1934 Ontario general election

The 1934 Ontario general election was the 19th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 19, 1934, to elect the 19th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs").[1]

1934 Ontario general election

June 19, 1934

90 seats in the 19th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
46 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  CCF
Leader Mitchell Hepburn George S. Henry John Mitchell
as party president
Party Liberal Conservative Co-operative Commonwealth
Leader since December 17, 1930 1930 n.a.
Leader's seat Elgin York East Ran in Wentworth (Lost)
Last election 11 90 n.a.
Seats won 64 17 1
Seat change Increase53 Decrease73 Increase1
Percentage 46.56% 39.78% 6.98%
Swing Increase15.06pp Decrease16.88pp Increase6.98pp

Premier before election

George S. Henry
Conservative

Premier after election

Mitchell Hepburn
Liberal

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Mitchell Hepburn, defeated the governing Ontario Conservative Party, led by George Stewart Henry. Hepburn was assisted by Harry Nixon's Progressive bloc of MLAs who ran in this election as Liberal-Progressives on the understanding that they would support a Hepburn led government. Nixon, himself, became a senior cabinet minister in the Hepburn government.

Campaign

The campaign was brief and bitter, and both sides gained ammunition to use during that time.[2] The Liberals were helped by the effects of the Great Depression, in much the same manner as their colleagues in the recent elections in Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.[lower-alpha 1][2] They also aggressively pledged to reduce the cost of government once in office,[3] and downplayed the issue of temperance, by pledging to bring recently passed amendments to liquor legislation[4] into force as soon as they attained office.[5]

Under their new leader Mitchell Hepburn, the Liberals were considered to possess more energy in campaigning as a party than at any time since the collapse of the Ross government in 1905.[2] In several meetings (starting in Milton in April 1934), Hepburn especially accused several Conservatives of operating a "tollgate system" in agencies selling British liquor to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario through which they earned kickbacks based on the volume sold.[5]

The Liberals fielded candidates in 81 of the 90 ridings. None of the remaining nine were won by Conservatives: they were taken by 5 Liberal-Progressives, 1 UFO, 1 Liberal-Labour, 1 CCF and 1 Independent.

Riding contests, by number of candidates (1934)
Candidates Lib Con CCF L-P UFO Lib-Lab Ind Ind-Lib Comm Other Total
2 343931178
3 2831222611293
4 1313101416452
5 342213520
6 33323418
Total 8190375211431315261
Election ad for the Ontario Conservatives run in the 1934 Ontario general election

Outcome

The Liberals won a majority in the Legislature, while the Conservatives lost four out of every five seats that they had won in the previous election. Eight Cabinet ministers were defeated, and no riding west of York County returned a Tory MPP.[6] Northern Ontario went solidly Liberal.[7]

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, in its first provincial election, ran 37 candidates[8] and won a seat in the Ontario Legislature for the first time with the election of Samuel Lawrence in Hamilton East.

The United Farmers of Ontario had affiliated with the CCF but disaffiliated immediately prior to the 1934 election due to a row over suspected Communist infiltration of the party. Accordingly, two UFO nominated candidates, incumbent MLA Farquhar Oliver (Grey South) and Leslie Warner Oke, former MLA for Lambton East, ran as UFO candidates rather than with the CCF. Oliver was re-elected and later supported the Hepburn government.

Post-election developments

Three byelections had to be held shortly afterwards in August 1934:

Redistribution and reduction of ridings

Toronto ridings as constituted in 1926
Toronto riding boundaries after 1934 redistribution

The Legislative Assembly was reduced from 112 seats to 90 as a result of an Act passed in 1933:[10]

Abolished ridingsNew ridings
Mergers of ridings
Riding abolished; parts transferred to other ridings
Change of name
  1. Part transferred to Carleton.
  2. Also absorbed part of Bruce South.
  3. Also absorbed part of Middlesex North.

