1945 British Columbia general election

October 25, 1945

48 seats of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
25 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
CCF
Leader John Hart (Liberal leader) Harold Winch
Party Liberal-Conservative Coalition Co-operative Commonwealth
Leader since 1941 1938
Leader's seat Victoria City Vancouver East
Last election 33[1] 14
Seats won 37 10
Seat change Increase4 Decrease4
Popular vote 261,147 175,960
Percentage 55.83% 37.62%
Swing Decrease8.02pp Increase4.26pp

Premier before election

John Hart
Coalition

Premier after election

John Hart
Coalition

The 1945 British Columbia general election was the 21st 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 August 31, 1945, and held on October 25, 1945. The new legislature met for the first time on February 21, 1946.

A centre-right coalition was formed by the Liberal and Conservative parties in order to defeat the social democratic Co-operative Commonwealth Federation.

Although the Coalition won fewer votes than the Liberal and Conservative parties won in total in the previous election, the Coalition still won over half of the votes, and was able to form a majority government.

Results

Party Party leader # of
candidates
Seats Popular vote
1941 Elected % Change # % % Change
  Liberal Coalition1 John Hart 47 33 37 +12.1% 261,147 55.83% -8.02%
  Progressive Conservative Royal Lethington Maitland
  Co-operative Commonwealth fed. Harold Winch 48 14 10 -28.6% 175,960 37.62% +4.26%
  Labour Tom Uphill 1 1 1 - 1,289 0.28% -1.29%
  Labour Progressive   21 * - * 16,479 3.52% *
  Social Credit (alliance)2   16 * - * 6,627 1.42% *
  People's CCF   2 * - * 2,786 0.60% *
  Independent3 2 - - - 1,532 0.33% -0.03%
  Independent Progressive Conservative4 2 * - * 748 0.16% *
  Democratic   1 * - * 423 0.09% *
  Socialist Labour   3 - - - 285 0.06% -0.09%
  Independent Liberal 1 * - * 199 0.04% *
  Independent Labour 1 * - * 106 0.02% *
  Socialist   1 * - * 105 0.02% *
  Progressive Liberal   1 * - * 61 0.01% *
Total 147 48 48 - 467,747 100%  
Source: Elections BC

Notes:

* Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

1 Compared to Liberal + Conservative total from previous election

2 Various groups joined forces under the Social Credit name to contest the election.

3 Thomas Dufferin Pattullo (Prince Rupert), former premier and Liberal Party leader, ran as an Independent, and is included as such.

4 Includes L.H. MacQueen (Saanich), classified as an Independent PC since the Progressive Conservative Party, formerly the Conservative Party, was officially running as part of the Coalition and did not consider MacQueen as a legitimate party candidate.

Popular vote
Coalition
55.83%
CCF
37.62%
Labour
0.28%
Others
6.27%
Seats summary
Coalition
77.08%
CCF
20.83%
Labour
2.08%

Results by riding

Results of British Columbia general election, 1945
Government Opposition
Member Riding
& party
Riding
& party
Member
     James Mowat Alberni
Coalition
          Burnaby
Co-operative Commonwealth Fed.
Ernest Edward Winch     
     William Duncan Smith Atlin
Coalition
          Cowichan-Newcastle
Co-operative Commonwealth Fed.
Samuel Guthrie     
     Louis LeBourdais Cariboo
Coalition
          Fort George
Co-operative Commonwealth Fed.
John McInnis     
     Leslie Harvey Eyres Chilliwack
Coalition
          Kaslo-Slocan
Co-operative Commonwealth Fed.
Randolph Harding     
     Thomas King Columbia
Coalition
          Mackenzie
Co-operative Commonwealth Fed.
Herbert Gargrave     
     Herbert John Welch Comox
Coalition
          Omineca
Co-operative Commonwealth Fed.
Edward Fraser Rowland     
     Frank William Green Cranbrook
Coalition
          Peace River
Co-operative Commonwealth Fed.
Joseph Hardcastle Corsbie     
     Alexander Campbell Hope Delta
Coalition
          Prince Rupert
Co-operative Commonwealth Fed.
William Henry Brett     
     Roderick Charles MacDonald Dewdney
Coalition
          Vancouver East
Co-operative Commonwealth Fed.
Arthur James Turner     
     Charles Taschereau Beard Esquimalt
Coalition
          Harold Edward Winch2     
     Thomas Alfred Love Grand Forks-Greenwood
Coalition
          Fernie
Labour (Independent)
Tom Uphill     
     Robert Henry Carson Kamloops
Coalition
    
     Ernest Crawford Carson Lillooet
Coalition
    
     George Sharratt Pearson Nanaimo and the Islands
Coalition
    
     Frank Putnam Nelson-Creston
Coalition
    
     Byron Ingemar Johnson New Westminster
Coalition
    
     Kenneth Cattanach MacDonald North Okanagan
Coalition
    
     John Henry Cates North Vancouver
Coalition
    
     Herbert Anscomb Oak Bay
Coalition
    
     William James Johnson Revelstoke
Coalition
    
     James Lockhart Webster Rossland-Trail
Coalition
    
     Norman William Whittaker Saanich
Coalition
    
     Arthur Brown Ritchie Salmon Arm
Coalition
    
     Reginald Robert Laird Similkameen
Coalition
    
     Edward Tourtellotte Kenney Skeena
Coalition
    
     William Andrew Cecil Bennett South Okanagan
Coalition
    
     Donald Cameron Brown Vancouver-Burrard
Coalition
    
     George Moir Weir     
     Allan James MacDonell Vancouver Centre
Coalition
    
     Gordon Sylvester Wismer     
     Royal Lethington Maitland Vancouver-Point Grey
Coalition
    
     James Alexander Paton     
     Tilly Rolston     
     John Hart Victoria City
Coalition
    
     Nancy Hodges     
     William Thomas Straith     
     John Joseph Alban Gillis Yale
Coalition
    
1 Premier-Elect and Incumbent
2 Leader of the Opposition
Source: Elections BC

See also

  1. The Liberals and Conservatives ran separately in the 1941 election. In that election, the Liberals won 21 seats and the Conservatives won 12 seats.
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