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

← 1929June 19, 19341937 →

90 seats in the 19th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
46 seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  CCF
LeaderMitchell HepburnGeorge S. HenryJohn Mitchell
as party president
PartyLiberalConservativeCo-operative Commonwealth
Leader sinceDecember 17, 19301930n.a.
Leader's seatElginYork EastRan in Wentworth (Lost)
Last election1190n.a.
Seats won64171
Seat changeIncrease53Decrease73Increase1
Percentage46.56%39.78%6.98%
SwingIncrease15.06ppDecrease16.88ppIncrease6.98pp

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

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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.[a][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)
CandidatesLibConCCFL-PUFOLib-LabIndInd-LibCommOtherTotal
2343931178
32831222611293
41313101416452
5342213520
633323418
Total8190375211431315261
Election ad for the Ontario Conservatives run in the 1934 Ontario general election

Outcome

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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

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

Redistribution and reduction of ridings

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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

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Elections to the 19th Parliament of Ontario (1934)[12]
Political partyParty leaderMPPsVotes
Candidates[13]1929Dissol.1934±#%± (pp)
LiberalMitchell Hepburn8111166453 727,16846.56%15.06
ConservativeGeorge Stewart Henry9090881773 621,21839.78%16.88
Co-operative CommonwealthJohn Mitchell[a 1]3711 108,9616.98%New
Liberal–Progressive[a 2]Harry Nixon57452 45,0902.89%1.92
Independent1411 19,1031.22%1.16
United FarmersFarquhar Oliver2111 8,6480.55%0.71
Liberal–Labour111 5,8770.38%New
Independent Conservative3222 4230.03%2.13
Labour1111 2160.01%0.84
Independent Liberal312,2840.79%New
Communist139,5590.61%0.46
Socialist Labour51,6260.10%New
Farmer–Labour16080.04%New
Independent Labour15340.03%New
Independent Dry11650.01%New
 Workers11580.01%New
 Dry Liberal11070.01%New
Socialist1810.01%New
Total26111211290-221,561,826100.00%
Blank and invalid ballots17,267
Registered voters / turnout2,145,25573.61%16.99
  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%
15.0615.06
 
 Conservative
17 / 90
39.78%
-16.88
 
 Liberal–Progressive
5 / 90
2.89%
-1.92
 
 Co-operative Commonwealth
1 / 90
6.96%
6.966.96
 
 United Farmers
1 / 90
0.56%
-0.71
 
 Liberal–Labour
1 / 90
0.38%
0.380.38
 
 Prohibitionist
0 / 90
0.00%
-2.54
 
 Other
1 / 90
2.87%
0.250.25
 

Synopsis of results

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Results by riding - 1934 Ontario general election[12][14]
RidingWinning partyTurnout
[a 1]
Votes
Name[a 2]PartyVotesShareMargin
#
Margin
%
LibConCCFL-ProgUFOLLIndCommInd-LibInd-OthOtherTotal
 
