Manitoba general election, 1969

The Manitoba General Election of June 25, 1969 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was a watershed moment in the province's political history. The social-democratic New Democratic Party emerged for the first time as the largest party in the legislature, winning 28 out of 57 seats. The governing Progressive Conservative Party fell to 22, and the once-dominant Liberal Party fell to an historical low of five. The Social Credit Party won one seat, and there was also one Independent elected.

It was not clear what form the government would take in the days immediately following the election. There were negotiations among the Liberal and Progressive Conservatives to form a minority coalition government, supported by the Social Credit and Independent members; under this scenario, former Liberal leader Gildas Molgat would have become Premier. These plans came to nothing when Liberal MLA Laurent Desjardins announced that he would sit as a "Liberal Democrat" supporting the NDP. Edward Schreyer became the province's first social democratic Premier shortly thereafter.

The Manitoba NDP had a total election budget of $45,000. Although very small by modern standards, this was the most the party had ever spent up to this time.^[1]

Map of Election Results

Results

Party		Party Leader	# of candidates	Seats			Popular Vote
				1966	Elected	% Change	#	%	Change
	New Democratic	Edward Schreyer	57	11	28	+154.5%	128,080	38.27%	+15.13
	Progressive Conservative	Walter Weir	57	31	22	-29.0%	119,021	35.56%	-4.40
	Liberal	Robert Bend	57	14	5	-64.3%	80,288	23.99%	-9.14
	Social Credit	Jacob Froese (?)	6	1	1	-	4,535	1.36%	-2.18
	Communist	William Cecil Ross	2	-	-	-	744	0.22%	+0.02
	Independent		5	-	1		2,020	0.60%	+0.57
Total			184	57	57	-	334,688	100%

Preceded by 1966 Manitoba election

List of Manitoba elections

Succeeded by 1973 Manitoba election

See also

• List of Manitoba political parties

Riding results

Party key:

• PC: Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
• L: Manitoba Liberal Party
• NDP: New Democratic Party of Manitoba
• SC: Manitoba Social Credit Party
• Comm: Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba
• Ind: Independent

(x) denotes incumbent.

Arthur:

• (x)J. Douglas Watt (PC) 3133
• John McRae (L) 1375
• Raymond Jones (NDP) 980

Assiniboia:

• (x)Stephen Patrick (L) 2355
• Bill Docking (PC) 2329
• Curtis Nordman (NDP) 1466

1969 Manitoba provincial election : Birtle-Russell edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	+/-
	Progressive Conservative	Harry Graham	2,374	39.59
	New Democratic Party	Donald Kostesky	2,263	37.74
	Liberal	John Braendle	1,360	22.68
Total valid votes			5,997	100.00
Rejected and discarded votes			12
Turnout			6,009	72.47
Electors on the lists			8,292

Brandon East:

• Leonard Evans (NDP) 3035
• Emily Lyons (PC) 1962
• Don Martin (L) 1194

Brandon West:

• Edward McGill (PC) 2814
• James Skinner (NDP) 2310
• Terry Penton (L) 1796

Burrows:

• (x)Ben Hanuschak (NDP) 3418
• W.M. Swystun (PC) 1317
• Olga Lewicki (L) 751
• Andrew Bileski (Comm) 323

Charleswood:

• Arthur Moug (PC) 3401
• Duncan Edmonds (L) 2361
• John C. Hilgenga (NDP) 1325

Churchill:

• Gordon Beard (Ind) 1151
• Walter Perepeluk (L) 971
• Andre Champagne (PC) 913
• Wilf Hudson (NDP) 822

Crescentwood:

• Cy Gonick (NDP) 2689
• (x)Gurney Evans (PC) 2416
• Frank Muldoon (L) 1422

Dauphin:

• Peter Burtniak (NDP) 2933
• (x)Stewart McLean (PC) 2892
• Robert Sheldon (L) 620

Elmwood:

• (x)Russell Doern (NDP) 3803
• Alan Gardiner (PC) 1526
• John Kozoriz (L) 1053

Emerson:

• Gabriel Girard (PC) 2467
• (x)John Tanchak (L) 2014
• Stephen Zaretski (NDP) 695
• Jacob Wall (SC) 237

Flin Flon:

• Thomas Barrow (NDP) 2045
• (x)Charles H. Witney (PC) 1675
• Francis Jobin (L) 1276

Fort Garry:

• Bud Sherman (PC) 3570
• Grant Cosby (NDP) 2063
• Richard Wankling (L) 1936

Fort Rouge:

• Inez Trueman (PC) 2750
• Una Decter (NDP) 2446
• Jane Heffelfinger (L) 1941

Gimli:

