1949 British Columbia general election

The 1949 British Columbia general election was the 22nd 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 16, 1949, and held on June 15, 1949. The new legislature met for the first time on February 14, 1950.

The centre-right coalition formed by the Liberal and Conservative parties in order to defeat the social democratic Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in the 1945 election increased its share of the vote and its majority in the legislature.

Three different social credit groupings nominated or endorsed candidates in the election: the Social Credit Party, the Social Credit League, and the Union of Electors.

Results

! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party

! rowspan=2 | Party leader

! colspan=4 | MLAs

! colspan=4 | Votes

! Candidates

!1945

!1949

!±

! ±

! ± (pp)

|style="text-align:left;" |

| 48 || 37 || 39 || 2 || 428,773 || 167,626 || 61.35 || 5.52

|style="text-align:left;" |Harold Winch

| 48 || 10 || 7 || 3 || 245,284 || 69,324 || 35.10 || 2.52

| || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 1,483 || 88 || 0.21 || 0.09

| || 7 || – || 1 || 1 || 5,163 || 3,631 || 0.74 || 0.41

|- style="background-color:#FFFFFF;"

|rowspan="5" |  

|style="text-align:left;" colspan="10"|Social Credit alliance split

|style="text-align:left;" |

| || 9 || – || – || – || 7,112 || rowspan="3"|  || 1.02 || rowspan="3"| 

|style="text-align:left;" |

| || 7 || – || – || – || 4,424 || 0.63

|style="text-align:left;" |

| || 12 || – || – || – || 2,790 || 0.40

|- style="background-color:#FFFFFF;"

|style="text-align:left;" colspan="6"|Social Credit total

| 14,326 || 7,699 || 2.05 || 0.63

| || 2 || – || – || – || 1,660 || 14,819 || 0.24 || 3.28

| || 1 || – || – || – || 1,241 || 1,241 || 0.18 ||New

| || 1 || – || – || – || 470 || 2,316 || 0.07 || 0.53

| || 1 || – || – || – || 286 || 1 || 0.04 || 0.02

| || 1 || – || – || – || 137 || 137 || 0.02 ||New

! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Total

| 138

| 48

! colspan="2"| 48

! colspan="2"|698,823

! colspan="2"| 100.00%

| colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Rejected ballots

| 9,891 ||5,992

| colspan="2"|

| colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Actual voters who voted

| 477,999 ||179,612

| 73.64% || 10.98

| colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Registered voters

| 649,019 ||172,797

| colspan="2"|

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"

|+ Seats and popular vote by party

! Party !! Seats !! Votes !! colspan="3" | Change (pp)

| style="text-align:left;" |

MLAs elected

Synopsis of results

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" style="text-align:right; font-size:85%"

|+ Results by riding - 1949 British Columbia general election (single-member districts)

! scope="col" | Riding

! scope="col" colspan="8" | Winning party

! scope="col" colspan="8" | Votes

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Name

! colspan="2" rowspan="2" scope="col" | 1945

! colspan="2" rowspan="2" scope="col" |Party

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Votes

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Share

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Margin<br>#

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Margin<br>%

! scope="col" |

! scope="col" | CCF

! scope="col" style="background-color:#ADD8E6;"|

! scope="col" |

! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Total

! scope="col" style="background-color:#A9A9A9;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#EEDDAA;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#ADD8E6;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|

!   !! colspan="2"| !! colspan="2"| !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !!

|style="text-align:left"| Alberni

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| style="background-color:#DCDCDC;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Ind

| 3,290 || 42.84% || 1,161 || 15.12% || 1,638 || 2,129 || – || – || – || style="background-color:#EABB94;"|3,290 || 622 || 7,679

|style="text-align:left"| Atlin

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| 376 || 50.40% || 6 || 0.80% || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|370 || 376 || – || – || – || – || – || 746

|style="text-align:left"| Burnaby

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| 11,025 || 50.90% || 1,044 || 4.82% || 9,981 || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|11,025 || – || 655 || – || – || – || 21,661

