576
Chilliwack Lib Con 2,524 40.08% 304 4.83% 2,220 2,524 1,554 – – – – 6,298
Columbia Lib Lib 921 57.06% 550 34.07% 921 371 322 – – – – 1,614
Comox Lib CCF 2,336 44.83% 460 8.83% 1,876 999 2,336 – – – – 5,211
Cowichan-Newcastle OG CCF 1,560 33.58% 336 7.23% 1,224 639 1,560 – – 1,222 – 4,645
Cranbrook Lib Lib 3,110 76.73% 2,167 53.46% 3,110 – 943 – – – – 4,053
Delta CCF CCF 3,192 32.93% 90 0.92% 3,102 2,815 3,192 583 – – – 9,692
Dewdney Lib Con 1,870 39.27% 252 5.29% 1,618 1,870 1,274 – – – – 4,762
Esquimalt Un Con 1,642 41.60% 226 5.72% 1,416 1,642 765 – 57 67 – 3,947
Fernie ILP ILP 1,701 53.64% 231 7.28% 1,470 – – – – – 1,701 3,171
Fort George Lib Lib 1,493 51.54% 323 11.15% 1,493 234 1,170 – – – – 2,897
Grand Forks-Greenwood Lib Lib 722 41.93% 19 1.11% 722 703 164 133 – – – 1,722
The Islands Lib Con 953 45.12% 259 12.26% 694 953 414 – 51 – – 2,112
Kamloops Lib Lib 1,786 38.89% 325 7.07% 1,786 1,461 1,345 – – – – 4,592
Kaslo-Slocan Lib Lib 1,064 38.86% 135 4.93% 1,064 715 929 – 30 – – 2,738
Lillooet Lib Lib 1,176 39.78% 251 8.49% 1,176 925 855 – – – – 2,956
Mackenzie CCF Lib 1,828 33.93% 167 3.10% 1,828 1,661 1,625 152 122 – – 5,388
Nelson-Creston Lib Lib 2,149 39.17% 248 4.52% 2,149 1,901 1,121 – 177 139 – 5,487
New Westminster Lib Lib 4,055 52.02% 2,289 29.36% 4,055 1,766 1,321 – – – 653 7,795
North Okanagan Lib Lib 2,689 52.64% 970 18.99% 2,689 1,719 700 – – – – 5,108
North Vancouver CCF CCF 2,749 32.23% 363 4.25% 1,847 1,522 2,749 – – 2,411[d] – 8,529
Omineca Lib Lib 1,013 50.90% 230 11.55% 1,013 194 783 – – – – 1,990
Peace River NP Lib 1,168 42.61% 263 9.59% 1,168 434 905 – – 234 – 2,741
Prince Rupert Lib Lib 1,446 49.55% 650 22.27% 1,446 662 796 – 14 – – 2,918
Revelstoke Lib Lib 1,162 61.16% 629 33.11% 1,162 533 205 – – – – 1,900
Rossland-Trail Lib Lib 1,877 46.70% 626 15.57% 1,877 1,251 891 – – – – 4,019
Saanich Lib Lib 2,106 36.14% 447 7.67% 2,106 1,659 1,531 224 271 37 – 5,828
Salmon Arm NP Ind 1,533 48.33% 649 20.46% 884 – 755 – – 1,533[a 2] – 3,172
Similkameen Lib Lib 2,266 43.55% 136 2.61% 2,266 2,130 807 – – – – 5,203
Skeena Lib Lib 1,006 59.74% 328 19.48% 1,006 – 678 – – – – 1,684
South Okanagan Lib Lib 2,388 45.02% 287 5.41% 2,388 2,101 815 – – – – 5,304
Yale Lib Lib 968 59.94% 546 33.81% 968 225 422 – – – – 1,615
  1. ^ James Lyle Telford was nominated by the local CCF Club, but suspended and repudiated by provincial Executive
  2. ^ supported and endorsed by SCP
  = open seat
  = 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
  = multiple candidates
Results by riding - 1937 British Columbia general election (multiple-member districts)[7]
Riding Winning party Votes
Name MLAs 1933 1937 Lib Con CCF SCP SCL Ind Oth Total
Vancouver-Burrard 2
  2
  2
 16,903 13,503 14,423 765 581 – 54 46,229
Vancouver Centre 2
  2
  2
 12,821 8,261 11,461 891 922 – 234 34,590
Vancouver East 2
  2
  2
 10,314 5,914 23,102 1,146 389 – 53 40,918
Vancouver-Point Grey 3
  3
  2
  1
 27,243 29,134 18,589 – 1,001 – – 75,967
Victoria City 4
  2
  1
  1
  2
  2
 26,571 25,574 9,598 3,151 1,061 – – 65,955

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ CCF leader Robert Connell had been expelled from the party over doctrinal differences. Connell contested the election as leader of the British Columbia Social Constructive Party.
  2. ^ Result for the Unionist Party of British Columbia.
  3. ^ a b Compared to the Unionist Party of British Columbia.
  4. ^ Joseph Bentley Leyland, Reeve of West Vancouver and a driving force behind the construction of the Lions Gate Bridge, came in second with 2,386 votes.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Health Insurance Act, S.B.C. 1936, c. 23
  2. ^ a b Elections BC 1988, pp. 420–421.
  3. ^ Statute Law Amendment Act, 1973, S.B.C. 1973, c. 84, s. 8
  4. ^ Medical Services Act, S.B.C. 1967, c. 24
  5. ^ a b Elections BC 1988, pp. 173, 183.
  6. ^ a b c Elections BC 1988, p. 2.
  7. ^ a b Elections BC 1988, pp. 175–180, 185–189.
  8. ^ "Leyland, Joseph B." MemoryBC. Retrieved January 13, 2024.

Further reading

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