AddingtonCon7,22353.81%1,0247.63%79.40%6,1997,22313,422
Algoma—ManitoulinLib9,24762.87%3,78625.74%79.07%9,2475,46114,708
BrantL-P9,40268.65%5,10837.30%70.69%4,2949,40213,696
BrantfordInd8,34950.17%2,01412.10%81.55%6,3351,9588,34916,642
BruceLib10,10060.07%3,38720.15%77.98%10,1006,71316,813
CarletonCon6,84256.36%1,54512.73%72.73%5,2976,84212,139
Cochrane NorthLib5,30453.41%1,98119.95%79.83%5,3043,3237705349,931
Cochrane SouthLib8,18347.02%3,06117.59%71.56%8,1835,1222,97521075915617,405
Dufferin—SimcoeLib8,39353.60%1,1267.19%76.21%8,3937,26715,660
DurhamLib6,23245.75%2681.97%74.32%6,2325,9641,42513,621
ElginLib11,92256.58%2,77213.15%82.13%11,9229,15021,072
Essex NorthLib7,45950.71%3,03020.60%77.04%7,4594,4291,8121,00914,709
Essex SouthLib7,11055.56%1,42311.12%66.68%7,1105,68712,797
Fort WilliamLib9,10062.87%3,72525.73%82.43%9,1005,37514,475
GlengarryLib6,39161.55%2,39823.09%68.33%6,3913,99310,384
Grenville—DundasCon8,85953.97%1,3027.93%73.56%7,5578,85916,416
Grey NorthL-P9,77060.52%3,39621.04%79.81%6,3749,77016,144
Grey SouthUFO8,30159.66%2,68919.33%73.46%5,6128,30113,913
Haldimand—NorfolkLib12,16456.43%2,77112.85%74.32%12,1649,39321,557
HaltonL-P6,92950.00%1,3019.39%74.60%5,6281,3016,92913,858
Hamilton EastCCF10,45854.86%3,24517.02%67.64%7,21310,45841681516219,064
Hamilton CentreLib11,25051.71%3,22214.81%70.34%11,2508,0282,47821,756
Hamilton—WentworthLib11,12757.18%4,28422.01%77.45%11,1276,8431,49119,461
Hastings EastCon6,25751.73%4183.46%78.35%5,8396,25712,096
Hastings WestLib9,62753.26%1,1796.52%80.01%9,6278,44818,075
HuronLib8,25457.52%2,28115.90%78.86%8,2545,97312214,349
Huron—BruceLib9,59165.78%4,60231.56%73.25%9,5914,98914,580
KenoraL-L5,87762.41%2,33724.82%71.92%3,5405,8779,417
Kent EastL-P8,39964.60%4,06431.26%72.89%4,3358,399[a 3]26713,001
Kent WestLib11,01658.81%4,87926.04%74.30%11,0166,1371,58018,733
KingstonCon7,63453.92%1,1097.83%79.02%6,5257,63414,159
Lambton EastLib7,83556.80%2,40617.44%74.64%7,8355,42934718313,794
Lambton WestLib7,47354.75%2,30716.90%76.57%7,4735,1661,01013,649
LanarkCon8,46852.27%7374.55%73.20%7,7318,46816,199
LeedsLib10,19553.24%1,2426.49%77.95%10,1958,95319,148
LincolnLib12,92448.85%1,4365.43%76.94%12,92411,4882,04726,459
LondonLib16,44254.69%3,11910.37%74.95%16,44213,32330030,065
Middlesex NorthLib7,75354.75%1,3459.50%72.72%7,7536,40814,161
Middlesex SouthLib8,23960.33%2,82120.66%73.33%8,2395,41813,657
Muskoka—OntarioL-P10,59056.86%2,55413.71%79.04%8,03610,59018,626
Niagara FallsLib9,09653.12%3,98223.25%73.04%9,0965,1142,91417,124
NipissingLib12,14966.80%6,11133.60%74.90%12,1496,03818,187
NorthumberlandLib9,08752.53%8765.06%83.20%9,0878,21117,298
OntarioLib11,40956.63%5,04625.05%76.42%11,4096,3632,37520,147
Ottawa EastLib10,31443.37%3,03912.78%81.10%10,3147,2756,1167923,784
Ottawa SouthCon16,98347.56%2460.69%74.20%16,73716,9831,53119216510035,708
OxfordLib11,76750.11%2,47210.53%79.50%11,7679,2952,42223,484
Parry SoundLib7,19962.83%2,94025.66%78.82%7,1994,25911,458
PeelLib7,96048.42%2441.48%78.04%7,9607,71676416,440
PerthLib16,37160.23%5,56020.45%78.88%16,37110,81127,182
PeterboroughCon9,39444.64%340.16%76.36%9,3609,3942,28821,042
Port ArthurLib7,51458.93%3,22825.32%81.10%7,5144,28634260812,750
PrescottLib5,00438.79%2281.77%76.80%5,0043,1194,77612,899
Prince Edward—LennoxLib7,86652.15%6504.31%74.95%7,8667,21615,082
Rainy RiverLib4,72568.26%2,52836.52%76.13%4,7252,1976,922
Renfrew NorthLib7,77060.86%2,77221.71%76.80%7,7704,99812,768
Renfrew SouthLib8,40665.18%3,91530.36%76.00%8,4064,49112,897
RussellLib6,38154.55%2,97125.40%72.36%6,3813,4101,90611,697
Sault Ste. MarieLib7,53055.47%1,81113.34%77.94%7,5305,71932713,576
Simcoe CentreLib9,00462.59%3,62225.18%74.46%9,0045,38214,386
Simcoe EastLib9,32757.15%2,33414.30%80.64%9,3276,99316,320
StormontLib9,43063.06%3,90526.11%72.25%9,4305,52514,955
SudburyLib10,51652.88%1,6048.07%76.86%10,5168,91245819,886
TemiskamingLib5,57348.48%2,30020.01%73.92%5,5733,2732,64911,495
VictoriaLib10,62957.11%2,64714.22%81.29%10,6297,98218,611
Waterloo NorthLib11,82753.11%6,24128.03%68.87%11,8275,5864,32752822,268
Waterloo SouthLib8,86050.43%2,33713.30%75.91%8,8606,5232,18617,569
WellandLib10,38655.74%4,16422.35%73.36%10,3866,2222,02418,632
Wellington NorthLib10,20966.29%5,01732.58%74.10%10,2095,19215,401
Wellington SouthLib10,37660.36%3,56120.71%84.97%10,3766,81517,191
WentworthLib6,27234.47%1190.65%71.89%6,2726,1535,77118,196
Windsor—WalkervilleLib10,10457.58%5,32430.34%76.74%10,1044,7802,15151217,547
Windsor—SandwichLib9,93456.51%3,95322.49%69.85%9,9345,9811,66417,579
York EastCon12,81542.60%2,7419.11%69.78%10,07412,8156,2232256648130,082
York NorthLib11,40256.20%3,48917.20%77.52%11,4027,91397420,289
York SouthCon10,15939.70%9803.83%69.06%9,17910,1595,54670625,590
York WestLib11,60045.60%2,1198.33%63.36%11,6009,4813,87548325,439
BeachesCon7,82244.38%2,87616.32%67.62%4,8597,8224,94617,627
BellwoodsLib9,33955.17%3,97323.47%70.70%9,3395,3661,1331,09116,929
BracondaleCon6,45241.10%2891.84%64.84%6,1636,4522,7343123915,700
DovercourtCon9,26641.13%4101.82%66.94%8,8569,2664,19221622,530
EglintonLib12,55646.51%1,6656.17%68.03%12,55610,8913,28726526,999
High ParkCon8,93442.14%9934.68%68.08%7,9418,9344,32721,202
ParkdaleCon10,08742.26%2120.89%67.01%9,87510,0873,90623,868
RiverdaleLib10,89848.90%5352.40%63.70%10,89810,3631,02522,286
St. AndrewLib6,05542.20%1,3719.55%66.57%6,0554,6842,0301,39218814,349
St. DavidCon6,75140.51%1,0956.57%64.63%5,6566,7514,26016,667
St. GeorgeLib8,29645.49%4262.34%62.16%8,2967,8701,86221018,238
St. PatrickLib5,70450.08%180.16%63.00%5,7045,68611,390
WoodbineCon9,33441.76%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
Liberal63164
Conservative16117
Liberal–Progressive55
United Farmers11
Liberal–Labour11
Co-operative Commonwealth11
Independent11
Total16721190
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party
Parties1st2nd3rd4th5thTotal
 Liberal6416190
 Conservative1772190
 Liberal–Progressive55
 Co-operative Commonwealth1134137
 Independent174214
 United Farmers112
 Liberal–Labour11
 Independent Liberal1113
 Communist31013
 Socialist Labour224
 Farmer–Labour11
 Independent Conservative112
 Independent Labour11
 Labour11
 Workers11
 Dry Liberal11
 Independent Dry11

