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1919 Ontario general election

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1919 Ontario general election
← 1914 October 20, 1919 1923 →
111 seats in the 15th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
56 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Ernest C. Drury Hartley Dewart
Party United Farmers Liberal
Leader since October 1919[a] June 26, 1919
Leader's seat - Toronto Southwest
Last election pre-creation 24
Seats won 44 27
Seat change Increase44 Increase3
Percentage 21.0% 25.5%
Swing Increase21.0pp Decrease12.4pp
  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader William Hearst Walter Rollo
Party Conservative Labour
Leader since 1914 -
Leader's seat Sault Ste. Marie (lost re-election) Hamilton West
Last election 84 1
Seats won 25 11
Seat change Decrease59 Increase10
Percentage 34.1% 9.1%
Swing Decrease19.8pp Increase7.8pp
Premier before election

William Hearst
Conservative

Premier after election

Ernest C. Drury
United Farmers

The 1919 Ontario general election, held on October 20, 1919, elected 111 Members of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs"). The United Farmers of Ontario captured the most seats but only a minority of the legislature. They joined with 11 Labour MPPs and three others to form a coalition government, ending the 14-year rule of Ontario's Conservatives.[1] This is one of the few examples of coalition government in Canadian history.

Premier William Howard Hearst had aimed to win a fifth consecutive term for the Conservatives, but instead the party became the first in Ontario history to fall from first to third place.[2] As newspaperman John Willison later remarked, "There could not have been a worse time for a general election."[2]

Campaign

[edit]

The parties tended to have a targeted approach in fielding their candidates:

Candidate contests in the ridings
Candidates nominated Ridings Party
Con Lib UFO Lab Ind Farm-Lab Ind-Lib Ind-Con Soc Farm-Lib Soldier Sold-Lab Totals
Acclamation 4 4 4
2 48 44 15 31 2 2 1 1 96
3 50 45 44 31 13 8 4 2 1 1 1 150
4 8 8 5 3 4 3 1 2 2 2 1 1 32
5 –
6 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
Total 111 102 65 66 20 13 5 5 3 3 2 2 2 288

It was the first in which women could vote and run for office.[b] Election day was also held on the same day as the scheduled referendum on prohibition.[2]

Conservatives

[edit]

Hearst alienated the business community with his progressive policies; he had a rift with Adam Beck (London) over the direction of the Ontario Hydro-Electric Commission; and his promotion of prohibition alienated the urban "wets".[2]

Only the Conservatives attempted to field a full slate—and were helped by having four candidates being declared elected by acclamation[5]—but about two dozen incumbents decided to step aside in favour of the local farmer candidates.[6]

Seventeen Conservative MLAs either retired from the Legislature, or had failed to be renominated.[7] Arthur Pratt (Norfolk South) opted to campaign as an Independent-Conservative, claiming earlier in the year that at least 27 MLAs privately opposed Hearst's prohibition policy.[6]

Beck also decided to stand as an Independent, saying, "I do not object to the Government having a control of the Hydro enterprise, but I object to its becoming a Government department; only as an Independent can I look after the interests of Hydro-Electric Power for the people of the Province in the most efficient manner."[6]

Liberals

[edit]

The Liberals split between those still loyal to former leader Newton Rowell and his successor William Proudfoot (Huron Centre), and those who supported the new leader, Hartley Dewart.[2] John Campbell Elliott (Middlesex West) (who had come in 3rd in the 1919 leadership contest), joined by five others, decided to drop out of the race.[8]

They tried to avoid direct contests with UFO candidates,[2] fielding candidates in only 66 ridings as opposed to the 90 named in the 1914 election. In many respects, however, they underestimated the discontent that was simmering among rural Ontarians, and Dewart focused his attention unnecessarily against the Conservative campaign manager George Howard Ferguson.[9]

Proudfoot opted to campaign as an Independent.[10]

United Farmers

[edit]

The UFO focused on rural areas. Its leader, R.H. Halbert, did not campaign, as he had been elected to the House of Commons of Canada in an earlier by-election.[8] It had only two incumbent MPPs, Beniah Bowman and John Wesley Widdifield, who had entered the legislature by winning by-elections in Manitoulin and Ontario North.

Labour

[edit]

The labour political movement was fragmented between the Independent Labour Party, the Ontario section of the Canadian Labour Party, and the Ontario Labour Educational Association and its newspaper The Industrial Banner.[11] The ILP was the effective organization on the campaign trail that year, and it promoted joint action with the UFO.[12]

Media in the campaign

[edit]

Media support in the campaign was mixed. The Globe and The Toronto Star, at that time both Liberal in outlook, were hostile against Dewart because of his stand on temperance issues.[13] The Toronto World, generally a Conservative backer, pursued a simmering scandal from 1916[14][15] concerning International Nickel and alleged provincial support of wartime shipments of the metal to Germany via the cargo submarine Deutschland.[16][8] The Farmer's Sun, recently acquired by the UFO, was an enthusiastic promoter of farmer policies.[11]

Electoral system

[edit]

Of the 111 seats, 103 were from single-member constituencies elected through first-past-the-post voting. The remaining eight came from four dual-member ridings in Toronto, each of which had parallel contests voting separately for seat A and seat B under the same FPTP rules.

