1934 Ontario general election explained

Election Name:1934 Ontario general election
Country:Ontario
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Party Colour:no
Party Name:no
Previous Election:1929 Ontario general election
Previous Year:1929
Previous Mps:18th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Next Year:1937
Seats For Election:90 seats in the 19th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
46 seats were needed for a majority
Election Date:June 19, 1934
Image1:Mitchell Hepburn1 crop.jpg
Leader1:Mitchell Hepburn
Leader Since1:December 17, 1930
Leaders Seat1:Elgin
Last Election1:11
Seats1:64
Seat Change1:53
Percentage1:46.56%
Swing1:15.06pp
Leader2:George S. Henry
Leader Since2:1930
Leaders Seat2:York East
Last Election2:90
Seats2:17
Seat Change2:73
Percentage2:39.78%
Swing2:16.88pp
Image3: CCF
Leader3:
as party president
Leader Since3:n.a.
Leaders Seat3:Ran in Wentworth (Lost)
Last Election3:n.a.
Seats3:1
Seat Change3:1
Percentage3:6.98%
Swing3:6.98pp
Premier
Posttitle:Premier after election
Before Election:George S. Henry
After Election:Mitchell Hepburn
Elected Members:elected members

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]

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

The campaign was brief and bitter, and both sides gained ammunition to use during that time. 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. They also aggressively pledged to reduce the cost of government once in office, and downplayed the issue of temperance, by pledging to bring recently passed amendments to liquor legislation[2] into force as soon as they attained office.

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. 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.

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)
Candidates align="center" Lib align="center" Con align="center" CCF align="center" L-P align="center" UFO align="center" Lib-Lab align="center" Ind align="center" Ind-Lib align="center" Comm align="center" OtherTotal
234 39 3 1 1 78
328 31 22 2 6 1 1 2 93
413 13 10 1 4 1 6 4 52
53 4 2 2 1 3 5 20
63 3 3 2 3 4 18
Total81 90 37 5 2 1 14 3 13 15 261

Outcome

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. Northern Ontario went solidly Liberal.

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, in its first provincial election, ran 37 candidates[3] 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

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

Redistribution and reduction of ridings

The Legislative Assembly was reduced from 112 seats to 90 as a result of an Act passed in 1933:[4]

Abolished ridings New ridings
Mergers of ridings
Riding abolished; parts transferred to other ridings
Change of name

A subsequent Act in 1934 modified the limits of several Toronto ridings.[8]

Results

[9] |-! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party! rowspan=2 | Party leader! colspan=5 | MPPs! colspan=3 | Votes|-! Candidates!1929!Dissol.!1934!±!#!%! ± (pp)|style="text-align:left;"|Mitchell Hepburn| 81 || 11 || 16 || 64 || 53 || 727,168 || 46.56% || 15.06|style="text-align:left;"|George Stewart Henry| 90 || 90 || 88 || 17 || 73 || 621,218 || 39.78% || 16.88|style="text-align:left;"|John Mitchell[10] | 37 ||  - ||  - || 1 || 1 || 108,961 || 6.98% || [11] |style="text-align:left;"|Harry Nixon| 5 || 7 || 4 || 5 || 2 || 45,090 || 2.89% || 1.92|style="text-align:left;"|| 14 ||  - ||  - || 1 || 1 || 19,103 || 1.22% || 1.16|style="text-align:left;"|Farquhar Oliver| 2 || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 8,648 || 0.55% || 0.71|style="text-align:left;"|| 1 ||  - ||  - || 1 || 1 || 5,877 || 0.38% || |style="text-align:left;"|| 3 || 2 || 2 ||  - || 2 || 423 || 0.03% || 2.13|| 1 || 1 || 1 ||  - || 1 || 216 || 0.01% || 0.84|style="text-align:left;"|| 3 ||  - ||  - ||  - ||  - || 12,284 || 0.79% || |style="text-align:left;"|| 13 ||  - ||  - ||  - ||  - || 9,559 || 0.61% || 0.46|style="text-align:left;"|| 5 ||  - ||  - ||  - ||  - || 1,626 || 0.10% || |style="text-align:left;"|| 1 ||  - ||  - ||  - ||  - || 608 || 0.04% || |style="text-align:left;"|| 1 ||  - ||  - ||  - ||  - || 534 || 0.03% || |style="text-align:left;"|| 1 ||  - ||  - ||  - ||  - || 165 || 0.01% || |style="text-align:left;"|Workers|style="text-align:left;"|| 1 ||  - ||  - ||  - ||  - || 158 || 0.01% || |style="text-align:left;"|Dry Liberal|style="text-align:left;"|| 1 ||  - ||  - ||  - ||  - || 107 || 0.01% || |style="text-align:left;"|| 1 ||  - ||  - ||  - ||  - || 81 || 0.01% || |-style="background:#E9E9E9;"|colspan="3" style="text-align:left;"|Total| 261 || 112 || 112 || 90 || -22 || 1,561,826 || 100.00% || |-|colspan="8" style="text-align:left;"|Blank and invalid ballots|align="right"|17,267|style="background:#E9E9E9;" colspan="2"||-style="background:#E9E9E9;"|colspan="8" style="text-align:left;"|Registered voters / turnout|2,145,255|73.61%|16.99|}

