1963 British Columbia general election

The 1963 British Columbia general election was the 27th 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 22, 1963, and held on September 30, 1963. The new legislature met for the first time on January 23, 1964.

1963 British Columbia general election

September 30, 1963

52 seats of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
27 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
NDP
Leader W. A. C. Bennett Robert Strachan
Party Social Credit New Democratic
Leader since 1952 1956
Leader's seat South Okanagan Cowichan-Newcastle
Last election 32 seats, 38.83% 16 seats, 32.73%
Seats won 33 14
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 2
Popular vote 395,079 269,004
Percentage 40.83% 27.80%
Swing Increase 2.00pp Decrease 4.93pp

  Third party Fourth party
 
BCLP
Leader Ray Perrault Davie Fulton
Party Liberal Progressive Conservative
Leader since 1959 1960
Leader's seat North Vancouver Ran in Kamloops (lost)
Last election 4 seats, 20.90% 0 seats, 6.72%
Seats won 5 0
Seat change Increase 1 Steady 0
Popular vote 193,363 109,090
Percentage 19.98% 11.27%
Swing Decrease 0.92pp Increase 4.55pp

Premier before election

W. A. C. Bennett
Social Credit

Premier after election

W. A. C. Bennett
Social Credit

The conservative Social Credit Party of Premier W.A.C. Bennett was re-elected with a majority in the legislature to a fifth term in government. The party increased its share of the popular vote and number of seats in the legislature marginally.

The opposition New Democratic Party (formerly the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation) had small losses both in popular vote and number of seats.

The Liberals won about 20% of the popular vote, and one additional seat, for a total of five.

The Progressive Conservative Party won no seats in the legislature increasing its share of the popular vote by four-and-half percentage points to over 11%.

Results

Party Party leader # of
candidates
Seats Popular vote
1960 Elected % Change # % % Change
Social Credit W.A.C. Bennett 52 32 33 +3.1% 395,079 40.83% +2.00%
  New Democrats Bob Strachan 52 16 14 -12.5% 269,004 27.80% -4.93%
Liberal Ray Perrault 51 4 5 +25.0% 193,363 19.98% -0.92%
  Progressive Conservative Davie Fulton 44 - - - 109,090 11.27% +4.55%
Communist   4 - - - 849 0.09% -0.48%
  Independent 1 - - - 215 0.02% -0.23%
  Socialist   1 * 0 * 75 0.01% *
Total 205 52 52 - 967,675 100%  
Source: Elections BC

Note:

* Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

Popular vote
Social Credit
40.83%
NDP
27.80%
Liberal
19.98%
PC
11.27%
Others
0.12%
Seats summary
Social Credit
63.46%
NDP
26.92%
Liberal
9.62%

Results by riding

Results of British Columbia general election, 1963
Government Opposition
Member Riding
& party
Riding
& party
Member
     William Collins Speare Cariboo
Social Credit
          Alberni
New Democrat
Stanley John Squire     
     William Kenneth Kiernan Chilliwack
Social Credit
          Atlin
New Democrat
Frank Arthur Calder     
     James Roland Chabot Columbia
Social Credit
          Burnaby
New Democrat
Gordon Dowding     
     Daniel Robert John Campbell Comox
Social Credit
          Charles Willoughby MacSorley     
     Ernest A. LeCours Delta
Social Credit
          Cowichan-Newcastle
New Democrat
Robert Martin Strachan2     
     Hunter Bertram Vogel           Cranbrook
New Democrat
Leo Thomas Nimsick     
     Herbert Joseph Bruch Esquimalt
Social Credit
          Dewdney
New Democrat
Dave Barrett     
     Ray Gillis Williston Fort George
Social Credit
          Grand Forks-Greenwood
New Democrat
Lois Haggen     
     Philip Arthur Gaglardi Kamloops
Social Credit
          Kaslo-Slocan
New Democrat
Randolph Harding     
     Donald Frederick Robinson Lillooet
Social Credit
          Mackenzie
New Democrat
Anthony John Gargrave     
     Wesley Drewett Black Nelson-Creston
Social Credit
          Nanaimo and the Islands
New Democrat
David Stupich     
     George William McLeod North Okanagan
Social Credit
          New Westminster
New Democrat
Rae Eddie     
     Jacob Francis Huhn North Peace River
Social Credit
          Vancouver East
New Democrat
Alexander Barrett MacDonald     
     Cyril Morley Shelford Omineca
Social Credit
          Arthur James Turner     
     William Harvey Murray Prince Rupert
Social Credit
          Yale
New Democrat
William Leonard Hartley     
     Arvid Lundell Revelstoke
Social Credit
          Fernie
Liberal
Henry Cartmell (Harry) McKay     
     Donald Leslie Brothers Rossland-Trail
Social Credit
          North Vancouver
Liberal
James Gordon Gibson     
     John Douglas Tidball Tisdalle Saanich
Social Credit
          Ray Perrault     
     Willis Franklin Jefcoat Salmon Arm
Social Credit
          Oak Bay
Liberal
Alan Brock MacFarlane     
     Frank Richter, Jr. Similkameen
Social Credit
          Vancouver-Point Grey
Liberal
Patrick Lucey McGeer     
     Dudley George Little Skeena
Social Credit
    
     William Andrew Cecil Bennett1 South Okanagan
Social Credit
    
     Stanley Carnell South Peace River
Social Credit
    
     Eric Charles Fitzgerald Martin Vancouver-Burrard
Social Credit
    
     Bert Price     
     Alexander Small Matthew Vancouver Centre
Social Credit
    
     Leslie Raymond Peterson     
     Robert William Bonner Vancouver-Point Grey
Social Credit
    
     Ralph Raymond Loffmark     
     William Neelands Chant Victoria City
Social Credit
    
     Waldo McTavish Skillings     
     John Donald Smith     
1 Premier-Elect 2 Leader of the Opposition
Source: Elections BC

See also

Further reading

  • Saywell, John T., ed. (1964). Canadian Annual Review for 1963. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
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