Synopsis of results

[edit]
Results by riding - 1919 Ontario general election[a 1]
Riding Winning party Turnout
[a 2] 		Votes
1914 1st place Votes Share Margin
# 		Margin
% 		2nd place UFO Lab F-Lab F-Lib Soldier Lib Con Ind I-Con I-Lib S-Lab Soc Total
 
Addington   Con   Con acclaimed
Algoma‡   Con   Lib 2,270 35.49% 44 0.69%   Con 68.60% 1,900 – – – – 2,270 2,226 – – – – – 6,396
Brant North   Lib   UFO 3,597 44.21% 1,024 12.59%   Con 76.65% 3,597 – – – – 1,966 2,573 – – – – – 8,136
Brant South   Lib   Lab 6,408 46.55% 2,377 17.27%   Lib 81.02% – 6,408 – – – 4,031 3,326 – – – – – 13,765
Brockville   Con   Lib 4,866 56.47% 1,115 12.94%   Con 78.38% – – – – – 4,866 3,751 – – – – – 8,617
Bruce North   Lib   UFO 3,689 54.08% 557 8.17%   Lib 76.91% 3,689 – – – – 3,132 – – – – – – 6,821
Bruce South   Con   Lib 2,727 41.88% 797 12.24%   UFO 79.97% 1,930 – – – – 2,727 1,855 – – – – – 6,512
Bruce West   Lib   Lib 3,094 39.75% 101 1.30%   UFO 80.65% 2,993 – – – – 3,094 1,696 – – – – – 7,783
Carleton   Con   UFO 4,877 56.24% 1,082 12.48%   Con 67.89% 4,877 – – – – – 3,795 – – – – – 8,672
Cochrane   Lib   Lib 2,951 49.24% 1,120 18.69%   Con 57.62% – – – – – 2,951 1,831 – – 1,211 – – 5,993
Dufferin   Con   UFO 4,117 53.50% 538 6.99%   Con 77.71% 4,117 – – – – – 3,579 – – – – – 7,696
Dundas   Con   UFO 4,792 59.45% 1,524 18.91%   Con 76.17% 4,792 – – – – – 3,268 – – – – – 8,060
Durham East   Con   UFO 1,111 57.89% 303 15.79%   Con 24.10% 1,111 – – – – – 808 – – – – – 1,919
Durham West   Con   Lib 3,346 56.20% 738 12.40%   Con 77.42% – – – – – 3,346 2,608 – – – – – 5,954
Elgin East   Con   UFO 4,937 59.47% 1,572 18.94%   Con 77.31% 4,937 – – – – – 3,365 – – – – – 8,302
Elgin West   Con   UFO 7,542 57.11% 1,879 14.23%   Con 73.01% 7,542 – – – – – 5,663 – – – – – 13,205
Essex North   Lib   UFO 6,486 71.09% 3,848 42.17%   Con 72.73% 6,486 – – – – – 2,638 – – – – – 9,124
Essex South   Lib   UFO 3,558 41.30% 130 1.51%   Lib 78.29% 3,558 – – – – 3,428 – 1,629 – – – – 8,615
Fort William   Con   Lab 3,745 51.48% 1,513 20.80%   Lib 63.70% – 3,745 – – – 2,232 1,298 – – – – – 7,275
Frontenac   Con   Con 3,016 47.32% 509 7.99%   UFO 74.35% 2,507 – – – – – 3,016 850 – – – – 6,373
Glengarry   Lib   UFO 4,554 66.65% 2,275 33.29%   Lib 60.12% 4,554 – – – – 2,279 – – – – – – 6,833
Grenville*   Con   Con 4,125 50.50% 81 0.99%   UFO 78.65% 4,044 – – – – – 4,125 – – – – – 8,169
Grey Centre   Con   UFO 4,363 52.87% 474 5.74%   Con 80.57% 4,363 – – – – – 3,889 – – – – – 8,252
Grey North*   Con   F-Lib 5,659 55.92% 1,198 11.84%   Con 77.18% – – – 5,659 – – 4,461 – – – – – 10,120
Grey South   Con   UFO 5,252 54.99% 953 9.98%   Con 75.87% 5,252 – – – – – 4,299 – – – – – 9,551
Haldimand   Con   UFO 6,056 59.83% 1,990 19.66%   Con 82.63% 6,056 – – – – – 4,066 – – – – – 10,122
Halton   Con   UFO 4,456 40.33% 1,054 9.54%   Con 76.89% 4,456 – – – – 3,190 3,402 – – – – – 11,048
Hamilton East   Lab   Lab 16,012 60.24% 7,588 28.55%   S-Lab 71.16% – 16,012 – – 2,146 – – – – – 8,424 – 26,582
Hamilton West   Con   Lab 8,722 60.25% 4,643 32.07%   Con 71.54% – 8,722 – – – 1,675 4,079 – – – – – 14,476
Hastings East   Con   UFO 3,641 51.22% 174 2.45%   Con 77.36% 3,641 – – – – – 3,467 – – – – – 7,108
Hastings North   Con   Con acclaimed
Hastings West   Con   Con 5,072 52.19% 425 4.37%   Lib 74.80% – – – – – 4,647 5,072 – – – – – 9,719
Huron Centre   Lib   Lab 3,193 38.65% 163 1.97%   Ind 78.39% 2,039 3,193 – – – – – 3,030 – – – – 8,262
Huron North   Con   Con 2,897 37.61% 341 4.43%   Lib 81.66% 2,249 – – – – 2,556 2,897 – – – – – 7,702
Huron South   Con   UFO 3,298 41.91% 774 9.84%   Con 80.89% 3,298 – – – – 2,047 2,524 – – – – – 7,869
Kenora   Con   Lab 1,870 49.47% 975 25.79%   Ind 68.70% – 1,870 – – – 405 610 895[a 3] – – – – 3,780