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1934 Ontario general election
RidingWinning partyTurnout
[12]
Votes
Name[13] Party Votes Share Margin
#
Margin
%
Lib Con CCFUFOTotal
 
AddingtonCon7,223 53.81% 1,024 7.63% 79.40% 6,199 7,223 13,422
Algoma—ManitoulinLib9,247 62.87% 3,786 25.74% 79.07% 9,247 5,461 14,708
BrantL-P9,402 68.65% 5,108 37.30% 70.69% 4,294 9,402 13,696
BrantfordInd8,349 50.17% 2,014 12.10% 81.55% 6,335 1,958 8,349 16,642
BruceLib10,100 60.07% 3,387 20.15% 77.98% 10,100 6,713 16,813
CarletonCon6,842 56.36% 1,545 12.73% 72.73% 5,297 6,842 12,139
Cochrane NorthLib5,304 53.41% 1,981 19.95% 79.83% 5,304 3,323 770 534 9,931
Cochrane SouthLib8,183 47.02% 3,061 17.59% 71.56% 8,183 5,122 2,975 210 759 156 17,405
Dufferin—SimcoeLib8,393 53.60% 1,126 7.19% 76.21% 8,393 7,267 15,660
DurhamLib6,232 45.75% 268 1.97% 74.32% 6,232 5,964 1,425 13,621
ElginLib11,922 56.58% 2,772 13.15% 82.13% 11,922 9,150 21,072
Essex NorthLib7,459 50.71% 3,030 20.60% 77.04% 7,459 4,429 1,812 1,009 14,709
Essex SouthLib7,110 55.56% 1,423 11.12% 66.68% 7,110 5,687 12,797
Fort WilliamLib9,100 62.87% 3,725 25.73% 82.43% 9,100 5,375 14,475
GlengarryLib6,391 61.55% 2,398 23.09% 68.33% 6,391 3,993 10,384
Grenville—DundasCon8,859 53.97% 1,302 7.93% 73.56% 7,557 8,859 16,416
Grey NorthL-P9,770 60.52% 3,396 21.04% 79.81% 6,374 9,770 16,144
Grey SouthUFO8,301 59.66% 2,689 19.33% 73.46% 5,612 8,301 13,913
Haldimand—NorfolkLib12,164 56.43% 2,771 12.85% 74.32% 12,164 9,393 21,557
HaltonL-P6,929 50.00% 1,301 9.39% 74.60% 5,628 1,301 6,929 13,858
Hamilton EastCCF10,458 54.86% 3,245 17.02% 67.64% 7,213 10,458 416 815 162 19,064
Hamilton CentreLib11,250 51.71% 3,222 14.81% 70.34% 11,250 8,028 2,478 21,756
Hamilton—WentworthLib11,127 57.18% 4,284 22.01% 77.45% 11,127 6,843 1,491 19,461
Hastings EastCon6,257 51.73% 418 3.46% 78.35% 5,839 6,257 12,096
Hastings WestLib9,627 53.26% 1,179 6.52% 80.01% 9,627 8,448 18,075
HuronLib8,254 57.52% 2,281 15.90% 78.86% 8,254 5,973 122 14,349
Huron—BruceLib9,591 65.78% 4,602 31.56% 73.25% 9,591 4,989 14,580
KenoraL-L5,877 62.41% 2,337 24.82% 71.92% 3,540 5,877 9,417
Kent EastL-P8,399 64.60% 4,064 31.26% 72.89% 4,335 8,399[14] 267 13,001