• John Gottfried (NDP) 2159
• Eric Stefanson (PC) 1936
• Walter Griffin (L) 1663

Gladstone:

• James Ferguson (PC) 3000
• (x)Nelson Shoemaker (L) 2583
• Mary McIntosh (NDP) 1064

Inkster:

• (x)Sidney Green (NDP) 4001
• Robert Armstrong (PC) 989
• Gurzon Harvey (L) 661

Kildonan:

• (x)Peter Fox (NDP) 4589
• Don Mills (PC) 1876
• John Gugulyn (L) 851

Lac Du Bonnet:

• (x)Samuel Uskiw (NDP) 4060
• (x)Fred Klym (PC) 1267
• Al Tymko (L) 806

Lakeside:

• (x)Harry Enns (PC) 2532
• Robert Bend (L) 2190

1969 Manitoba provincial election : La Verendrye edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	+/-
	Liberal	Leonard Barkman	1,933	52.17
	Progressive Conservative	John Blatz	1,051	28.46
	New Democratic Party	Elmer Reimer	721	19.46
Total valid votes			3,705	100.00
Rejected and discarded votes			29
Turnout			3,734	50.64
Electors on the lists			7,369

Logan:

• William Jenkins (NDP) 3029
• Sam Minuk (PC) 871
• Howard Ferguson (L) 679

Minnedosa:

• (x)Walter Weir (PC) 3525
• Emile Roy (NDP) 1713
• Donald McNabb (L) 1028

1969 Manitoba provincial election : Morris edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	+/-
	Progressive Conservative	(x)Warner Jorgenson	2,472	53.76
	Liberal	Joseph Legault	1,183	25.73
	New Democratic Party	William T. Loftus	712	15.48
	Social Credit	Henry Funk	231	5.02
Total valid votes			4,598	100.00
Rejected and discarded votes			15
Turnout			4,613	61.20
Electors on the lists			7,537

Osborne:

• Ian Turnbull (NDP) 3188
• (x)Obie Baizley (PC) 2565
• Win Loewen (L) 965

Pembina:

• George Henderson (PC) 2823
• Kenneth Draper (L) 1815
• David Harms (SC) 521
• Edith Alsop (NDP) 336

1969 Manitoba provincial election : Point Douglas edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	+/-
	New Democrat	Donald Malinowski	2,253	52.52
	Progressive Conservative	Slaw Rebchuk	1,088	25.36
	Liberal	Roger Garrity	528	12.31
	Communist	William A. Kardash	421	9.81
Total valid votes			4,290	100.00
Rejected and discarded votes			62
Turnout			4,352	46.37
Electors on the lists			9,385

Portage La Prairie:

• (x)Gordon Johnston (L) 2451
• Harvey Carmichael (PC) 2440
• Sidney Coulthard (NDP) 1049

Radisson:

• Harry Shafransky (NDP) 3707
• Edward Kotowich (L) 2284
• Moreen Henderson (PC) 1054

Rhineland:

• (x)Jacob Froese (SC) 1981
• Henry Hildebrand (PC) 1853
• W.S. Forrester (L) 782
• Jacob Heinrichs (NDP) 181

Riel:

• (x)Donald Craik (PC) 3125
• James Buchanan (NDP) 3096
• Raymond Spence (L) 1423

River Heights:

• (x)Sidney Spivak (PC) 4623
• Mark Danzker (L) 1573
• Jack Silverberg (NDP) 1051

Roblin:

• (x)J. Wally McKenzie (PC) 2579
• (x)Mike Kawchuk (NDP) 2448
• J.R. Mitchell (L) 516

Rock Lake:

• (x)Henry Einarson (PC) 3064
• Remi de Pape (L) 1818
• Timothy Leonard (NDP) 763

Rossmere:

• Edward Schreyer (NDP) 4089
• David Pekary (PC) 1746
• Vern Breckman (L) 631
• Stanley Copp (Ind) 238

Rupertsland:

• Jean Allard (NDP) 1366
• S.P. Berthelette (L) 1142
• Paul Burelle (PC) 1026

St. Boniface:

• (x)Laurent Desjardins (L) 4210
• Kam Gajdosik (NDP) 2656
• Maurice Arpin (PC) 1110

St. George:

• Bill Uruski (NDP) 2284
• (x)Elman Guttormson (L) 1886
• Joseph Schwartz (PC) 1169

St. James:

• Al Mackling (NDP) 3642
• (x)Douglas Stanes (PC) 2676
• Peter Moss (L) 1404

St. Johns:

