Cypress (former Alberta provincial electoral district)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cypress
Alberta electoral district
Defunct provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of Alberta
District created1926
District abolished1986
First contested1926
Last contested1982

Cypress was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1926 to 1986.[1]

History[edit]

The Cypress electoral district was formed prior to the 1926 Alberta general election when the Medicine Hat electoral district was split, with the territory surrounding the City of Medicine Hat being retained in the Medicine Hat district and the remaining territory south of the city to the United States border forming the new Cypress district.

The Cypress electoral district would be abolished prior to the 1986 Alberta general election, with a small portion in the south-east becoming part of Taber-Warner and the remaining portions becoming the Cypress-Redcliff electoral district.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)[edit]

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Cypress
Assembly Years Member Party
See Medicine Hat electoral district from 1905-1926
6th  1926–1930     Perren E. Baker United Farmers
7th  1930–1935
8th  1935–1940     August W. Flamme Social Credit
9th  1940–1944     Fay D. Jackson Independent
10th  1944–1948     Edith B. Thurston Social Credit
11th  1948–1952 James M. Underdahl
12th  1952–1955
13th  1955–1959 Harry E. Strom
14th  1959–1963
15th  1963–1967
16th  1967–1971
17th  1971–1975
18th  1975–1979     Alan W. Hyland Progressive Conservative
19th  1979–1982
20th  1982–1986
See Cypress-Redcliff electoral district from 1986-1993
and Taber-Warner electoral district from 1986-1997

Election results[edit]

1926[edit]

1926 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Farmers Perren E. Baker 1,220 57.12%
Liberal H. H. Foster 741 34.69%
Conservative S. Ervine 175 8.19%
Total 2,136
Rejected, spoiled and declined 129
Eligible electors / turnout 3,072 73.73%
United Farmers pickup new district.
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1926 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1930[edit]

1930 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Farmers Perren E. Baker 1,315 55.37% -1.75%
Liberal Robert C. Black 1,060 44.63% 9.94%
Total 2,375
Rejected, spoiled and declined 110
Eligible electors / turnout 3,238 76.74% 3.01%
United Farmers hold Swing -5.84%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1935[edit]

1935 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit August W. Flamme 1,689 54.05%
Liberal Robert C. Black 798 25.54% -19.10%
United Farmers Perren E. Baker 587 18.78% -36.58%
Independent J. H. Duncan 51 1.63%
Total 3,125
Rejected, spoiled and declined 121
Eligible electors / turnout 3,909 83.04% 6.29%
Social Credit gain from United Farmers Swing 8.89%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1940[edit]

1940 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Fay D. Jackson 2,065 55.33%
Social Credit August W. Flamme 1,667 44.67% -9.38%
Total 3,732
Rejected, spoiled and declined 108
Eligible electors / turnout 5,102 75.26% -7.77%
Independent gain from Social Credit Swing -8.92%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1940 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1944[edit]

1944 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Edith B. Thurston 1,747 51.01% 6.34%
Independent Charles M. Moore 973 28.41%
Co-operative Commonwealth T. A. Reynar 705 20.58%
Total 3,425
Rejected, spoiled and declined 108
Eligible electors / turnout 4,723 74.80% -0.46%
Social Credit gain from Independent Swing 5.97%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1948[edit]

1948 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit James M. Underdahl 1,723 57.88% 6.87%
Liberal Francis J. Halpin 844 28.35%
Co-operative Commonwealth William George McFall 410 13.77% -6.81%
Total 2,977
Rejected, spoiled and declined 123
Eligible electors / turnout 4,476 69.26% -5.55%
Social Credit hold Swing 3.46%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1952[edit]

1952 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit James M. Underdahl 2,240 68.13% 10.25%
Liberal Bernhard J. Evenson 1,048 31.87% 3.52%
Total 3,288
Rejected, spoiled and declined 166
Eligible electors / turnout 5,645 61.19% -8.07%
Social Credit hold Swing 3.36%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1955[edit]

1955 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Harry E. Strom 2,668 68.89% 0.76%
Liberal John Flaig 1,205 31.11% -0.76%
Total 3,873
Rejected, spoiled and declined 167
Eligible electors / turnout 5,632 71.73% 10.55%
Social Credit hold Swing 0.76%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1959[edit]

1959 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Harry E. Strom 3,199 79.38% 10.49%
Progressive Conservative Wayne N. Anderson 831 20.62%
Total 4,030
Rejected, spoiled and declined 15
Eligible electors / turnout 5,711 70.83% -0.90%
Social Credit hold Swing 10.49%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1963[edit]