A subsequent Act in 1934 modified the limits of several Toronto ridings.[11]

Results

[12]

Elections to the 19th Parliament of Ontario (1934)
Political party Party leader MPPs Votes
Candidates[13] 1929 Dissol. 1934 ± # % ± (pp)
Liberal Mitchell Hepburn 8111166453Increase727,16846.56%15.06Increase
Conservative George Stewart Henry 9090881773Decrease621,21839.78%16.88Decrease
Co-operative Commonwealth John Mitchell[a 1] 3711Increase108,9616.98%New
Liberal–Progressive[a 2] Harry Nixon 57452Decrease45,0902.89%1.92Decrease
Independent 1411Increase19,1031.22%1.16Increase
United Farmers Farquhar Oliver 2111Steady8,6480.55%0.71Decrease
Liberal–Labour 111Increase5,8770.38%New
Independent Conservative 3222Decrease4230.03%2.13Decrease
Labour 1111Decrease2160.01%0.84Decrease
Independent Liberal 312,2840.79%New
Communist 139,5590.61%0.46Increase
Socialist Labour 51,6260.10%New
Farmer–Labour 16080.04%New
Independent Labour 15340.03%New
Independent Dry 11650.01%New
  Workers 11580.01%New
  Dry Liberal 11070.01%New
Socialist 1810.01%New
Total 26111211290-221,561,826100.00%
Blank and invalid ballots 17,267
Registered voters / turnout 2,145,255 73.61% 16.99Increase
  1. (party president)
  2. Progressive and Liberal-Progressive 1929 results are combined.
Seats and popular vote by party
PartySeatsVotesChange (pp)
 Liberal
64 / 90
46.56%
15.06 15.06
 
 Conservative
17 / 90
39.78%
-16.88
 
 Liberal–Progressive
5 / 90
2.89%
-1.92
 
 Co-operative Commonwealth
1 / 90
6.96%
6.96 6.96
 
 United Farmers
1 / 90
0.56%
-0.71
 
 Liberal–Labour
1 / 90
0.38%
0.38 0.38
 
 Prohibitionist
0 / 90
0.00%
-2.54
 
 Other
1 / 90
2.87%
0.25 0.25
 

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1934 Ontario general election[12][14]
Riding Winning party Turnout
[a 1]
Votes
Name[a 2] Party Votes Share Margin
#
Margin
%
Lib Con CCF L-Prog UFO LL Ind Comm Ind-Lib Ind-Oth Other Total
 