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Cariboo

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 2,653 || 66.88% || 1,339 || 33.76% || 2,653 || 1,314 || – || – || – || – || – || 3,967

|style="text-align:left"| Chilliwack

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 6,847 || 57.17% || 4,135 || 34.52% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|6,847 || 2,712 || – || 2,417 || – || – || – || 11,976

|style="text-align:left"| Columbia

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 1,288 || 68.91% || 707 || 37.82% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,288 || 581 || – || – || – || – || – || 1,869

|style="text-align:left"| Comox

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 7,596 || 59.19% || 2,358 || 18.38% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|7,596 || style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"|5,238 || – || – || – || – || – || 12,834

|style="text-align:left"| Cowichan-Newcastle

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 5,505 || 56.19% || 1,311 || 13.38% || 5,505 || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|4,194 || – || – || 38 || 60 || – || 9,797

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Cranbrook

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| 3,026 || 50.53% || 63 || 1.06% || 2,963 || 3,026 || – || – || – || – || – || 5,989

|style="text-align:left"| Delta

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 12,203 || 49.59% || 1,093 || 4.44% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|12,203 || style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"|11,110 || 1,293 || – || – || – || – || 24,606

|style="text-align:left"| Dewdney

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 8,127 || 49.08% || 523 || 3.16% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|8,127 || 7,604 || – || 829 || – || – || – || 16,560

|style="text-align:left"| Esquimalt

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 4,219 || 51.26% || 1,731 || 21.03% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|4,219 || 2,488 || – || – || 92 || 191 || style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"|1,241 || 8,231

|style="text-align:left"| Fernie

| style="background-color:#EEBBBB;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Lab

| 1,483 || 39.09% || 9 || 0.24% || 1,474 || 837 || – || – || – || – || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,483 || 3,794

|style="text-align:left"| Fort George

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 3,232 || 59.86% || 1,065 || 19.72% || 3,232 || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,167 || – || – || – || – || – || 5,399

|style="text-align:left"| Grand Forks-Greenwood

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| 922 || 44.14% || 49 || 2.35% || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|873 || 922 || – || – || – || 294 || – || 2,089

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Kamloops

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 4,992 || 64.47% || 2,241 || 28.94% || 4,992 || 2,751 || – || – || – || – || – || 7,743

|style="text-align:left"| Kaslo-Slocan

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| 1,633 || 53.19% || 196 || 6.38% || 1,437 || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,633 || – || – || – || – || – || 3,070

|style="text-align:left"| Lillooet

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 2,339 || 62.83% || 1,159 || 31.14% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|2,339 || 1,180 || – || – || – || 204 || – || 3,723

|style="text-align:left"| Mackenzie

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 5,787 || 55.57% || 1,161 || 11.14% || 5,787 || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|4,626 || – || – || – || – || – || 10,413

|style="text-align:left"| Nanaimo and the Islands

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 5,860 || 61.50% || 2,296 || 24.09% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|5,860 || 3,564 || – || – || 104 || – || – || 9,528

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Nelson-Creston

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 4,783 || 60.04% || 2,108 || 26.46% || 4,783 || 2,675 || – || 508 || – || – || – || 7,966

|style="text-align:left"| New Westminster

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 7,969 || 61.57% || 3,460 || 26.73% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|7,969 || 4,509 || 328 || – || – || – || 137 || 12,943

|style="text-align:left"| North Okanagan

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 4,966 || 60.95% || 2,309 || 28.34% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|4,966 || 2,657 || 525 || – || – || – || – || 8,148

|style="text-align:left"| North Vancouver

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 12,586 || 69.57% || 7,082 || 39.14% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|12,586 || 5,504 || – || – || – || – || – || 18,090

|style="text-align:left"| Oak Bay

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 5,918 || 84.21% || 5,028 || 71.55% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|5,918 || 890 || – || – || 220 || – || – || 7,028