Kent East   Lib   UFO 5,374 55.28% 1,026 10.55%   Con 81.83% 5,374 – – – – – 4,348 – – – – – 9,722
Kent West   Con   Lib 8,098 48.03% 2,919 17.31%   UFO 81.19% 5,179 – – – – 8,098 3,583 – – – – – 16,860
Kingston   Con   Con acclaimed
Lambton East   Con   UFO 4,575 53.09% 2,414 28.01%   Con 79.94% 4,575 – – – – 1,882 2,161 – – – – – 8,618
Lambton West   Con   UFO 6,081 40.42% 1,299 8.64%   Lab 78.92% 6,081 4,782 – – – – 4,180 – – – – – 15,043
Lanark North   Con   UFO 2,881 40.85% 83 1.18%   Con 77.84% 2,881 – – – – 1,373 2,798 – – – – – 7,052
Lanark South   Con   UFO 3,872 48.18% 803 9.99%   Con 73.33% 3,872 1,096 – – – – 3,069 – – – – – 8,037
Leeds   Con   Con 4,351 54.59% 731 9.17%   Lib 75.20% – – – – – 3,620 4,351 – – – – – 7,971
Lennox   Con   Con 2,329 39.98% 314 5.39%   Lib 77.50% 1,482 – – – – 2,015 2,329 – – – – – 5,826
Lincoln   Lib   Lib 3,242 39.39% 507 6.16%   UFO 77.33% 2,735 – – – – 3,242 2,253 – – – – – 8,230
London   Con   Lab 13,008 53.94% 1,901 7.88%   Ind 77.34% – 13,008 – – – – – 11,107 – – – – 24,115
Manitoulin   Con   UFO 2,428 60.20% 823 20.41%   Con 69.06% 2,428 – – – – – 1,605 – – – – – 4,033
Middlesex East   Con   UFO 5,463 52.61% 2,963 28.53%   Lib 78.19% 5,463 – – – – 2,500 2,421 – – – – – 10,384
Middlesex North   Lib   UFO 3,857 50.45% 1,696 22.18%   Con 80.98% 3,857 – – – – 1,627 2,161 – – – – – 7,645
Middlesex West   Lib   UFO 4,394 75.59% 2,975 51.18%   Con 75.34% 4,394 – – – – – 1,419 – – – – – 5,813
Muskoka   Con   Con 3,054 46.22% 290 4.39%   Lib 64.48% – – – – – 2,764 3,054 789 – – – – 6,607
Niagara Falls   Con   Lab 4,057 38.37% 368 3.48%   Lib 74.20% – 4,057 – – – 3,689 2,826 – – – – – 10,572
Nipissing   Con   Lib 3,122 42.44% 934 12.70%   Lab 68.88% – 2,188 – – – 3,122 2,046 – – – – – 7,356
Norfolk North   Lib   UFO 4,522 63.09% 1,877 26.19%   Con 76.63% 4,522 – – – – – 2,645 – – – – – 7,167
Norfolk South   Con   UFO 3,280 62.67% 1,326 25.33%   I-Con 75.15% 3,280 – – – – – – – 1,954 – – – 5,234
Northumberland East   Con   UFO 4,521 50.49% 87 0.97%   Con 78.31% 4,521 – – – – – 4,434 – – – – – 8,955
Northumberland West   Lib   Lib 3,401 55.32% 654 10.64%   Con 74.01% – – – – – 3,401 2,747 – – – – – 6,148
Ontario North   Con   UFO 4,162 54.12% 633 8.23%   Con 80.69% 4,162 – – – – – 3,529 – – – – – 7,691
Ontario South   Con   Lib 7,843 63.97% 3,425 27.93%   Con 74.11% – – – – – 7,843 4,418 – – – – – 12,261
Ottawa East   Lib   Lib 7,309 63.57% 4,431 38.54%   Lab 61.09% – 2,878 – – – 7,309 – 1,311 – – – – 11,498
Ottawa West   Lib   Con 8,953 34.76% 1,097 4.26%   Lab 68.11% – 7,856 – – – 6,526 8,953 2,423 – – – – 25,758
Oxford North   Lib   Lib 5,369 47.61% 2,313 20.51%   Con 78.63% – – – 2,852 – 5,369 3,056 – – – – – 11,277
Oxford South   Con   UFO 4,452 39.84% 617 5.52%   Con 81.37% 4,452 – – – – 2,888 3,835 – – – – – 11,175
Parkdale   Con   Con 11,091 68.95% 6,096 37.90%   Ind 66.67% – – – – – – 11,091 4,995[a 4] – – – – 16,086
Parry Sound   Con   Lib 4,618 54.49% 761 8.98%   Con 72.58% – – – – – 4,618 3,857 – – – – – 8,475
Peel   Con   Con 4,562 40.14% 105 0.92%   Lib 87.72% 2,345[a 5] – – – – 4,457 4,562 – – – – – 11,364
Perth North   Con   Lib 6,095 41.63% 1,641 11.21%   F-Lab 78.39% – – 4,454 – – 6,095 4,092 – – – – – 14,641
Perth South   Con   UFO 5,847 64.20% 2,586 28.39%   Con — 5,847 – – – – – 3,261 – – – – – 9,108
Peterborough East   Con   UFO 3,623 58.18% 1,019 16.36%   Con 67.85% 3,623 – – – – – 2,604 – – – – – 6,227
Peterborough West   Lib   Lab 4,732 41.49% 685 6.01%   Lib 74.25% – 4,732 – – – 4,047 2,625 – – – – – 11,404
Port Arthur   Con   Con 2,578 41.33% 483 7.74%   Lib 67.91% – – – – – 2,095 2,578 1,564 – – – – 6,237
Prescott   I-Lib   Lib 3,929 47.43% 1,298 15.67%   UFO 68.70% 2,631 – – – – 3,929 1,724 – – – – – 8,284
Prince Edward   Lib   Lib 4,557 55.78% 945 11.57%   Con 79.45% – – – – – 4,557 3,612 – – – – – 8,169