Kent WestLib11,016 58.81% 4,879 26.04% 74.30% 11,016 6,137 1,580 18,733
KingstonCon7,634 53.92% 1,109 7.83% 79.02% 6,525 7,634 14,159
Lambton EastLib7,835 56.80% 2,406 17.44% 74.64% 7,835 5,429 347 183 13,794
Lambton WestLib7,473 54.75% 2,307 16.90% 76.57% 7,473 5,166 1,010 13,649
LanarkCon8,468 52.27% 737 4.55% 73.20% 7,731 8,468 16,199
LeedsLib10,195 53.24% 1,242 6.49% 77.95% 10,195 8,953 19,148
LincolnLib12,924 48.85% 1,436 5.43% 76.94% 12,924 11,488 2,047 26,459
LondonLib16,442 54.69% 3,119 10.37% 74.95% 16,442 13,323 300 30,065
Middlesex NorthLib7,753 54.75% 1,345 9.50% 72.72% 7,753 6,408 14,161
Middlesex SouthLib8,239 60.33% 2,821 20.66% 73.33% 8,239 5,418 13,657
Muskoka—OntarioL-P10,590 56.86% 2,554 13.71% 79.04% 8,036 10,590 18,626
Niagara FallsLib9,096 53.12% 3,982 23.25% 73.04% 9,096 5,114 2,914 17,124
NipissingLib12,149 66.80% 6,111 33.60% 74.90% 12,149 6,038 18,187
NorthumberlandLib9,087 52.53% 876 5.06% 83.20% 9,087 8,211 17,298
OntarioLib11,409 56.63% 5,046 25.05% 76.42% 11,409 6,363 2,375 20,147
Ottawa EastLib10,314 43.37% 3,039 12.78% 81.10% 10,314 7,275 6,116 79 23,784
Ottawa SouthCon16,983 47.56% 246 0.69% 74.20% 16,737 16,983 1,531 192 165 100 35,708
OxfordLib11,767 50.11% 2,472 10.53% 79.50% 11,767 9,295 2,422 23,484
Parry SoundLib7,199 62.83% 2,940 25.66% 78.82% 7,199 4,259 11,458
PeelLib7,960 48.42% 244 1.48% 78.04% 7,960 7,716 764 16,440
PerthLib16,371 60.23% 5,560 20.45% 78.88% 16,371 10,811 27,182
PeterboroughCon9,394 44.64% 34 0.16% 76.36% 9,360 9,394 2,288 21,042
Port ArthurLib7,514 58.93% 3,228 25.32% 81.10% 7,514 4,286 342 608 12,750
PrescottLib5,004 38.79% 228 1.77% 76.80% 5,004 3,119 4,776 12,899
Prince Edward—LennoxLib7,866 52.15% 650 4.31% 74.95% 7,866 7,216 15,082
Rainy RiverLib4,725 68.26% 2,528 36.52% 76.13% 4,725 2,197 6,922
Renfrew NorthLib7,770 60.86% 2,772 21.71% 76.80% 7,770 4,998 12,768
Renfrew SouthLib8,406 65.18% 3,915 30.36% 76.00% 8,406 4,491 12,897
RussellLib6,381 54.55% 2,971 25.40% 72.36% 6,381 3,410 1,906 11,697
Sault Ste. MarieLib7,530 55.47% 1,811 13.34% 77.94% 7,530 5,719 327 13,576
Simcoe CentreLib9,004 62.59% 3,622 25.18% 74.46% 9,004 5,382 14,386