|style="text-align:left"| Omineca

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 1,885 || 61.60% || 710 || 23.20% || 1,885 || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|1,175 || – || – || – || – || – || 3,060

|style="text-align:left"| Peace River

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 2,342 || 49.69% || 441 || 9.35% || style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"|2,342 || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|1,901 || – || – || – || – || 470 || 4,713

|style="text-align:left"| Prince Rupert

| style="background-color:#EEDDAA;" | || style="text-align:left;" | CCF

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 2,971 || 56.41% || 675 || 12.82% || 2,971 || style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,296 || – || – || – || – || – || 5,267

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Revelstoke

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 1,311 || 50.95% || 49 || 1.90% || 1,311 || 1,262 || – || – || – || – || – || 2,573

|style="text-align:left"| Rossland-Trail

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 5,910 || 56.30% || 1,322 || 12.60% || 5,910 || style="background-color:#87CEFA;"|4,588 || – || – || – || – || – || 10,498

|style="text-align:left"|Saanich

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 9,998 || 66.14% || 5,352 || 35.41% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|9,998 || 4,646 || – || – || 473 || – || – || 15,117

|style="text-align:left"| Salmon Arm

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 2,529 || 60.07% || 848 || 20.14% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|2,529 || 1,681 || – || – || – || – || – || 4,210

|- style="background-color:#B9E5B9;"

|style="text-align:left"| Similkameen

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 5,744 || 58.78% || 1,716 || 17.56% || 5,744 || style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"|4,028 || – || – || – || – || – || 9,772

|style="text-align:left"| Skeena

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 2,048 || 73.20% || 1,298 || 46.40% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|2,048 || 750 || – || – || – || – || – || 2,798

|style="text-align:left"| South Okanagan

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 6,555 || 58.40% || 1,886 || 16.80% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|6,555 || 4,669 || – || – || – || – || – || 11,224

|style="text-align:left"| Yale

| style="background-color:#A9A9A9;" | || style="text-align:left;" | Coal

| 1,407 || 46.90% || 542 || 18.07% || style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|1,407 || 865 || – || – || – || 728 || – || 3,000

: = open seat

: = winning candidate was in previous Legislature

: = incumbent had switched allegiance

: = previously incumbent in another riding

: = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature

: = incumbency arose from byelection gain

: = other incumbents renominated

: = part of 1945 Social Credit alliance

: = multiple candidates

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:85%"

|+ Results by riding - 1949 British Columbia general election (multiple-member districts)

! colspan="2" | Riding

! scope="col" colspan="2" | Winning party

! scope="col" colspan="8" | Votes

! rowspan="2" |Name

! rowspan="2" |MLAs

! rowspan="2" | 1945

! rowspan="2" |1949

! scope="col" |

! scope="col" | CCF

! scope="col" style="background-color:#ADD8E6;"|

! scope="col" |

! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Total

! scope="col" style="background-color:#A9A9A9;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#EEDDAA;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#ADD8E6;"|

! scope="col" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|

|style="text-align:left"| Vancouver-Burrard

|2 || ||

| 40,156 || 21,774 || 1,258 || – || 95 || 396 || – || 63,679

|style="text-align:left"| Vancouver Centre

|2 || ||

| 29,171 || 17,969 || – || 814 || – || – || 286 || 48,240

|-– ||

|style="text-align:left"| Vancouver East

|2 || ||

| 34,077 || 39,815 || 1,020 || – || 109 || – || 1,038 || 76,059

|style="text-align:left"| Vancouver-Point Grey

|3 || ||

| 109,782 || 35,134 || – || 1,889 || 280 || – || – || 147,085

|style="text-align:left"| Victoria City

|3 || ||

| 47,281 || 17,019 || – || – || 1,379 || – || – || 65,679

1949 British Columbia general election

Results

MLAs elected

Synopsis of results

See also

Further reading

References