1937 British Columbia general election

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox election The 1937 British Columbia general election was the nineteenth 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 April 14, 1937, and held on June 1, 1937. The new legislature met for the first time on October 26, 1937.

The governing Liberal Party, despite winning only 37% of the popular vote, benefited from the split in the opposition vote between the Conservative Party and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. Liberals won a solid majority of the seats in the legislature with barely more than a third of the votes cast.

The rift in the Conservative Party that led to its decision not to nominate candidates in the 1933 election had been resolved, and the party was able to form the official opposition.

The Conservatives and CCF each won about 29% of the vote, and only 8 seats and 7 seats, respectively (they were each due about 14 based on their vote share). Two other seats were won by an Independent and a Labour party candidate.

Health insurance plebiscite

In 1936, the Legislature passed an Act providing for the creation of a health insurance plan for the Province.<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref> This was 26 years ahead of its introduction in Saskatchewan in 1962. The medical profession resisted its implementation to such a degree that a plebiscite was held on the same day as the election.

The question asked was, "Are you in favour of a comprehensive Health Insurance plan progressively applied?" The results were as follows:

1937 health insurance plebisciteTemplate:Sfn

Type of vote	Yes	No	Total
Ordinary and absentee votes	143,218	98,946	242,164
Yes or No written on the ballot	4,613	4,687	9,300
Total	147,831	103,633	251,464
Percentage	58.79%	41.21%	100.00%
Electoral districts carried	42	6	48

Despite the majority in favour, the legislation was never brought into force,Template:Sfn but it would not be repealed until 1973.<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref> Medicare was finally introduced after the 1967 passage of the Medical Services Act.<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref>

Results

Template:Election table |- ! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party ! rowspan=2 | Party leader ! colspan=4 | MLAs ! colspan=4 | Votes |- ! Candidates !1933<ref group=a>Assembly was increased mid-term by the division of Columbia-Revelstoke, thus reviving the previous districts of Columbia and Revelstoke.</ref> !1937 !± !# ! ± !% ! ± (pp) Template:Canadian party colour |style="text-align:left;" |Duff Pattullo | 48 || 35 || 31 || 4Template:Decrease || 156,074 || 3,057Template:Decrease || 37.34 || 4.40Template:Decrease Template:Canadian party colour<ref group=a>Compared to the 1933 aggregate of all Conservative factions.</ref> |style="text-align:left;" |Frank Porter Patterson | 43 || 4 || 8 || 4Template:Increase || 119,521 || 54,278Template:Increase || 28.60 || 11.48Template:Increase |- |rowspan="3" Template:Canadian party colour|   |style="text-align:left;" colspan="10"|CCF split |- |style="text-align:left;" |Template:Canadian party colour |style="text-align:left;" |None<ref group=a>CCF leader Robert Connell was expelled from the party over doctrinal differences.</ref> | 46 || 7 || 7 || Template:No change || 119,400 || 785Template:Decrease || 28.57 || 2.96Template:Decrease |- |style="text-align:left;" |Template:Canadian party colour |style="text-align:left;" |Robert Connell | 14 || – || – || – || 8,086 || 8,086Template:Increase || 1.93 ||New Template:Canadian party colour | || 11 || 1 || 1 || Template:No change || 7,341 || 18,317Template:Decrease || 1.76 || 4.97Template:Decrease Template:Canadian party colour (all factions) | || 2 || 1 || 1 || Template:No change || 1,787 || 570Template:Decrease || 0.43 || 0.19Template:Decrease Template:Canadian party colour |style="text-align:left;" |Andrew Henry Jukes | 18 || – || – || – || 4,812 || 4,812Template:Increase || 1.15 ||New Template:Canadian party colour | || 1 || – || – || – || 567 || 567Template:Increase || 0.14 ||New |- |style="background:red" |   |style="text-align:left;" | Socialist Party of Canada | || 2 || – || – || – || 287 || 287Template:Increase || 0.07 ||Returned Template:Canadian party colour | || 1 || – || – || – || 54 || 54Template:Increase || 0.01 ||New |- ! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Total | 186 | 48 ! colspan="2"| 48 ! colspan="2"|417,929 ! colspan="2"| 100.00% |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Rejected ballotsTemplate:Sfn | 4,143 ||763Template:Increase | colspan="2"| |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Actual voters who votedTemplate:Sfn | 265,446 ||29,031Template:Increase | 71.20% || 1.87Template:Decrease |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Registered votersTemplate:Sfn | 372,781 ||49,241Template:Increase | colspan="2"| |} Template:Reflist