Rainy River   Con   Con 1,420 40.00% 352 9.92%   Lib 63.53% 1,062 – – – – 1,068 1,420 – – – – – 3,550
Renfrew North   Con   UFO 3,979 41.10% 230 2.38%   Con 79.80% 3,979 – – – – 1,954 3,749 – – – – – 9,682
Renfrew South   Con   UFO 5,426 51.53% 322 3.06%   Con 70.52% 5,426 – – – – – 5,104 – – – – – 10,530
Riverdale   Con   Sol 7,472 38.84% 1,599 8.31%   Lab — – 5,873 – – 7,472 – 5,706 – – – – 189 19,240
Russell   Lib   Lib 6,121 49.98% 1,174 9.59%   UFO 67.89% 4,947 – – – – 6,121 – 1,180 – – – – 12,248
St. Catharines   Con   Lab 6,313 48.67% 1,891 14.58%   Con 80.42% – 6,313 – – – 2,235 4,422 – – – – – 12,970
Sault Ste. Marie   Con   Lab 4,444 59.11% 1,370 18.22%   Con 72.59% – 4,444 – – – – 3,074 – – – – – 7,518
Simcoe Centre   Con   UFO 5,234 57.89% 1,426 15.77%   Con 74.54% 5,234 – – – – – 3,808 – – – – – 9,042
Simcoe East   Con   UFO 5,063 40.78% 483 3.89%   Con 71.41% 5,063 – – – – – 4,580 – – 2,773 – – 12,416
Simcoe South   Con   UFO 2,927 53.68% 401 7.35%   Con 75.69% 2,927 – – – – – 2,526 – – – – – 5,453
Simcoe West   Con   Con 4,491 55.46% 885 10.93%   UFO 71.98% 3,606 – – – – – 4,491 – – – – – 8,097
Stormont   Con   Lib 4,284 43.01% 1,338 13.43%   UFO 68.28% 2,946 – – – – 4,284 2,731 – – – – – 9,961
Sturgeon Falls   Lib   Lib 2,690 62.02% 1,798 41.46%   Con 67.33% 755 – – – – 2,690 892 – – – – – 4,337
Sudbury   Con   Con 3,551 40.55% 142 1.62%   Lib 65.68% – – 1,798 – – 3,409 3,551 – – – – – 8,758
Timiskaming   Con   Con 3,092 35.84% 77 0.89%   F-Lab 68.70% – – 3,015 – – 2,520 3,092 – – – – – 8,627
Toronto NE - A   Con   Con acclaimed
Toronto NE - B   Con   Con 13,495 40.57% 4,810 14.46%   Lib 61.10% – 2,910 – – – 8,685 13,495 – 8,172 – – – 33,262
Toronto NW - A   Con   Con 18,797 53.93% 2,741 7.86%   Lib — – – – – – 16,056 18,797 – – – – – 34,853
Toronto NW - B   Con   Lib 18,522 51.57% 1,125 3.13%   Con — – – – – – 18,522 17,397 – – – – – 35,919
Toronto SE - A   Con   Lib 10,037 60.64% 4,585 27.70%   Con — – – – – – 10,037 5,452 1,063 – – – – 16,552
Toronto SE - B   Con   Lib 10,508 66.92% 5,313 33.83%   Con — – – – – – 10,508 5,195 – – – – – 15,703
Toronto SW - A   Con   Lib 16,951 63.45% 7,186 26.90%   Con 54.34% – – – – – 16,951 9,765 – – – – – 26,716
Toronto SW - B   Con   Lib 14,428 45.27% 4,800 15.06%   Con 55.57% – 7,816 – – – 14,428 9,628 – – – – – 31,872
Victoria North   Con   UFO 3,348 57.94% 918 15.89%   Con 64.82% 3,348 – – – – – 2,430 – – – – – 5,778
Victoria South   Con   UFO 2,452 68.97% 1,349 37.95%   Con 30.95% 2,452 – – – – – 1,103 – – – – – 3,555
Waterloo North   Con   I-Lib 5,354 34.62% 2,141 13.85%   Lab 71.95% 2,211 3,213 – – – 2,974 1,487 – – 5,354 – 225 15,464
Waterloo South   Con   F-Lab 8,074 55.49% 4,238 29.13%   Lib 76.00% – – 8,074 – – 3,836 2,641 – – – – – 14,551
Welland   Con   Lib 5,183 49.03% 1,743 16.49%   Con 91.40% 1,949 – – – – 5,183 3,440 – – – – – 10,572
Wellington East   Lib   UFO 3,279 45.08% 908 12.48%   Con 77.54% 3,279 – – – – 1,623 2,371 – – – – – 7,273
Wellington South*   L-Tmp   Con 4,362 36.70% 120 1.01%   I-Lib — 3,060 – – – – – 4,362 – – 4,242[a 6] – 223 11,887
Wellington West   Con   UFO 3,379 54.60% 569 9.19%   Con — 3,379 – – – – – 2,810 – – – – – 6,189
Wentworth North   Con   UFO 4,634 72.21% 2,851 44.43%   Con 70.92% 4,634 – – – – – 1,783 – – – – – 6,417
Wentworth South   Con   UFO 2,642 34.62% 311 4.07%   Con 70.10% 2,642 – – – – 1,995 2,331 – – – 664 – 7,632
Windsor   Lib   Lib 10,874 63.59% 4,649 27.19%   Con 70.02% – – – – – 10,874 6,225 – – – – – 17,099
York East   Con   Con 8,962 36.85% 1,672 6.87%   UFO 67.30% 7,290 – – – – 6,926 8,962 – 1,144 – – – 24,322
York North   Con   Con 4,139 38.11% 286 2.63%   Lib 79.36% 2,869 – – – – 3,853 4,139 – – – – – 10,861
York West   Con   Con 10,436 37.57% 2,113 7.61%   F-Lab 66.52% – – 8,323 – – – 10,436 4,087 – 4,935 – – 27,781