Reorganization of ridings

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19291934
RidingPartyRidingParty
Mergers of ridings
Algoma ConservativeAlgoma—Manitoulin Liberal
Manitoulin Conservative
Brockville ConservativeLeeds Liberal
Leeds Conservative
Bruce North LiberalBruce Liberal
Bruce South Liberal
Dufferin ProgressiveDufferin—Simcoe Liberal
Simcoe Southwest Conservative
Elgin East ConservativeElgin Liberal
Elgin West Conservative
Dundas ConservativeGrenville—Dundas Conservative
Grenville Conservative
Haldimand ConservativeHaldimand—Norfolk Liberal
Norfolk Conservative
Hamilton West ConservativeWentworth Liberal
Wentworth South Conservative
Lanark North ConservativeLanark Conservative
Lanark South Conservative
Lincoln ConservativeLincoln Liberal
St. Catharines Conservative
London North ConservativeLondon Liberal
London South Conservative
Muskoka ConservativeMuskoka—Ontario Liberal–Progressive
Ontario North Conservative
Nipissing ConservativeNipissing Liberal
Sturgeon Falls Conservative
Ottawa North ConservativeOttawa South Conservative
Ottawa South Conservative
Oxford North Liberal–ProgressiveOxford Liberal
Oxford South Liberal
Perth North ConservativePerth Liberal
Perth South Conservative
Peterborough City ConservativePeterborough Conservative
Peterborough County Conservative
Prince Edward ConservativePrince Edward—Lennox Liberal
Frontenac-Lennox Conservative
Victoria North Liberal–ProgressiveVictoria Liberal
Victoria South Conservative
Riding abolished; parts transferred to other ridings
Brockton Conservative
Greenwood Conservative
Hastings North Conservative

Seats that changed hands

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Elections to the 18th Parliament of Ontario – unaltered seats won/lost by party, 1929–1934
Party1929Gain from (loss to)1934
ConLibProL-ProUFOLabI-ConCCFInd
Conservative55(39)(1)(1)(1)13
Liberal8391250
Progressive3(1)(2)
Liberal–Progressive1124
United Farmers11
Labour[a 1]11
Independent-Conservative2(2)
Co-operative Commonwealth11
Independent11
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

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Notes and references

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "1934 General Election". Elections Ontario. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b "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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