Manitoba general election, 1949

Manitoba's general election of November 10, 1949 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.

This election pitted the province's coalition government, made up of the Liberal-Progressive Party and the Progressive Conservative Party, against a variety of opponents.

The social democratic Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) was the coalition's primary challenger, while the communist Labour Progressive Party and an assortment of independent candidates also challenged the coalition in some constituencies.

Liberal-Progressive and Progressive Conservative candidates ran against each other in some ridings, generally where no anti-coalition candidates had a serious chance of winning.

The result was a landslide victory for the coalition. Premier Douglas Campbell's Liberal-Progressives remained the dominant party in government, increasing their caucus to thirty-one seats out of fifty-seven—enough to form a majority government even without assistance from other parties. One of these candidates was elected simply as a "Liberal", but sat as a full member of the Liberal-Progressive caucus.

The Progressive Conservative Party, led by Errick Willis, remained the junior partner in government, falling to nine seats from thirteen in the previous election. Five independent "Conservative" or "Progressive Conservative" candidates were also elected, with all but one opposing the coalition government. These results provoked serious debate in the Progressive Conservative Party about the wisdom of staying with the coalition.

The CCF under Edwin Hansford fell to seven seats, down from nine in the previous election. William A. Kardash of the LPP retained his seat in north-end Winnipeg. Three pro-coalition independents were also elected, as was Edmond Prefontaine, an independent Liberal opposing the coalition.

The Social Credit League did not contest the election, having fallen into a state of internal disorganization.

Results

Party		Party leader	# of candidates	Seats			Popular vote
				1945	Elected	% Change	#	%	% Change
	Liberal-Progressive	Douglas Campbell			31			38.7%
	Progressive Conservative	Errick Willis			9			19.1%
	Co-operative Commonwealth	Edwin Hansford			7			25.6%
	Labour Progressive	William Cecil Ross			1
	Independent				9
Total					57			100%

Preceded by 1945 Manitoba election

List of Manitoba elections

Succeeded by 1953 Manitoba election

See also

• List of Manitoba political parties

Riding results

Party key:

• PC: Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
• LP: Liberal-Progressive Party of Manitoba
• CCF: Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
• SC: Manitoba Social Credit Party
• LPP: Labour Progressive Party of Manitoba
• Ind: Independent

(x) denotes incumbent.

Arthur:

• (x)John R. Pitt (LP/Coalition) 1758
• W.G. Powne (Ind LP/Coalition) 952
• D.J. McKinnon (CCF) 552

Assiniboia:

• Reginald Wightman (LP/Coalition) 4075
• (x)Ernest R. Draffin (CCF) 2861

Birtle:

• (x)Francis Bell (LP/Coalition) accl.

Brandon City:

• Joseph Donaldson (PC/Coalition) 3743
• G.R. Rowe (LP/Coalition) 1933
• W.R. Webb (CCF) 1478

Carillon:

• (x)Edmond Prefontaine (IL/Anti-Coalition) 2563
• H.B. Johnson (LP/Coalition) 1963

Cypress:

• (x)James Christie (LP/Coalition) 2227
• P.J. Deroche (Ind/Anti-Coalition) 1493

Dauphin:

• Ernest McGirr (PC/Coalition) 2855
• G.I. Jackman (CCF) 1106

Deloraine-Glenwood:

• (x)James O. Argue (PC/Coalition) accl.

Dufferin:

• Walter McDonald (LP/Coalition) 1697
• G.R. Muir (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 1596

Emerson:

• (x)John Solmon (LP/Coalition) accl.

Ethelbert:

• Michael N. Hryhohczuk (LP/Coalition) 2171
• Fred Zaplitny (CCF) 1409

Fairford:

• (x)James Anderson (LP/Coalition) accl.

Fisher:

• (x)Nicholas Bachynsky (LP/Coalition) 1437
• Mike Torbiak (IL/Anti-Coalition) 672
• Peter Zozub (CCF) 329

Gilbert Plains:

• Ray Mitchell (LP/Coalition) 1598
• Jacob Schulz (CCF) 1268

Gimli:

• (x)Steinn Thompson (LP/Coalition) accl.

Gladstone:

• (x)William Morton (LP/Coalition) accl.