(* - on recount; ‡ - recount requested but subsequently abandoned)

  1. ^ "1919 General Election". elections.on.ca. Elections Ontario. Retrieved August 20, 2024., affiliations adjusted with reference to Hopkins, J. Castell (1920). The Canadian Annual Review of Public Affairs, 1919. Toronto: The Annual Review. pp. 661–665. and "List of Ontario Nominations by Constituencies". Ottawa Citizen. October 14, 1919. pp. 1, 10.
  2. ^ including spoilt ballots
  3. ^ Harold Machin campaigned for the anti-prohibition Liberty League
  4. ^ John Hunter ran on the Prohibition ticket
  5. ^ Manning Doherty would be elected in a 1920 byelection in Kent East.
  6. ^ Affiliation of Samuel Carter as reported in "Sam Carter for South Wellington". The Acton Free Press. October 9, 1919. p. 1.
  = incumbent re-elected under the same party banner
  = returned by acclamation
  = incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = incumbent switched allegiance for 1919 nomination
  = not incumbent; had been previously elected to the Legislature
  = other incumbents renominated


Post-election pendulum

[edit]

The robustness of the margins of victory for each party can be summarized in electoral pendulums. These are not necessarily a measure of the volatility of the respective riding results. The following tables show the margins over the various 2nd-place contenders, for which one-half of the value represents the swing needed to overturn the result. Actual seat turnovers to the opposition parties in the 1919 election are noted for reference.

