1956 British Columbia general election

1956 British Columbia general election
← outgoing members elected members →
52 seats of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia ; 27 seats were needed for a majority
Premier before election; W. A. C. Bennett; Social Credit	Premier after election ; W. A. C. Bennett; Social Credit

The 1956 British Columbia general election was the 25th 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 13, 1956, and held on September 19, 1956. The new legislature met for the first time on February 7, 1957.

The conservative Social Credit of Premier W.A.C. Bennett was re-elected with a majority in the legislature to a third term in government with over 45% of the popular vote.

The social democratic CCF formed the official opposition.

The British Columbia Liberal Party lost two of its four seats despite winning over 20% of the popular vote.

The Progressive Conservative Party lost its single seat in the legislature, and would not win a seat again until the 1972 election.

One seat was won by a Labour candidate, Tom Uphill of Fernie.

Changes to election laws[edit]

In 1953, as part of a revision to the Provincial Elections Act, the voting age was reduced from 21 to 19.^[1] As well, the instant runoff voting system that was in effect for the 1952 and 1953 elections was abolished and the previous first past the post rules were revived.

In 1955, a further Act was passed that increased the Legislative from 48 members to 52 through the following changes:^[2]

Peace River was split into North Peace River and South Peace River
Burnaby, Delta and North Vancouver became multi-member districts, each now returning two members.

Results[edit]

Elections to the 25th Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (1956)^[3]
Political party		Party leader	MLAs				Votes^{[a 1]}
Political party		Party leader	Candidates	1953	1956	±	#	±	%	± (pp)
	Social Credit	W.A.C. Bennett	52	28	39	11	374,711	99,940	45.84	8.09
	Co-operative Commonwealth	Bob Strachan	51	14	10	4	231,511	6,998	28.32	2.53
	Liberal	Arthur Laing	52	4	2	2	177,922	6,161	21.77	1.82
	Progressive Conservative	Deane Finlayson	22	1	–	1	25,373	15,407	3.11	2.49
	Labour	Tom Uphill	1	1	1		1,321	280	0.16	0.06
	Labour Progressive		14	–	–	–	3,381	4,115	0.41	0.62
	Independent		7	–	–	–	3,178	1,207	0.39	0.12
Total			199	48	52		817,397		100.00%
Rejected ballots^[4]							6,642	37,124
Actual voters who voted^[4]							509,409	12,643	65.43%	5.12
Registered voters^[4]							778,587	38,581

^ Measured against 1953 first-preference votes.

Seats and popular vote by party^[3]
Party	Seats	Votes	Change (pp)
█ Social Credit	39 / 52	45.84%	8.09	8.09
█ Co-operative Commonwealth	10 / 52	28.52%	-2.53
█ Liberal	2 / 52	21.77%	-1.82
█ Progressive Conservative	0 / 52	3.11%	-2.49
█ Other	1 / 52	0.76%	-1.25

MLAs elected[edit]

Single-member districts

Alberni: Stanley John Squire

Atlin: William James Asselstine

Cariboo: Ralph Chetwynd

Chilliwack: William Kenneth Kiernan

Columbia: Richard Orr Newton

Comox: Daniel Campbell

Cowichan-Newcastle: Robert Strachan

Cranbrook: Leo Nimsick

Dewdney: Lyle Wicks

Esquimalt: Herbert Joseph Bruch

Fernie: Thomas Aubert Uphill

Fort George: Ray Gillis Williston

Grand Forks-Greenwood: Lois Haggen

Kamloops: Phil Gaglardi

Kaslo-Slocan: Randolph Harding

Lillooet: Don Robinson

Mackenzie: Anthony Gargrave

Nanaimo and the Islands: Earle Cathers Westwood

Nelson-Creston: Wesley Drewett Black

New Westminster: Rae Eddie

North Okanagan: Lorne Shantz

North Peace River: Harold Earl Roche

Oak Bay: Philip Archibald Gibbs

Omineca: Cyril Morley Shelford

Prince Rupert: William Harvey Murray

Revelstoke: Arvid Lundell

Rossland-Trail: Robert Sommers

Saanich: John Douglas Tisdalle

Salmon Arm: James Allan Reid

Similkameen: Frank Richter, Jr.

Skeena: Hugh Shirreff

South Okanagan: W. A. C. Bennett

South Peace River: Stanley Carnell

Yale: Irvine Finlay Corbett

Multi-member districts

Burnaby: Gordon Dowding

Burnaby: Ernest Winch^{[a 1]}

Delta: Thomas Irwin

Delta: Nehemiah George Massey

North Vancouver: John Melvin Bryan Sr.