Addington Con 7,22353.81%1,0247.63%79.40%6,1997,22313,422
Algoma—Manitoulin Lib 9,24762.87%3,78625.74%79.07%9,2475,46114,708
Brant L-P 9,40268.65%5,10837.30%70.69%4,2949,40213,696
Brantford Ind 8,34950.17%2,01412.10%81.55%6,3351,9588,34916,642
Bruce Lib 10,10060.07%3,38720.15%77.98%10,1006,71316,813
Carleton Con 6,84256.36%1,54512.73%72.73%5,2976,84212,139
Cochrane North Lib 5,30453.41%1,98119.95%79.83%5,3043,3237705349,931
Cochrane South Lib 8,18347.02%3,06117.59%71.56%8,1835,1222,97521075915617,405
Dufferin—Simcoe Lib 8,39353.60%1,1267.19%76.21%8,3937,26715,660
Durham Lib 6,23245.75%2681.97%74.32%6,2325,9641,42513,621
Elgin Lib 11,92256.58%2,77213.15%82.13%11,9229,15021,072
Essex North Lib 7,45950.71%3,03020.60%77.04%7,4594,4291,8121,00914,709
Essex South Lib 7,11055.56%1,42311.12%66.68%7,1105,68712,797
Fort William Lib 9,10062.87%3,72525.73%82.43%9,1005,37514,475
Glengarry Lib 6,39161.55%2,39823.09%68.33%6,3913,99310,384
Grenville—Dundas Con 8,85953.97%1,3027.93%73.56%7,5578,85916,416
Grey North L-P 9,77060.52%3,39621.04%79.81%6,3749,77016,144
Grey South UFO 8,30159.66%2,68919.33%73.46%5,6128,30113,913
Haldimand—Norfolk Lib 12,16456.43%2,77112.85%74.32%12,1649,39321,557
Halton L-P 6,92950.00%1,3019.39%74.60%5,6281,3016,92913,858
Hamilton East CCF 10,45854.86%3,24517.02%67.64%7,21310,45841681516219,064
Hamilton Centre Lib 11,25051.71%3,22214.81%70.34%11,2508,0282,47821,756
Hamilton—Wentworth Lib 11,12757.18%4,28422.01%77.45%11,1276,8431,49119,461
Hastings East Con 6,25751.73%4183.46%78.35%5,8396,25712,096
Hastings West Lib 9,62753.26%1,1796.52%80.01%9,6278,44818,075
Huron Lib 8,25457.52%2,28115.90%78.86%8,2545,97312214,349
Huron—Bruce Lib 9,59165.78%4,60231.56%73.25%9,5914,98914,580
Kenora L-L 5,87762.41%2,33724.82%71.92%3,5405,8779,417
Kent East L-P 8,39964.60%4,06431.26%72.89%4,3358,399[a 3]26713,001
Kent West Lib 11,01658.81%4,87926.04%74.30%11,0166,1371,58018,733
Kingston Con 7,63453.92%1,1097.83%79.02%6,5257,63414,159
Lambton East Lib 7,83556.80%2,40617.44%74.64%7,8355,42934718313,794
Lambton West Lib 7,47354.75%2,30716.90%76.57%7,4735,1661,01013,649
Lanark Con 8,46852.27%7374.55%73.20%7,7318,46816,199
Leeds Lib 10,19553.24%1,2426.49%77.95%10,1958,95319,148
Lincoln Lib 12,92448.85%1,4365.43%76.94%12,92411,4882,04726,459
London Lib 16,44254.69%3,11910.37%74.95%16,44213,32330030,065
Middlesex North Lib 7,75354.75%1,3459.50%72.72%7,7536,40814,161
Middlesex South Lib 8,23960.33%2,82120.66%73.33%8,2395,41813,657
Muskoka—Ontario L-P 10,59056.86%2,55413.71%79.04%8,03610,59018,626
Niagara Falls Lib 9,09653.12%3,98223.25%73.04%9,0965,1142,91417,124
Nipissing Lib 12,14966.80%6,11133.60%74.90%12,1496,03818,187
Northumberland Lib 9,08752.53%8765.06%83.20%9,0878,21117,298
Ontario Lib 11,40956.63%5,04625.05%76.42%11,4096,3632,37520,147
Ottawa East Lib 10,31443.37%3,03912.78%81.10%10,3147,2756,1167923,784
Ottawa South Con 16,98347.56%2460.69%74.20%16,73716,9831,53119216510035,708
Oxford Lib 11,76750.11%2,47210.53%79.50%11,7679,2952,42223,484
Parry Sound Lib 7,19962.83%2,94025.66%78.82%7,1994,25911,458
Peel Lib 7,96048.42%2441.48%78.04%7,9607,71676416,440
Perth Lib 16,37160.23%5,56020.45%78.88%16,37110,81127,182
Peterborough Con 9,39444.64%340.16%76.36%9,3609,3942,28821,042
Port Arthur Lib 7,51458.93%3,22825.32%81.10%7,5144,28634260812,750
Prescott Lib 5,00438.79%2281.77%76.80%5,0043,1194,77612,899
Prince Edward—Lennox Lib 7,86652.15%6504.31%74.95%7,8667,21615,082
Rainy River Lib 4,72568.26%2,52836.52%76.13%4,7252,1976,922