  = seats that opposition parties gained in the election
Post-election pendulum - 1919 Ontario general election
Coalition (58 seats)
Margins 5% or less
Northumberland East   Con 0.98
Lanark North   Con 1.18
Essex South   Lib 1.51
Huron Centre   Ind 1.97
Renfrew North   Con 2.38
Hastings East   Con 2.44
Renfrew South   Con 3.06
Niagara Falls   Lib 3.48
Simcoe East   Con 3.89
Wentworth South   Con 4.07
Margins 5%–10%
Oxford South   Con 5.52
Grey Centre   Con 5.74
Peterborough West   Lib 6.01
Dufferin   Con 7.00
Simcoe South   Con 7.36
London   Ind 7.88
Bruce North   Lib 8.17
Ontario North   Con 8.24
Riverdale   Lab 8.31
Lambton West   Lab 8.64
Wellington West   Con 9.20
Halton   Con 9.54
Huron South   Con 9.84
Grey South   Con 9.98
Lanark South   Con 9.99
Margins 10%–20%
Kent East   Con 10.56
Grey North   Con 11.84
Carleton   Con 12.48
Wellington East   Con 12.48
Brant   Con 12.59
Elgin West   Con 14.22
St. Catharines   Con 14.58
Durham East   Con 15.78
Simcoe Centre   Con 15.78
Victoria North   Con 15.88
Peterborough East   Con 16.36
Brant South   Lib 17.27
Sault Ste. Marie   Con 18.22
Dundas   Con 18.90
Elgin East   Con 18.94
Haldimand   Con 19.66
Margins > 20%
Manitoulin   Con 20.40
Fort William   Lib 20.80
Middlesex North   Con 22.18
Glengarry   Lib 24.20
Norfolk South   I-Con 25.34
Kenora   Ind 25.79
Norfolk North   Con 26.18
Lambton East   Con 28.01
Perth South   Con 28.40
Middlesex East   Lib 28.53
Hamilton East   S-Lab 28.55
Waterloo South   Lib 29.12
Hamilton West   Con 32.07
Victoria South   Con 37.94
Essex North   Con 42.18
Wentworth North   Con 44.42
Middlesex West   Con 51.18
Liberal (27 seats)
Margins 5% or less
Algoma   Con 0.61
Bruce West   UFO 1.30
Toronto NW - B   Con 1.60
Margins 5%–10%
Lincoln   UFO 6.16
Parry Sound   Con 8.98
Russell   UFO 9.59
Margins 10%–20%
Northumberland West   Con 10.64
Perth North   UFO 11.21
Prince Edward   Con 11.56
Bruce South   UFO 12.24
Durham West   Con 12.40
Nipissing   Lab 12.70
Brockville   Con 12.94
Stormont   UFO 13.43
Prescott   UFO 15.67
Welland   Con 16.49
Kent West   UFO 17.31
Toronto SE - A   Con 17.55
Toronto SW - B   Con 18.10
Cochrane   Con 18.69
Margins > 20%
Oxford North   Con 20.51
Windsor   Con 27.18
Toronto SW - A   Con 27.72
Ontario South   Con 27.94
Toronto SE - B   Con 33.84
Ottawa East   Lab 38.54
Sturgeon Falls   Con 41.46
Conservative (25 seats)
Acclaimed
Addington
Hastings North
Kingston
Toronto NE - A
Margins 5% or less
Timiskaming   F-Lab 0.89
Peel   Lib 0.93
Grenville   UFO 1.00
Wellington South   Lib 1.01
Sudbury   Lib 1.62
York North   Lib 2.63
Ottawa West   Lab 4.21
Hastings West   Lib 4.38
Muskoka   Lib 4.39
Huron North   Lib 4.43
Margins 5%–10%
Lennox   Lib 5.39
York East   UFO 6.87
York West   F-Lab 7.61
Port Arthur   Lib 7.74
Toronto NW - A   Lib 7.86
Frontenac   UFO 7.99
Leeds   Lib 9.18
Rainy River   Lib 9.92
Margins 10%–20%
Simcoe West   UFO 10.92
Toronto NE - B   I-Con 17.59
Margins > 20%
Parkdale   Ind 37.90
Independent-Liberal (1 seat)
Waterloo North   Lab 13.85

Impact

[edit]

The result was highly skewed as a result of the way the ridings were drawn up. The Ottawa Journal noted, "The arrangement of electoral districts in Ontario (and throughout Canada) is such that a farmer’s vote has practically twice the effect of the vote of any person resident in cities or large towns. Ottawa, for instance, with 110,000 population elects two members to the Ontario Legislature; Carleton County on one side with 20,000 people elects one member; Russell County on the other side has a population of 40,000 and elects one member."[17]

The UFO emerged from the vote with the largest bloc of seats, joining the eleven Labour MLAs to form a coalition government. Liberal-UFO MLA David James Taylor of Grey North, "Soldier" MLA Joseph McNamara of Riverdale and Labour-UFO MLA Karl Homuth of Waterloo South were also members of the governing caucus giving Drury's coalition 58 seats in total, a slight majority.

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Hartley Dewart, increased the size of its caucus by a small number, despite turning over more than half the seats held. The Conservative Party lost ground to all other parties, despite receiving the most votes.

The election had several sweeping results:[7]

  • only about two dozen MPPs from the previous Legislative Assembly were re-elected;
  • notably, Conservative William Hearst was defeated by a Labour candidate;
  • Beck and Proudfoot were also defeated by Labour candidates, despite the decision of the Conservatives and Liberals not to contest the seats;
  • three clergymen were elected;
  • eighteen returned soldiers were elected; and
  • all anti-Prohibition candidates were defeated.

Upon hearing the news of the Conservative defeat, Hearst noted:

I will not make any prophecy as to what will take place. I thought the Government was going to sweep the country, and I was not alone in that, for a great many Liberals who were supporting me thought so, too. The Temperance Act no doubt had a great deal to do with my defeat, but I did what I felt was right, and if I had it to do over again, I would do the same thing.[18]

Three days after the election, James J. Morrison, Secretary of the UFO, reported on the way he had addressed the need to form a working majority in the chamber. He released the following statement:

The members-elect of the United Farmers of Ontario, after due consideration of the matter, have decided that it would be unwise for them to enter into alliance with either of the old Parties as parties. They are prepared to assume the fullest share of responsibility and form a Government in co-operation with such members of other parties as are in sympathy with their platform and principles and are free to give support thereto. In the formation of a Cabinet full consideration will be given to the various interests of the Province.[19]

Ernest C. Drury agreed to lead the new government as Premier of Ontario,[19][20] and a UFO-Labour coalition cabinet was formed.[21] Although he was Vice-President of the UFO,[8] Drury had not been a candidate in the election[8] and had to run in a by-election to enter the legislature following his appointment to the office of Premier.