1963 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Harry E. Strom 3,030 77.87% -1.51%
Liberal Alvin H. Reiman 861 22.13%
Total 3,891
Rejected, spoiled and declined 8
Eligible electors / turnout 5,912 65.95% -4.88%
Social Credit hold Swing -1.51%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1963 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1967[edit]

1967 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Harry E. Strom 2,577 77.02% -0.85%
New Democratic William G. McFall 769 22.98%
Total 3,346
Rejected, spoiled and declined 16
Eligible electors / turnout 5,558 60.49% -5.46%
Social Credit hold Swing -0.85%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1967 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1971[edit]

1971 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Social Credit Harry E. Strom 2,777 60.26% -16.75%
Progressive Conservative Dave Berntson 1,635 35.48%
New Democratic Tony de Souza 196 4.25% -18.73%
Total 4,608
Rejected, spoiled and declined 9
Eligible electors / turnout 5,860 78.79% 18.30%
Social Credit hold Swing -14.63%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1971 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1975[edit]

1975 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alan W. Hyland 2,065 53.32% 17.84%
Social Credit Barry Berhart 1,447 37.36% -22.90%
New Democratic Allen Eng 202 5.22% 0.96%
Independent Margaret Dragland 159 4.11%
Total 3,873
Rejected, spoiled and declined 8
Eligible electors / turnout 5,741 67.60% -11.19%
Progressive Conservative gain from Social Credit Swing -4.41%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1975 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1979[edit]

1979 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alan W. Hyland 3,353 57.00% 3.69%
Social Credit Vern Beck 1,907 32.42% -4.94%
New Democratic Clarence Smith 499 8.48% 3.27%
Liberal Carl Pattison 123 2.09%
Total 5,882
Rejected, spoiled and declined 11
Eligible electors / turnout 8,767 67.22% -0.38%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 4.31%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1979 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1982[edit]

1982 Alberta general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alan W. Hyland 4,170 64.38% 7.38%
Independent Orville Reber 1,080 16.67%
New Democratic Rudolf Schempp 637 9.83% 1.35%
Western Canada Concept Gifford Woodcock 590 9.11%
Total 6,477
Rejected, spoiled and declined 11
Eligible electors / turnout 9,278 69.93% 2.71%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 11.56%
Source(s)
Source: "Cypress Official Results 1982 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

Plebiscite results[edit]

1957 liquor plebiscite[edit]

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Cypress[2]
Question A: Do you approve additional types of outlets for the
sale of beer, wine and spirituous liquor subject to a local vote?
Ballot choice Votes %
No 1,339 55.13%
Yes 1,090 44.87%
Total votes 2,429 100%
Rejected, spoiled and declined 18
5,361 eligible electors, turnout 46.64%

On October 30, 1957 a stand-alone plebiscite was held province wide in all 50 of the then current provincial electoral districts in Alberta. The government decided to consult Alberta voters to decide on liquor sales and mixed drinking after a divisive debate in the legislature. The plebiscite was intended to deal with the growing demand for reforming antiquated liquor control laws.[3]

The plebiscite was conducted in two parts. Question A, asked in all districts, asked the voters if the sale of liquor should be expanded in Alberta, while Question B, asked in a handful of districts within the corporate limits of Calgary and Edmonton, asked if men and women should be allowed to drink together in establishments.[2]

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts while Question B passed in all five districts. Cypress voted against the proposal by a close margin. The voter turnout in the district was almost equal to the province wide average of 46%.[2]

Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957.[2] The Social Credit government in power at the time did not consider the results binding.[4] However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act.[5]

Municipal districts lying inside electoral districts that voted against the plebiscite such as Cypress were designated Local Option Zones by the Alberta Liquor Control Board and considered effective dry zones. Business owners who wanted a license had to petition for a binding municipal plebiscite in order to be granted a license.[6]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Election results for Cypress". abheritage.ca. Wayback Machine: Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Alberta Gazette. Vol. 53 (December 31 ed.). Government of Alberta. 1957. pp. 2, 247–2, 249.
  3. ^ "Albertans Vote 2 to 1 For More Liquor Outlets". Vol L No 273. The Lethbridge Herald. October 31, 1957. pp. 1–2.
  4. ^ "No Sudden Change In Alberta Drinking Habits Is Seen". Vol L No 267. The Lethbridge Herald. October 24, 1957. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Entirely New Act On Liquor". Vol LI No 72. The Lethbridge Herald. March 5, 1968. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Bill 81". Alberta Bills 12th Legislature 1st Session. Government of Alberta. 1958. p. 40.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]