Acadia-Coronation was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1963.[1]

Acadia-Coronation
Alberta electoral district
Defunct provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of Alberta
District created1940
District abolished1963
First contested1940
Last contested1959

History edit

The Acadia-Coronation electoral district was formed from the Acadia electoral district prior to the 1940 Alberta general election. The district would be dissolved prior to the 1963 Alberta general election and be split into Hand Hills-Acadia and Sedgewick-Coronation electoral districts.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) edit

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Acadia-Coronation
Assembly Years Member Party
See Acadia electoral district from 1913-1940
9th  1940–1944     Clarence E. Gerhart Social Credit
10th  1944–1948
11th  1948–1952
12th  1952–1955
13th  1955–1959     James Leland Sims Liberal
14th  1959–1963     Marion Kelts Social Credit
See Sedgewick-Coronation electoral district from 1963-1979
and Hand Hills-Acadia electoral district from 1963-1971

Election results edit

1940 edit

1940 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
First count
Social Credit Clarence E. Gerhart 2,163 49.30%
Independent George N. Johnston 1,665 37.95%
Co-operative Commonwealth Mrs. R. Johnston 559 6.46%
Total 4,387
Ballot transfer results
Social Credit Clarence E. Gerhart 2,297 53.92%
Independent George N. Johnston 1,963 46.08%
Total 4,260
Rejected, spoiled and declined 137
Eligible electors / turnout 5,927 76.33%
Social Credit pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Acadia-Coronation Official Results 1940 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Instant-runoff voting requires a candidate to receive a plurality (greater than 50%) of the votes.
As no candidate received a plurality of votes, the bottom candidate was eliminated and their 2nd place votes were applied to both other candidates until one received a plurality

1944 edit

1944 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Clarence E. Gerhart 2,930 61.81% 12.51%
Co-operative Commonwealth Charles Frederickson 1,215 25.63% 19.17%
Independent John Hallet 595 12.55%
Total 4,740
Rejected, spoiled and declined 98
Eligible electors / turnout 5,878 82.31% 5.97%
Social Credit hold Swing 18.09%
Source(s)
Source: "Acadia-Coronation Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1948 edit

1948 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Clarence E. Gerhart 2,332 55.17% -6.65%
Liberal Dr. Arthur M. Day 1,254 29.67%
Co-operative Commonwealth Russell A. Johnson 641 15.16% -10.47%
Total 4,227
Rejected, spoiled and declined 283
Eligible electors / turnout 5,744 78.52% -3.79%
Social Credit hold Swing -5.34%
Source(s)
Source: "Acadia-Coronation Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1952 edit

1952 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Clarence E. Gerhart Acclaimed
Total N/A
Rejected, spoiled and declined N/A
Eligible electors / turnout N/A N/A N/A
Social Credit hold Swing N/A
Source(s)
Source: "Acadia-Coronation Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1955 edit

1955 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
First count
Social Credit Clarence E. Gerhart 2,026 44.38%
Liberal James Leland Sims 1,932 42.32%
Co-operative Commonwealth L. E. Reiman 607 6.78%
Total 4,565
Ballot transfer results
Liberal James Leland Sims 2,263 51.61%
Social Credit Clarence E. Gerhart 2,122 48.39%
Total 4,385
Rejected, spoiled and declined 297
Eligible electors / turnout 5,815 83.63%
Liberal gain from Social Credit Swing N/A
Source(s)
Source: "Acadia-Coronation Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Instant-runoff voting requires a candidate to receive a plurality (greater than 50%) of the votes.
As no candidate received a plurality of votes, the bottom candidate was eliminated and their 2nd place votes were applied to both other candidates until one received a plurality

1959 edit

1959 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Marion Kelts 2,450 57.48% 13.10%
Liberal James Leland Sims 1,408 33.04% -9.28%
Co-operative Commonwealth Lester A. Lindgren 404 9.48% 2.70%
Total 4,262
Rejected, spoiled and declined 11
Eligible electors / turnout 5,573 76.67% -5.96%
Social Credit gain from Liberal Swing 11.96%
Source(s)
Source: "Acadia-Coronation Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Plebiscite results edit

1957 liquor plebiscite edit

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Acadia-Coronation[2]
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 1,526 53.92%
No 1,304 46.08%
Total votes 2,830 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 48
5,404 eligible electors, turnout 53.26%

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.[3]

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 women should be allowed to drink together in establishments.[2]

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts while Question B passed in all five districts. Acadia-Coronation was split on the issue, but voted in favour of the proposal. The district recorded one of the best turnouts in the province, well above the province wide 46% average.[2]

Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957.[2] The Social Credit government in power at the time did not consider the results binding.[4] However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act.[5]

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 who wanted a license had to petition for a binding municipal plebiscite in order to be granted a license.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Election results for Acadia-Coronation". abheritage.ca. Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Alberta Gazette. Vol. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2, 247–2, 249.
  3. ^ "Albertans Vote 2 to 1 For More Liquor Outlets". Vol L No 273. The Lethbridge Herald. October 31, 1957. pp. 1–2.
  4. ^ "No Sudden Change In Alberta Drinking Habits Is Seen". Vol L No 267. The Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1957. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Entirely New Act On Liquor". Vol LI No 72. The Lethbridge Herald. March 5, 1958. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

Further reading edit

External links edit