1920 Canadian liquor plebiscite

Following the end of Canada-wide war-time Prohibition, Canadian liquor plebiscites were held on October 25, 1920 in the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan under the Canada Temperance Act and the Dominion Elections Act. New Brunswick had voted on the matter on July 10 and British Columbia voted on October 20.

The Canada Temperance Act, also known as the Scott Act, allowed provincial and municipal jurisdictions to formulate their own legislation regarding alcohol consumption based upon the results of a plebiscite. The results could not be challenged for at least three years.

The question up for vote in Alberta was "Shall the importation and bringing of alcohol beverages into the province be forbidden?" After it passed, the federal government waited until February 1921 to ban the inter-provincial trade of alcohol into Alberta and by then many had stockpiled liquor.

Between 1916 and 1919 prohibition legislation passed in all the provinces. The sale of alcoholic liquors, except for medical and scientific purposes, was prohibited, with medical need being interpreted loosely with liquor sold by pharmacists. In 1920, eight of the nine provinces decided to continue prohibition after the war. The Canadian liquor plebiscite addressed this postwar prohibition. The plebiscite was set up to pose the question of banning liquor importation to provinces where prohibition had been enforced, but liquor could be ordered and imported by mail order. Ontario also had a plebiscite on the issue under the Temperance Act a few months later in 1921.

Alberta results, October 25, 1920 referendum

Results	Votes	Percent
For	68,012	60.55%
Against	44,321	39.45%
Total	112,333	100%

British Columbia results, October 20, 1920 referendum

Voters were presented with the question "Which do you prefer: 1— The present prohibition act? or 2— An act to provide for the government control and sale in sealed packages of spirituous and malted liquors?" By a majority of more than 25,000 voters in British Columbia opted for the sale of liquor under regulation by the provincial government.

Manitoba results, October 25, 1920 referendum

By a majority of more than 12,000 voters opted in favor of the Canadian Temperance Act, with the prohibition against importing liquor into Manitoba to go into effect in 60 days. The vote also cleared the way for the Manitoba Temperance Act of 1920 to be proclaimed, limiting liquor to medical prescriptions of no more than 12 ounces, by government-approved dispensers.

New Brunswick results, July 10, 1920 referendum

The first provincial vote on whether to retain prohibition took place in New Brunswick, where voters approved the bar against importation of liquor by a majority of 20,000 votes. In another ballot question, the ban against the sale of light wine and against beer was approved a majority of 15,000.

Nova Scotia results, October 25, 1920 referendum

Voters in Nova Scotia gave a larger endorsement to prohibition than in the prairie provinces, with 40,000 more votes for prohibiting the importation of liquor than against it. Other than Halifax and Dartmouth, no large cities voted "wet".

Saskatchewan results, October 25, 1920 referendum

By a majority of 10,000 voters in Saskatchewan endorsed the Canadian Temperance Act barring the importation of liquor.

See also

• 1923 Alberta prohibition plebiscite
• 1898 Canadian prohibition plebiscite
• 1919 Quebec prohibition referendum
• 1921 Ontario prohibition referendum

Further reading

• Noel, Janet (1995). Canada Dry: Temperance Crusades before Confederation. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-0552-7.
• Smart, Reginald G.; Ogborne, Alan C. (1996). Northern Spirits : A Social History of Alcohol in Canada (2nd ed.). Ontario: Addiction Research Foundation. ISBN 0-88868-276-X.