Seats and popular vote by partyTemplate:Sfn

Party	Seats	Votes	Change (pp)
Template:Canadian party colour	Template:Composition bar	Template:Percentage bar	Template:Bartable
Template:Canadian party colour (all factions)	Template:Composition bar	Template:Percentage bar	Template:Bartable
Template:Canadian party colour	Template:Composition bar	Template:Percentage bar	Template:Bartable
Template:Canadian party colour	Template:Composition bar	Template:Percentage bar	Template:Bartable
Template:Canadian party colour	Template:Composition bar	Template:Percentage bar	Template:Bartable
Template:Canadian party colour	Template:Composition bar	Template:Percentage bar	Template:Bartable
Template:Canadian party colour	Template:Composition bar	Template:Percentage bar	Template:Bartable

MLAs elected

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1937 British Columbia general election (single-member districts)Template:Sfn

Riding	Winning party								Votes
Name	1933		Party		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %	Lib	Con	CCF	Template:Abbr	Template:Abbr	Template:Abbr	Template:Abbr	Total
Alberni-Nanaimo		Lib		Lib	3,616	44.34%	487	5.98%	3,616	1,014	3,129<ref group=a>James Lyle Telford was nominated by the local CCF Club, but suspended and repudiated by provincial Executive</ref>	397	–	–	–	8,156
Atlin		Lib		Lib	562	54.56%	299	29.03%	562	205	263	–	–	–	–	1,030
Burnaby		CCF		CCF	5,908	44.03%	2,529	18.85%	3,379	2,307	5,908	644	136	1,073	–	13,417
Cariboo		Lib		Lib	1,921	74.57%	1,266	49.14%	1,921	–	–	–	–	655	–	2,576
Chilliwack		Lib		Con	2,524	40.08%	304	4.83%	2,220	2,524	1,554	–	–	–	–	6,298
Columbia		Lib		Lib	921	57.06%	550	34.07%	921	371	322	–	–	–	–	1,614
Comox		Lib		CCF	2,336	44.83%	460	8.83%	1,876	999	2,336	–	–	–	–	5,211
Cowichan-Newcastle		OG		CCF	1,560	33.58%	336	7.23%	1,224	639	1,560	–	–	1,222	–	4,645
Cranbrook		Lib		Lib	3,110	76.73%	2,167	53.46%	3,110	–	943	–	–	–	–	4,053
Delta		CCF		CCF	3,192	32.93%	90	0.92%	3,102	2,815	3,192	583	–	–	–	9,692
Dewdney		Lib		Con	1,870	39.27%	252	5.29%	1,618	1,870	1,274	–	–	–	–	4,762
Esquimalt		Un		Con	1,642	41.60%	226	5.72%	1,416	1,642	765	–	57	67	–	3,947
Fernie		ILP		ILP	1,701	53.64%	231	7.28%	1,470	–	–	–	–	–	1,701	3,171
Fort George		Lib		Lib	1,493	51.54%	323	11.15%	1,493	234	1,170	–	–	–	–	2,897
Grand Forks-Greenwood		Lib		Lib	722	41.93%	19	1.11%	722	703	164	133	–	–	–	1,722
The Islands		Lib		Con	953	45.12%	259	12.26%	694	953	414	–	51	–	–	2,112
Kamloops		Lib		Lib	1,786	38.89%	325	7.07%	1,786	1,461	1,345	–	–	–	–	4,592
Kaslo-Slocan		Lib		Lib	1,064	38.86%	135	4.93%	1,064	715	929	–	30	–	–	2,738
Lillooet		Lib		Lib	1,176	39.78%	251	8.49%	1,176	925	855	–	–	–	–	2,956
Mackenzie		CCF		Lib	1,828	33.93%	167	3.10%	1,828	1,661	1,625	152	122	–	–	5,388
Nelson-Creston		Lib		Lib	2,149	39.17%	248	4.52%	2,149	1,901	1,121	–	177	139	–	5,487
New Westminster		Lib		Lib	4,055	52.02%	2,289	29.36%	4,055	1,766	1,321	–	–	–	653	7,795
North Okanagan		Lib		Lib	2,689	52.64%	970	18.99%	2,689	1,719	700	–	–	–	–	5,108
North Vancouver		CCF		CCF	2,749	32.23%	363	4.25%	1,847	1,522	2,749	–	–	2,411Template:Efn	–	8,529
Omineca		Lib		Lib	1,013	50.90%	230	11.55%	1,013	194	783	–	–	–	–	1,990
Peace River		NP		Lib	1,168	42.61%	263	9.59%	1,168	434	905	–	–	234	–	2,741
Prince Rupert		Lib		Lib	1,446	49.55%	650	22.27%	1,446	662	796	–	14	–	–	2,918
Revelstoke		Lib		Lib	1,162	61.16%	629	33.11%	1,162	533	205	–	–	–	–	1,900
Rossland-Trail		Lib		Lib	1,877	46.70%	626	15.57%	1,877	1,251	891	–	–	–	–	4,019
Saanich		Lib		Lib	2,106	36.14%	447	7.67%	2,106	1,659	1,531	224	271	37	–	5,828
Salmon Arm		NP		Ind	1,533	48.33%	649	20.46%	884	–	755	–	–	1,533<ref group=a>supported and endorsed by SCP</ref>	–	3,172
Similkameen		Lib		Lib	2,266	43.55%	136	2.61%	2,266	2,130	807	–	–	–	–	5,203
Skeena		Lib		Lib	1,006	59.74%	328	19.48%	1,006	–	678	–	–	–	–	1,684
South Okanagan		Lib		Lib	2,388	45.02%	287	5.41%	2,388	2,101	815	–	–	–	–	5,304
Yale		Lib		Lib	968	59.94%	546	33.81%	968	225	422	–	–	–	–	1,615