Simcoe EastLib9,327 57.15% 2,334 14.30% 80.64% 9,327 6,993 16,320
StormontLib9,430 63.06% 3,905 26.11% 72.25% 9,430 5,525 14,955
SudburyLib10,516 52.88% 1,604 8.07% 76.86% 10,516 8,912 458 19,886
TemiskamingLib5,573 48.48% 2,300 20.01% 73.92% 5,573 3,273 2,649 11,495
VictoriaLib10,629 57.11% 2,647 14.22% 81.29% 10,629 7,982 18,611
Waterloo NorthLib11,827 53.11% 6,241 28.03% 68.87% 11,827 5,586 4,327 528 22,268
Waterloo SouthLib8,860 50.43% 2,337 13.30% 75.91% 8,860 6,523 2,186 17,569
WellandLib10,386 55.74% 4,164 22.35% 73.36% 10,386 6,222 2,024 18,632
Wellington NorthLib10,209 66.29% 5,017 32.58% 74.10% 10,209 5,192 15,401
Wellington SouthLib10,376 60.36% 3,561 20.71% 84.97% 10,376 6,815 17,191
WentworthLib6,272 34.47% 119 0.65% 71.89% 6,272 6,153 5,771 18,196
Windsor—WalkervilleLib10,104 57.58% 5,324 30.34% 76.74% 10,104 4,780 2,151 512 17,547
Windsor—SandwichLib9,934 56.51% 3,953 22.49% 69.85% 9,934 5,981 1,664 17,579
York EastCon12,815 42.60% 2,741 9.11% 69.78% 10,074 12,815 6,223 225 664 81 30,082
York NorthLib11,402 56.20% 3,489 17.20% 77.52% 11,402 7,913 974 20,289
York SouthCon10,159 39.70% 980 3.83% 69.06% 9,179 10,159 5,546 706 25,590
York WestLib11,600 45.60% 2,119 8.33% 63.36% 11,600 9,481 3,875 483 25,439
BeachesCon7,822 44.38% 2,876 16.32% 67.62% 4,859 7,822 4,946 17,627
BellwoodsLib9,339 55.17% 3,973 23.47% 70.70% 9,339 5,366 1,133 1,091 16,929
BracondaleCon6,452 41.10% 289 1.84% 64.84% 6,163 6,452 2,734 312 39 15,700
DovercourtCon9,266 41.13% 410 1.82% 66.94% 8,856 9,266 4,192 216 22,530
EglintonLib12,556 46.51% 1,665 6.17% 68.03% 12,556 10,891 3,287 265 26,999
High ParkCon8,934 42.14% 993 4.68% 68.08% 7,941 8,934 4,327 21,202
ParkdaleCon10,087 42.26% 212 0.89% 67.01% 9,875 10,087 3,906 23,868
RiverdaleLib10,898 48.90% 535 2.40% 63.70% 10,898 10,363 1,025 22,286
St. AndrewLib6,055 42.20% 1,371 9.55% 66.57% 6,055 4,684 2,030 1,392 188 14,349
St. DavidCon6,751 40.51% 1,095 6.57% 64.63% 5,656 6,751 4,260 16,667
St. GeorgeLib8,296 45.49% 426 2.34% 62.16% 8,296 7,870 1,862 210 18,238
St. PatrickLib5,704 50.08% 18 0.16% 63.00% 5,704 5,686 11,390
WoodbineCon9,334 41.76% 2,190 9.80% 65.43% 7,144 9,334 5,666 205 22,349