Results overview

[edit]
Elections to the 15th Parliament of Ontario (1919)[1]
Political party Party leader MPPs Votes
Candidates 1914 Dissol. 1919 ± # % ± (pp)
  UFO-Labour Coalition
█ United Farmers – 66 – 2 44 44Increase 248,274 20.97% New
█ Labour Walter Rollo 21 1 1 11 10Increase 107,588 9.09% 7.75Increase
█ Farmer–Labour 5 – – 1 1Increase 27,841 2.35% New
█ Farmer-Liberal 2 – – 1 1Increase 7,448 0.63% New
█ Soldier 2 – – 1 1Increase 9,618 0.81% New
Coalition Total 58 400,679 33.85%
Liberal Hartley Dewart 66 24 27 27 3Increase 301,995 25.51% 12.41Decrease
Conservative William Hearst 103 84 79 25 59Decrease 403,655 34.09% 19.78Decrease
Independent Liberal 1 1 1 1 Steady 5,354 0.45% 0.01Decrease
  Liberal-Temperance – 1 1 – 1Decrease Did not campaign
Independent 14 – – – – 48,244 4.07% 3.08Increase
Independent Conservative 3 – – – – 14,213 1.20% 0.81Increase
Soldier–Labour 2 – – – – 9,088 0.77% New
Socialist 3 – – – – 637 0.05% 0.87Decrease
Total 288 111 111 111 1,183,955 100.00%
Blank and invalid ballots 50,810
Registered voters / turnout 1,443,746 85.53% 21.10Increase
Seats and popular vote by party
Party Seats Votes Change (pp)
Coalition
58 / 111
33.85%
 32.51 32.51
 
Liberal
27 / 111
25.51%
 -12.41
 
Conservative
25 / 111
34.09%
 -19.75
 
Temperance factions
0 / 111
0.00%
 -3.97
 
Other
1 / 111
6.55%
 3.62 3.62
 

Results by riding

[edit]

Italicized names indicate members returned by acclamation. Two-tone colour boxes indicate ridings that turned over from the 1914 election, eg,

   (UFO in 1919 and Conservative in 1914)

Analysis

[edit]
Party rankings (1st to 5th place)
Party Acc 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
  █ United Farmers 44 11 10 1
█ Labour 11 6 2 1
█ Farmer–Labour 1 3 1
█ Farmer-Liberal 1 1
█ Soldier 1 1
  █ Liberal 27 21 16 1
█ Conservative 4 21 59 17 1
█ Independent-Liberal 1 1 3
█ Independent 4 7 2
█ Independent-Conservative 1 1 1
█ Soldier–Labour 1 1
█ Socialist 2
Totals 4 107 107 59 9 1
Party candidates in 2nd place
Party UFO Lab F-Lab Lib Con Ind Ind-Lib Ind-Con S-Lab
  █ United Farmers 1 4 38 1
█ Labour 4 3 3 1
█ Farmer–Labour 1
█ Farmer-Liberal 1
█ Soldier 1
  █ Liberal 7 2 1 17
█ Conservative 4 1 2 12 1 1
█ Independent-Liberal 1
Totals 11 6 3 21 59 4 1 1 1
Principal races, according to 1st and 2nd-place results
Parties Seats
█ United Farmers █ Conservative 42
█ Liberal █ Conservative 29
█ Liberal █ United Farmers 11
█ Labour █ Liberal 6
█ Labour █ Conservative 4
█ Labour █ Independent 3
█ Farmer–Labour █ Liberal 2
█ Conservative █ Farmer–Labour 2
█ Conservative █ Independent 1
█ Conservative █ Independent-Liberal 1
█ Farmer-Liberal █ Conservative 1
█ Independent-Liberal █ Labour 1
█ Labour █ Soldier–Labour 1
█ Soldier █ Labour 1
█ United Farmers █ Independent-Conservative 1
█ United Farmers █ Labour 1
Total 107

Seats that changed hands

[edit]
Elections to the 15th Parliament of Ontario – seats won/lost by party, 1914–1919
Party 1914 Gain from (loss to) 1919
UFO Lab F-Lab F-Lib Sol Lib Con I-Lib L-Tmp
  █ United Farmers – 10 34 44
█ Labour 1 3 7 11
█ Farmer–Labour – 1 1
█ Farmer-Liberal – 1 1
█ Soldier – 1 1
Liberal 24 (10) (3) 16 (1) 1 27
Conservative 84 (34) (7) (1) (1) (1) 1 (16) (1) 1 25
Independent-Liberal 1 (1) 1 1
  Liberal-Temperance 1 (1) –
Total 111 – (44) – (10) – (1) – (1) – (1) 14 (17) 61 (2) 1 (1) 1 – 111

There were 77 seats that changed allegiance in the election:

(* - open seats, # - byelection gains held, ^ - change of affiliation)

(Riding names in italics did not have Liberal candidates. Riding names in bold did not have Conservative candidates.)