Hamiota:

• Charles L. Shuttleworth (LP/Coalition) 1478
• Edward P. Venables (PC/Coalition) 1237

Iberville:

• John McDowell (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 1540
• Raoul Allard (LP/Coalition) 1334
• H.G. Robertson (CCF) 701

Kildonan-Transcona:

• (x)George Olive (CCF) 4576
• M.J.G. McMullen (LP/Coalition) 3693

Killarney:

• (x)Abram Harrison (PC/Coalition) 4576
• A.B. Fee (LP/Coalition) 1542

Lakeside:

• (x)Douglas Campbell (LP/Coalition) accl.

Lansdowne:

• Thomas Seens (PC/Coalition) 1656
• (x)Matthew R. Sutherland (LP/Coalition) 1616

La Verendrye:

• (x)Sauveur Marcoux (LP/Coalition) 1901
• E.J.R. Arpin (Ind/Anti-Coalition) 1528

Manitou-Morden:

• (x)Hugh Morrison (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 2074
• H.A. Cochlan (PC/Coalition) 1045

Minnedosa:

• (x)Henry Rungay (LP/Coalition) accl.

Morris:

• Harry Shewman (Ind/Coalition) 1349
• (x)John C. Dryden (LP/Coalition) 1196
• Thomas Wishart (CCF) 333

Mountain:

• (x)Ivan Schultz (LP/Coalition) accl.

Norfolk-Beautiful Plains:

• Samuel Burch (LP/Coalition) 2208
• Harold Nelson (PC/Coalition) 1575
• G.H. McIntosh (CCF) 610

Portage La Prairie:

• (x)Charles Greenlay (PC/Coalition) accl.

Rhineland:

• (x)Wallace Miller (PC/Coalition) accl.

Roblin:

• (x)Ronald Robertson (Ind/Coalition) 1189
• F.A. Newton (PC/Coalition) 749
• M.W. Cryderman (CCF) 639

Rockwood:

• Robert Bend (Ind PC/Coalition) 2044
• R.A. Quickfall (IL/Anti-Coalition) 859

Rupertsland:

• (x)Daniel Hamilton (LP/Coalition) accl.

Russell:

• Rodney Clement (Ind/Coalition) 2207
• M.J. Tokar (CCF) 1346

St. Andrews:

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative (Coalition)	James McLenaghen	3,478	67.80
	Cooperative Commonwealth Federation	William Earl Gordon	1,652	32.30
Total valid votes			5,130	100.00
Rejected votes			102
Turnout			5,232	68.3

St. Boniface (two members):

First Count (quota: 4,901 votes; no candidates elected)

• Joseph Van Belleghem (LP/Coalition) 3936
• (x)Edwin Hansford (CCF) 3905
• Paul Marion (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 2730
• G.P. Shearer (LP/Coalition) 2647
• E.R. Gagnon (CCF) 1483

Second Count (Gagnon eliminated)

• (x)Edwin Hansford (CCF) 4897
• Joseph Van Belleghem (LP/Coalition) 4055
• Paul Marion (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 2836
• G.P. Shearer (LP/Coalition) 2681

Third Count (Shearer eliminated, Van Belleghen and Hansford declared elected)

• Joseph Van Belleghem (LP/Coalition) 5906
• (x)Edwin Hansford (CCF) 5206
• Paul Marion (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 3105

St. Clements:

• Nicholas Stryk (LP/Coalition) 2752
• (x)Wilbert Doneleyko (Ind CCF) 1171

St. George:

• (x)Christian Halldorson (LP/Coalition) accl.

Ste. Rose:

• (x)Dane MacCarthy (LP/Coalition) accl.

Springfield:

• William Lucko (LP/Coalition) 2062
• G.E. Newton (Independent LP/Anti-Coalition) 860
• Fred Small (CCF) 807

Swan River:

• (x)George P. Renouf (C/Anti-Coalition) 3352
• Peter J. McKay (LP/Coalition) 1046

The Pas:

• Francis Jobin (L/Coalition) 4311
• (x)Beresford R. Richards (Ind/Anti-Coalition) 1522
• G.M. Ferg (CCF) 816

Turtle Mountain:

• (x)Errick Willis (PC/Coalition) accl.