Renfrew North Lib 7,77060.86%2,77221.71%76.80%7,7704,99812,768
Renfrew South Lib 8,40665.18%3,91530.36%76.00%8,4064,49112,897
Russell Lib 6,38154.55%2,97125.40%72.36%6,3813,4101,90611,697
Sault Ste. Marie Lib 7,53055.47%1,81113.34%77.94%7,5305,71932713,576
Simcoe Centre Lib 9,00462.59%3,62225.18%74.46%9,0045,38214,386
Simcoe East Lib 9,32757.15%2,33414.30%80.64%9,3276,99316,320
Stormont Lib 9,43063.06%3,90526.11%72.25%9,4305,52514,955
Sudbury Lib 10,51652.88%1,6048.07%76.86%10,5168,91245819,886
Temiskaming Lib 5,57348.48%2,30020.01%73.92%5,5733,2732,64911,495
Victoria Lib 10,62957.11%2,64714.22%81.29%10,6297,98218,611
Waterloo North Lib 11,82753.11%6,24128.03%68.87%11,8275,5864,32752822,268
Waterloo South Lib 8,86050.43%2,33713.30%75.91%8,8606,5232,18617,569
Welland Lib 10,38655.74%4,16422.35%73.36%10,3866,2222,02418,632
Wellington North Lib 10,20966.29%5,01732.58%74.10%10,2095,19215,401
Wellington South Lib 10,37660.36%3,56120.71%84.97%10,3766,81517,191
Wentworth Lib 6,27234.47%1190.65%71.89%6,2726,1535,77118,196
Windsor—Walkerville Lib 10,10457.58%5,32430.34%76.74%10,1044,7802,15151217,547
Windsor—Sandwich Lib 9,93456.51%3,95322.49%69.85%9,9345,9811,66417,579
York East Con 12,81542.60%2,7419.11%69.78%10,07412,8156,2232256648130,082
York North Lib 11,40256.20%3,48917.20%77.52%11,4027,91397420,289
York South Con 10,15939.70%9803.83%69.06%9,17910,1595,54670625,590
York West Lib 11,60045.60%2,1198.33%63.36%11,6009,4813,87548325,439
Beaches Con 7,82244.38%2,87616.32%67.62%4,8597,8224,94617,627
Bellwoods Lib 9,33955.17%3,97323.47%70.70%9,3395,3661,1331,09116,929
Bracondale Con 6,45241.10%2891.84%64.84%6,1636,4522,7343123915,700
Dovercourt Con 9,26641.13%4101.82%66.94%8,8569,2664,19221622,530
Eglinton Lib 12,55646.51%1,6656.17%68.03%12,55610,8913,28726526,999
High Park Con 8,93442.14%9934.68%68.08%7,9418,9344,32721,202
Parkdale Con 10,08742.26%2120.89%67.01%9,87510,0873,90623,868
Riverdale Lib 10,89848.90%5352.40%63.70%10,89810,3631,02522,286
St. Andrew Lib 6,05542.20%1,3719.55%66.57%6,0554,6842,0301,39218814,349
St. David Con 6,75140.51%1,0956.57%64.63%5,6566,7514,26016,667
St. George Lib 8,29645.49%4262.34%62.16%8,2967,8701,86221018,238
St. Patrick Lib 5,70450.08%180.16%63.00%5,7045,68611,390
Woodbine Con 9,33441.76%2,1909.80%65.43%7,1449,3345,66620522,349
  1. including spoilt ballots
  2. order is as given in EO reports
  3. byelection gain was under the Liberal banner
  = open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = winning candidate was in previous Legislature
  = incumbent switched allegiance for the election
  = incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = other incumbents renominated
  = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
  = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
  = multiple candidates
Party candidates in 2nd place
Party in 1st placeParty in 2nd placeTotal
LibConCCFI-Lib
Liberal 63164
Conservative 16117
Liberal–Progressive 55
United Farmers 11
Liberal–Labour 11
Co-operative Commonwealth 11
Independent 11
Total 16721190
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party
Parties1st2nd3rd4th5thTotal
 Liberal 6416190
 Conservative 1772190
 Liberal–Progressive 55
 Co-operative Commonwealth 1134137
 Independent 174214
 United Farmers 112
 Liberal–Labour 11
 Independent Liberal 1113
 Communist 31013
 Socialist Labour 224
 Farmer–Labour 11
 Independent Conservative 112
 Independent Labour 11
 Labour 11
 Workers 11
 Dry Liberal 11
 Independent Dry 11