Resulting composition of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Source Party
UFO Lab F-Lab F-Lib Soldier Lib Con Ind-Lib Total
Seats retained Incumbents returned 1 8 14 23
Open seats held 1 4 5
Byelection loss reversed 1 1
Acclamation 4 4
Seats changing hands Incumbents defeated 23 9 1 10 2 1 46
Open seats gained 19 1 1 1 5 27
Byelection gain held 2 2 4
Change in affiliation 1 1
Total 44 11 1 1 1 27 25 1 111

Notable groups of candidates

[edit]
Soldier candidates in the 1919 Ontario general election[1][22][23]
Party Riding Candidate Military rank Votes Placed
  Conservative Kingston Arthur Edward Ross* Brigadier-General Acclaimed
Leeds Andrew Wellington Gray Major 4,351 1st
Parkdale William Herbert Price* Colonel 11,091 1st
Peel Thomas Laird Kennedy Colonel 4,562 1st
Port Arthur Donald McDonald Hogarth* Brigadier-General 2,578 1st
Timiskaming Thomas Magladery* Captain 3,092 1st
Toronto Northeast - B Joseph Thompson Captain 13,495 1st
Wellington South Caleb Henry Buckland† Captain 4,362 1st
  Liberal Algoma Kenneth Spencer Stover Lieutenant 2,272 1st
Cochrane Malcolm Lang* Major 2,951 1st
Hastings West Edward O'Flynn Lieutenant-Colonel 4,647 2nd
Middlesex East Bart Robson Lieutenant-Colonel 2,500 2nd
Sudbury Robert Arthur Lieutenant-Colonel 3,409 2nd
Toronto Northwest - B Henry Sloane Cooper Lieutenant-Colonel 18,522 1st
Toronto Southwest - B John Carman Ramsden Captain 12,428 1st
Windsor James Craig Tolmie † Major 10,874 1st
  Soldier Hamilton East Maurice Fitzgerald Captain 2,146 3rd
Riverdale Joseph McNamara Sergeant-Major 7,472 1st
  Soldier-Labour Hamilton East Samuel Landers Lieutenant 8,424 2nd
Wentworth South Samuel Wilkinson 664 3rd
  United Farmers Grey Centre Dougall Carmichael Lieutenant-Colonel 4,363 1st
York East George Little Captain 7,290 2nd
  Independent Kenora Harold Arthur Clement Machin *‡ Lieutenant-Colonel 895 2nd
  Independent Conservative Norfolk South Arthur Clarence Pratt *‡ Colonel 1,954 2nd
Toronto Northeast - B Kelly Evans ‡ Lieutenant-Colonel 8,172 2nd

(* - incumbent; † - chaplain; ‡ - Anti-Prohibition)

Women candidates in the 1919 Ontario general election[1][24]
Riding Candidate Votes Placed
Ottawa West █ Independent Justenia Sears 2,723 4th
Toronto Northeast - B █ Liberal Henrietta Bundy 5,685 3rd
Candidates returned by acclamation[25]
Party Riding Candidate
  Conservative Addington William David Black
Hastings North John Robert Cooke
Kingston Arthur Edward Ross
Toronto Northeast - A Henry John Cody

Cooke was the only acclaimed candidate who had not previously been an incumbent.[25]

See also

[edit]

Notes and references

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ named only after election
  2. ^ Under Acts passed in 1917 and 1919 respectively.[3][4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "1919 General Election". Elections Ontario. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Bradburn, Jamie (May 3, 2018). "The year the UFOs came to power in Ontario". tvo.org.
  3. ^ The Ontario Franchise Act, 1917, S.O. 1917, c. 5, s. 4
  4. ^ The Women's Assembly Qualification Act, 1919, S.O. 1919, c. 8
  5. ^ Hopkins 1920, pp. 650–651.
  6. ^ a b c Hopkins 1920, p. 651.
  7. ^ a b Hopkins 1920, p. 661.
  8. ^ a b c d e Hopkins 1920, p. 655.
  9. ^ Strange, Carolyn (2005). "Dewart, Herbert Hartley". In Cook, Ramsay; Bélanger, Réal (eds.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. XV (1921–1930) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  10. ^ Hopkins 1920, pp. 654–655.
  11. ^ a b Hopkins 1920, p. 657.
  12. ^ Hopkins 1920, p. 658.
  13. ^ Hopkins 1920, p. 652.
  14. ^ Hopkins, J. Castell (1917). The Canadian Annual Review of Public Affairs, 1916. Toronto: The Annual Review Publishing Co. Ltd. pp. 532–540.
  15. ^ "An Old Bone Gnawed Dry". Toronto World. October 15, 1919. p. 6.
  16. ^ Miller, Scott (2019). "Devil Copper: War and the Canadian Nickel Industry, 1883–1970" (PDF). Canadian Military Journal. 20 (1): 31–39. at 34
  17. ^ Hopkins 1920, p. 665.
  18. ^ Hopkins 1920, pp. 665–666.
  19. ^ a b Hopkins 1920, p. 667.
  20. ^ "Simcoe County Farmer is the Unanimous Choice as Ontario's Next Premier". Toronto World. October 30, 1919. p. 1.
  21. ^ Hopkins 1920, pp. 668–669.
  22. ^ Hopkins 1920, pp. 660–661.
  23. ^ "No Party has Majority in the new Legislature". The Daily British Whig. Kingston. October 21, 1919. p. 1.
  24. ^ Scollie 2012, pp. 2, 9–13.
  25. ^ a b "Many Factions Going to Polls". The Daily British Whig. Kingston. October 14, 1919. p. 1.

Further reading

[edit]
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