North Vancouver: Newton Phillips Steacy

Vancouver-Burrard: Eric Charles Fitzgerald Martin

Vancouver-Burrard: Bert Price

Vancouver Centre: Alexander Small Matthew

Vancouver Centre: Leslie Peterson

Vancouver East: Frederick Morton Sharp

Vancouver East: Arthur James Turner

Vancouver-Point Grey: Thomas Audley Bate

Vancouver-Point Grey: Buda Brown

Vancouver-Point Grey: Arthur Laing

Victoria City: William Chant

Victoria City: John Donald Smith

Victoria City: George Frederick Thompson Gregory

^ Died before the opening of the new Legislative Assembly. His son-in-law Cedric Cox won the subsequent byelection.

Synopsis of results[edit]

Results by riding - 1956 British Columbia general election (single-member districts)^[5]
Riding	Winning party								Votes
Name	1953		Party		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %	SC	CCF	Lib	PC	LPP	Ind	Total
Name	1953		Party		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %							Total

Alberni		CCF		CCF	3,362	50.60%	1,468	22.09%	1,894	3,362	1,388	–	–	–	6,644
Atlin		CCF		SC	454	48.04%	94	9.94%	454	360	131	–	–	–	945
Cariboo		SC		SC	3,014	60.86%	1,873	37.82%	3,014	797	1,141	–	–	–	4,952
Chilliwack		SC		SC	9,008	57.10%	5,890	37.34%	9,008	2,992	3,118	658	–	–	15,776
Columbia		SC		SC	1,074	54.41%	422	21.38%	1,074	248	652	–	–	–	1,974
Comox		CCF		SC	4,916	41.63%	361	3.06%	4,916	4,555	2,339	–	–	–	11,810
Cowichan-Newcastle		CCF		CCF	5,015	51.18%	1,842	18.80%	3,173	5,015	1,611	–	–	–	9,799
Cranbrook		CCF		CCF	3,321	53.26%	1,309	20.99%	2,012	3,321	902	–	–	–	6,235
Dewdney		SC		SC	10,267	47.49%	3,056	14.14%	10,267	7,211	4,141	–	–	–	21,619
Esquimalt		SC		SC	3,530	43.70%	1,517	18.78%	3,530	2,013	1,714	821	–	–	8,078
Fernie		Lab		Lab	1,321	42.43%	140	4.49%	1,181	–	611	–	–	1,321	3,113
Fort George		SC		SC	3,774	58.48%	2,398	37.16%	3,774	1,304	1,376	–	–	–	6,454
Grand Forks-Greenwood		CCF		CCF	877	42.57%	11	0.53%	866	877^{[a 1]}	317	–	–	–	2,060
Kamloops		SC		SC	4,948	61.02%	2,931	36.15%	4,948	1,144	2,017	–	–	–	8,109
Kaslo-Slocan		CCF		CCF	1,512	54.31%	537	19.29%	975	1,512	297	–	–	–	2,784
Lillooet		Lib		SC	2,055	52.41%	1,096	27.95%	2,055	907	959	–	–	–	3,921
Mackenzie		CCF		CCF	4,502	48.41%	1,256	13.50%	3,246	4,502	1,362	189	–	–	9,299
Nanaimo and the Islands		PC		SC	3,827	45.52%	864	12.60%	3,827	2,963	2,142	–	–	69	9,001
Nelson-Creston		SC		SC	4,190	51.02%	1,859	22.64%	4,190	2,331	1,622	–	70	–	8,213
New Westminster		CCF		CCF	4,469	38.83%	293	2.55%	4,176	4,469	2,220	–	–	645	11,510
North Okanagan		SC		SC	4,583	54.74%	2,311	27.60%	4,583	1,429	2,272	–	88	–	8,372
North Peace River	New			SC	1,087	53.23%	664	32.52%	1,087	359	423	–	–	173^{[a 2]}	2,042
Oak Bay		Lib		Lib	3,940	49.38%	1,249	15.65%	2,691	429	3,940	919	–	–	7,979
Omineca		SC		SC	1,685	54.06%	838	26.89%	1,685	585	847	–	–	–	3,117
Prince Rupert		Lib		SC	2,151	42.39%	487	9.60%	2,151	1,259	1,664	–	–	–	5,074
Revelstoke		CCF		SC	1,339	49.81%	354	13.17%	1,339	985	364	–	–	–	2,688
Rossland-Trail		SC		SC	5,097	50.23%	2,258	22.25%	5,097	2,839	1,960	252	–	–	10,148
Saanich		SC		SC	6,542	39.45%	1,103	6.65%	6,542	5,439	3,344	1,257	–	–	16,582
Salmon Arm		SC		SC	2,131	51.24%	677	16.28%	2,131	1,454	339	487	–	–	4,159
Similkameen		SC		SC	5,189	53.94%	2,989	31.07%	5,189	2,200	1,744	487	–	–	9,620
Skeena		CCF		SC	1,886	37.01%	63	1.24%	1,886	1,823	1,387	–	–	–	5,096
South Okanagan		SC		SC	7,694	69.70%	6,031	54.63%	7,694	1,663	1,230	451	–	–	11,038
South Peace River	New			SC	1,787	50.80%	512	14.56%	1,787	1,275	456	–	–	–	3,518
Yale		SC		SC	1,315	47.34%	612	22.03%	1,315	599	703	161	–	–	2,778

^ Lois Haggen accepted the nomination after her husband Rupert Haggen chose to retire because of health problems.
^ Campaigned as People's Party of BC.