• (x)Saul Cherniack (NDP) 3642
• Joe Rozmus (PC) 1014
• George Strewchuk (L) 736

St. Matthews:

• Wally Johannson (NDP) 2974
• (x)Robert Steen (PC) 2217
• Rudy Peters (L) 1119

1969 Manitoba provincial election : St. Vital edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	+/-
	Progressive Conservative	Jack Hardy	2,587	36.01
	New Democratic Party	Jim Walding	2,564	35.69
	Liberal	Joe Stangl	2,034	28.31
Total valid votes			7,185	100.00
Rejected votes			39
Turnout			7,224	68.04
Electors on the lists			10,617

Ste. Rose:

• (x)Gildas Molgat (L) 2247
• Heinz Marohn (PC) 1198
• Leon Hoefer (NDP) 754
• Norma Oswald (SC) 313

Selkirk:

• Howard Pawley (NDP) 3374
• R.S. Oliver (PC) 2054
• George Sigurdson (L) 835
• Thomas Norquay (Ind) 57

Seven Oaks:

• (x)Saul Miller (NDP) 4203
• Daniel Yanofsky (PC) 1505
• Evelyne Rosborough (L) 813

Souris-Killarney:

• (x)Malcolm Earl McKellar (PC) 3053
• (x)Edward Dow (L) 1982
• Wayne Williams (NDP) 892

Springfield:

• Rene Toupin (NDP) 2724
• George Mulder (PC) 1551
• Hector Bahuaud (L) 807

Sturgeon Creek:

• Frank Johnston (PC) 2781
• Robert Chipman (L) 2251
• Stanley Carter (NDP) 1251
• William J. Turner (Ind) 336
• James Farrell (Ind) 238

Swan River:

• (x)James Bilton (PC) 1920
• Alex Filuk (NDP) 1757
• Jerry Webb (SC) 1252
• Gordon Beaumont (L) 766

The Pas:

• Ron McBryde (NDP) 1556
• (x)John Carroll (PC) 1361
• Calvert Gibson (L) 963

Thompson:

• (x)Joseph Borowski (NDP) 2436
• Thomas Farrell (PC) 1500
• Maurice Desjardins (L) 843

Transcona:

• (x)Russ Paulley (NDP) 4614
• Thelma Call (L) 1488
• Kenn Gunn-Walberg (PC) 1052

Virden:

• (x)Morris McGregor (PC) 2161
• (x)Earl Dawson (L) 1571
• Ralph Rowan (NDP) 1531

Wellington:

• (x)Philip Petursson (NDP) 3260
• William McGrava (PC) 1522
• Thomas Bernes (L) 1035

Winnipeg Centre:

• Joseph Boyce (NDP) 2398
• (x)James Cowan (PC) 1451
• Joseph Wapemoose (L) 822

Wolseley:

• (x)Leonard Claydon (PC) 2360
• Hans Wittich (NDP) 1743
• Paul DuVal (L) 1391

Post-election changes

Jack Hardy (St. Vital, PC) resigned his seat. A by-election was called for April 5, 1971.

Manitoba provincial by-election, April 5, 1971 : St. Vital edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	+/-
	New Democratic Party	Jim Walding	3,378	35.94	+0.25
	Liberal	Dan Kennedy	3,083	32.80	+4.49
	Progressive Conservative	Kenneth Pratt	2,925	31.12	-4.89
	Independent	Sam Bordman	13	0.14
Total valid votes			9,399	100
Rejected and declined ballots			10
Turnout			9,409	83.05	+15.01
Electors on the lists			11,329

Ste. Rose (res. Gildas Molgat, October 7, 1970), April 5, 1971:

• Aime Adam (NDP) 2785
• Fred Werbiski (L) 2118
• John Borcher (PC) 1792

Minnedosa (res. Walter Weir, September 1971), November 16, 1971:

• Dave Blake (PC) 3532
• Emil Shellborn (NDP) 2348
• Hugh Stephenson (L) 1129

Laurent Desjardins formally joined the NDP in 1971.

Wolseley (dec. Leonard Claydon, 1971), June 16, 1972:

• Israel Asper (L) 3530
• Ernie J. Enns (PC) 2271
• Vic Schroeder (NDP) 2174
• William Hawryluk (Ind) 45

Jean Allard left the NDP to sit as an Independent on April 7, 1972. Joseph Borowski left the NDP caucus on June 25, 1972.

Churchill (dec. Gordon Beard, November 12, 1972)^[2]

References

1. ^ Ian Stewart, Just One Vote: Jim Walding's nomination to constitutional defeat, (Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press), 2009, p. 17.
2. ^ http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/beard_gw.shtml