Template:Color box = open seat

Template:Color box = winning candidate was in previous Legislature

Template:Color box = incumbent had switched allegiance

Template:Color box = previously incumbent in another riding

Template:Color box = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature

Template:Color box = incumbency arose from byelection gain

Template:Color box = other incumbents renominated

Template:Color box = multiple candidates

Results by riding - 1937 British Columbia general election (multiple-member districts)Template:Sfn

Riding		Winning party		Votes
Name	MLAs	1933	1937	Lib	Con	CCF	Template:Abbr	Template:Abbr	Template:Abbr	Template:Abbr	Total
Vancouver-Burrard	2	Template:Legend	Template:Legend	16,903	13,503	14,423	765	581	–	54	46,229
Vancouver Centre	2	Template:Legend	Template:Legend	12,821	8,261	11,461	891	922	–	234	34,590
Vancouver East	2	Template:Legend	Template:Legend	10,314	5,914	23,102	1,146	389	–	53	40,918
Vancouver-Point Grey	3	Template:Legend	Template:LegendTemplate:Legend	27,243	29,134	18,589	–	1,001	–	–	75,967
Victoria City	4	Template:LegendTemplate:LegendTemplate:Legend	Template:LegendTemplate:Legend	26,571	25,574	9,598	3,151	1,061	–	–	65,955

See also

• List of British Columbia political parties

Further reading

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

[[Category:General elections in British Columbia|Template:Title year]] [[Category:Template:Title year elections in Canada]] [[Category:Template:Title year in British Columbia|General election]]