= 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 place Party in 2nd place Total
Lib Con CCF I-Lib
63 1 64
16 1 17
5 5
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
Total16 72 1 1 90
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party
Parties 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total
64 16 1 90
17 72 1 90
5 5
1 1 34 1 37
1 7 4 2 14
1 1 2
1 1
1 1 1 3
3 10 13
2 2 4
1 1
1 1 2
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1

Reorganization of ridings

19291934
RidingPartyRidingParty
Mergers of ridings
AlgomaAlgoma—Manitoulin
Manitoulin
BrockvilleLeeds
Leeds
Bruce NorthBruce
Bruce South
DufferinDufferin—Simcoe
Simcoe Southwest
Elgin EastElgin
Elgin West
DundasGrenville—Dundas
Grenville
HaldimandHaldimand—Norfolk
Norfolk
Hamilton WestWentworth
Wentworth South
Lanark NorthLanark
Lanark South
LincolnLincoln
St. Catharines
London NorthLondon
London South
MuskokaMuskoka—Ontario
Ontario North
NipissingNipissing
Sturgeon Falls
Ottawa NorthOttawa South
Ottawa South
Oxford NorthOxford
Oxford South
Perth NorthPerth
Perth South
Peterborough CityPeterborough
Peterborough County
Prince EdwardPrince Edward—Lennox
Frontenac-Lennox
Victoria NorthVictoria
Victoria South
Riding abolished; parts transferred to other ridings
Brockton
Greenwood
Hastings North

Seats that changed hands

Elections to the 18th Parliament of Ontario – unaltered seats won/lost by party, 1929–1934
Party1929Gain from (loss to)1934
ConLibProL-ProUFOLabI-ConCCFInd
55 (39) (1) (1) (1) 13
8 39 1 2 50
3 (1) (2)  -
1 1 2 4
1 1
1 1
2 (2)  -
 - 1 1
 - 1 1
Total 71 42  -  - (42) 3  -  - (3)  -  -  -  - 2  -  - (1)  - (1) 71

Of the unaltered seats, there were 47 that changed allegiance in the election:

Conservative to Liberal
Conservative to Liberal-Progressive
Conservative to CCF
Conservative to Independent
Progressive to Liberal
Progressive to Liberal-Progressive
Independent-Conservative to Liberal

See also

Notes and references

References

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1934 General Election . Elections Ontario . January 3, 2021.
  2. The Liquor Control Act, 1934. S.O.. 1934. 26. https://archive.org/details/statutesofprovin1934onta/page/60/mode/2up.
  3. News: Nominations for Elections in Ontario and Saskatchewan. 7 February 2016. Ottawa Citizen. 13 June 1934.
  4. The Representation Act, 1933. S.O.. 1933. 56. https://archive.org/details/statutesofprovin1933onta/page/146/mode/2up?view=theater.
  5. Part transferred to Carleton.
  6. Also absorbed part of Bruce South.
  7. Also absorbed part of Middlesex North.
  8. The Representation Act, 1934. S.O.. 1934. 51. https://archive.org/details/statutesofprovin1934onta/page/140/mode/2up?view=theater.
  9. Web site: 1934 General Election. . elections.on.ca . . August 13, 2023. EO data errors on party affiliations corrected: News: . June 20, 1934. Results by Constituencies in Ontario and Saskatchewan. Ottawa Citizen. 17. Supplementary correction for T.A. Blakelock (Halton) - he was nominated, and campaigned, as a Liberal-Progressive): News: . April 26, 1934. Liberal-Progressive Convention. The Canadian Champion. Milton. 3., News: . May 3, 1934. T.A Blakelock Candidate. The Canadian Champion. Milton.
  10. (party president)
  11. Progressive and Liberal-Progressive 1929 results are combined.
  12. including spoilt ballots
  13. order is as given in EO reports
  14. byelection gain was under the Liberal banner