= open seat

= turnout is above provincial average

= 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

= campaigned as Independent SC

= multiple candidates

Results by riding - 1956 British Columbia general election (multiple-member districts)^[5]
Riding		Winning party		Votes							Voters who voted^[6]
Name	MLAs	1953	1956	SC	CCF	Lib	PC	LPP	Ind	Total
Name	MLAs	1953	1956							Total
Burnaby	2	1	2	12,103	15,304	3,972	513	–	–	60,540	31,243
Burnaby	2	1	2	11,583	12,692	3,895	478	–	–	60,540	31,243
Delta	2	1	2	18,848	11,202	5,149	–	355	–	69,066	35,578
Delta	2	1	2	17,762	10,798	4,680	–	272	–	69,066	35,578
North Vancouver	2	1	2	11,974	4,718	8,425	5,121	211	902^{[a 1]}	53,719	28,602
North Vancouver	2	1	2	11,298	4,266	6,386	–	191	227	53,719	28,602
Vancouver-Burrard	2	2	2	12,824	7,826	4,972	1,095	260	203	52,369	27,798
Vancouver-Burrard	2	2	2	12,180	7,322	4,424	1,006	257	–	52,369	27,798
Vancouver Centre	2	2	2	9,112	4,561	3,996	969	485	–	36,302	19,128
Vancouver Centre	2	2	2	8,614	4,393	3,727	–	445	–	36,302	19,128
Vancouver East	2	2	1 1	18,640	19,774	4,229	720	–	–	84,422	44,795
Vancouver East	2	2	1 1	17,821	18,541	4,156	541	–	–	84,422	44,795
Vancouver-Point Grey	3	2 1	3	25,615	11,365	17,801	3,324	318	959	155,953	53,152
				23,696	8,435	15,599	2,878	–	–
				23,238	7,979	12,924	1,822	–	–
Victoria City	3	3	2 1	9,199	3,432	8,408^{[a 2]}	1,476	162	–	60,519	21,474
				8,620	3,417	7,241	–	143	–
				7,827	3,265	7,205	–	124	–

^ George Henry Tomlinson Jr., a Socred MLA in the previous Legislature.
^ George Frederick Thompson Gregory (Liberal)won the seat in a 1953 byelection, taking it from the Socreds.

Bold indicates incumbent in last Legislature.

= winning candidate

References[edit]

^ Provincial Elections Act, 1953, S.B.C. 1953 (2nd session), c. 5, s. 3
^ Constitution Act Amendment Act, 1955, S.B.C. 1955, c. 11
^ ^a ^b Elections BC 1988, pp. 243, 265.
^ ^a ^b ^c Elections BC 1988, pp. 2–3.
^ ^a ^b Elections BC 1988, pp. 267–271.
^ Elections BC 1988, p. 536.

[4] Measured against 1953 first-preference votes.

[6] Died before the opening of the new Legislative Assembly. His son-in-law Cedric Cox won the subsequent byelection.

[8] Lois Haggen accepted the nomination after her husband Rupert Haggen chose to retire because of health problems.

[9] Campaigned as People's Party of BC.

[11] George Henry Tomlinson Jr., a Socred MLA in the previous Legislature.

[12] George Frederick Thompson Gregory (Liberal)won the seat in a 1953 byelection, taking it from the Socreds.

[1] Provincial Elections Act, 1953, S.B.C. 1953 (2nd session), c. 5, s. 3

[2] Constitution Act Amendment Act, 1955, S.B.C. 1955, c. 11

[FOOTNOTEElections_BC1988243,_265-3] Elections BC 1988, pp. 243, 265.

[FOOTNOTEElections_BC19882–3-5] Elections BC 1988, pp. 2–3.

[FOOTNOTEElections_BC1988267–271-7] Elections BC 1988, pp. 267–271.

[FOOTNOTEElections_BC1988536-10] Elections BC 1988, p. 536.

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[2]

[3]

[a 1]

[4]

[a 1]

[5]

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v t e Elections and referendums in British Columbia
General elections	1856 1860 1863 1866 1869 1871 1875 1878 1882 1886 1890 1894 1898 1900 1903 1907 1909 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1933 1937 1941 1945 1949 1952 1953 1956 1960 1963 1966 1969 1972 1975 1979 1983 1986 1991 1996 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2020 2024
Municipal elections	2005 2008 2011 2014 2018 2022
Referendums	1873 1909 1916 1920 1924 1937 1952 1972 1991 2002 2005 2009 2011 2018
See also: List of British Columbia by-elections