Reorganization of ridings

1929 1934
Riding Party Riding Party
Mergers of ridings
Algoma  Conservative Algoma—Manitoulin  Liberal
Manitoulin  Conservative
Brockville  Conservative Leeds  Liberal
Leeds  Conservative
Bruce North  Liberal Bruce  Liberal
Bruce South  Liberal
Dufferin  Progressive Dufferin—Simcoe  Liberal
Simcoe Southwest  Conservative
Elgin East  Conservative Elgin  Liberal
Elgin West  Conservative
Dundas  Conservative Grenville—Dundas  Conservative
Grenville  Conservative
Haldimand  Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk  Liberal
Norfolk  Conservative
Hamilton West  Conservative Wentworth  Liberal
Wentworth South  Conservative
Lanark North  Conservative Lanark  Conservative
Lanark South  Conservative
Lincoln  Conservative Lincoln  Liberal
St. Catharines  Conservative
London North  Conservative London  Liberal
London South  Conservative
Muskoka  Conservative Muskoka—Ontario  Liberal–Progressive
Ontario North  Conservative
Nipissing  Conservative Nipissing  Liberal
Sturgeon Falls  Conservative
Ottawa North  Conservative Ottawa South  Conservative
Ottawa South  Conservative
Oxford North  Liberal–Progressive Oxford  Liberal
Oxford South  Liberal
Perth North  Conservative Perth  Liberal
Perth South  Conservative
Peterborough City  Conservative Peterborough  Conservative
Peterborough County  Conservative
Prince Edward  Conservative Prince Edward—Lennox  Liberal
Frontenac-Lennox  Conservative
Victoria North  Liberal–Progressive Victoria  Liberal
Victoria South  Conservative
Riding abolished; parts transferred to other ridings
Brockton  Conservative
Greenwood  Conservative
Hastings North  Conservative

Seats that changed hands

Elections to the 18th Parliament of Ontario – unaltered seats won/lost by party, 1929–1934
Party 1929 Gain from (loss to) 1934
Con Lib Pro L-Pro UFO Lab I-Con CCF Ind
Conservative 55(39)(1)(1)(1)13
Liberal 8391250
Progressive 3(1)(2)
Liberal–Progressive 1124
United Farmers 11
Labour[a 1] 11
Independent-Conservative 2(2)
Co-operative Commonwealth 11
Independent 11
Total7142(42)3(3)2(1)(1)71
  1. Incumbent changed affiliation to Liberal-Labour for the 1934 election

Of the unaltered seats, there were 47 that changed allegiance in the election:

See also

Notes and references

Notes

References

  1. "1934 General Election". Elections Ontario. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  2. Cdn Ann Rev 1935, p. 174.
  3. Cdn Ann Rev 1935, p. 175.
  4. The Liquor Control Act, 1934, S.O. 1934, c. 26
  5. Cdn Ann Rev 1935, p. 176.
  6. Cdn Ann Rev 1935, p. 178.
  7. Cdn Ann Rev 1935, p. 179.
  8. "Nominations for Elections in Ontario and Saskatchewan". Ottawa Citizen. June 13, 1934. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  9. Cdn Ann Rev 1935, p. 180.
  10. The Representation Act, 1933, S.O. 1933, c. 56
  11. The Representation Act, 1934, S.O. 1934, c. 51
  12. "1934 General Election". elections.on.ca. Elections Ontario. Retrieved August 13, 2023. EO data errors on party affiliations corrected: "Results by Constituencies in Ontario and Saskatchewan". Ottawa Citizen. June 20, 1934. p. 17. Supplementary correction for T.A. Blakelock (Halton) - he was nominated, and campaigned, as a Liberal-Progressive): "Liberal-Progressive Convention". The Canadian Champion. Milton. April 26, 1934. p. 3., "T.A Blakelock Candidate". The Canadian Champion. Milton. May 3, 1934.
  13. Cdn Ann Rev 1935, p. 177.
  14. Cdn Ann Rev 1935, pp. 178–179.

Further reading

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