Virden:

• (x)Robert Mooney (LP/Coalition) accl.

Winnipeg Centre (four members):

First Count (quota: 4,112 votes; Smith and Swailes declared elected)

• (x)Charles Rhodes Smith (LP/Coalition) 5140
• (x)Donovan Swailes (CCF) 5025
• H.B. Scott (PC/Coalition) 2338
• Gordon Fines (CCF) 2149
• Paul Bardal (LP/Coalition) 1839
• John McNeil (LPP) 1211
• Ina Thompson (CCF) 1117
• Stephen Juba (IL/Coalition) 1015
• J.H. Walker (LP/Coalition) 671

Second Count (Smith surplus)

• (x)Charles Rhodes Smith (LP/Coalition) 4112
• (x)Donovan Swailes (CCF) 5025
• H.B. Scott (PC/Coalition) 2529
• Paul Bardal (LP/Coalition) 2448
• Gordon Fines (CCF) 2170
• John McNeil (LPP) 1230
• Ina Thompson (CCF) 1146
• Stephen Juba (IL/Coalition) 1065
• J.H. Walker (LP/Coalition) 830

Third Count (Swailes surplus)

• (x)Charles Rhodes Smith (LP/Coalition) 4112
• (x)Donovan Swailes (CCF) 4112
• Gordon Fines (CCF) 2749
• H.B. Scott (PC/Coalition) 2559
• Paul Bardal (LP/Coalition) 2478
• Ina Thompson (CCF) 1366
• John McNeil (LPP) 1256
• Stephen Juba (IL/Coalition) 1078
• J.H. Walker (LP/Coalition) 845

Fourth Count (Walker eliminated)

• (x)Charles Rhodes Smith (LP/Coalition) 4112
• (x)Donovan Swailes (CCF) 4112
• Paul Bardal (LP/Coalition) 2903
• Gordon Fines (CCF) 2784
• H.B. Scott (PC/Coalition) 2681
• Ina Thompson (CCF) 1396
• John McNeil (LPP) 1286
• Stephen Juba (IL/Coalition) 1155

Fifth Count (Juba eliminated)

• (x)Charles Rhodes Smith (LP/Coalition) 4112
• (x)Donovan Swailes (CCF) 4112
• Paul Bardal (LP/Coalition) 3193
• H.B. Scott (PC/Coalition) 2965
• Gordon Fines (CCF) 2871
• Ina Thompson (CCF) 1491
• John McNeil (LPP) 1392

Sixth Count (McNeil eliminated)

• (x)Charles Rhodes Smith (LP/Coalition) 4112
• (x)Donovan Swailes (CCF) 4112
• Paul Bardal (LP/Coalition) 3279
• Gordon Fines (CCF) 3225
• H.B. Scott (PC/Coalition) 3122
• Ina Thompson (CCF) 1741

Seventh Count (Thompson eliminated; Fines declared elected)

• (x)Charles Rhodes Smith (LP/Coalition) 4112
• (x)Donovan Swailes (CCF) 4112
• Gordon Fines (CCF) 4321
• Paul Bardal (LP/Coalition) 3444
• H.B. Scott (PC/Coalition) 3258

Eighth Count (Fines surplus, Bardal declared elected)

• (x)Charles Rhodes Smith (LP/Coalition) 4112
• (x)Donovan Swailes (CCF) 4112
• Gordon Fines (CCF) 4112
• Paul Bardal (LP/Coalition) 3578
• H.B. Scott (PC/Coalition) 3378

Winnipeg North (four members):

First Count (quota: 4,917 votes; Gray declared elected)

• (x)Morris Gray (CCF) 6718
• (x)William Kardash (LPP) 4032
• Frank Chester (LP/Coalition) 3649
• John Hawryluk (CCF) 1938
• John M. Kozoriz (LP/Coalition) 1804
• (x)William Scraba (Independent LP/Coalition) 1673
• Abe Simkin (LP/Coalition) 1607
• Stan Carrick (PC/Coalition) 1126
• Herman Shaak (CCF) 767
• Jerdry Wach (Ind/Coalition) 646
• Donald Callis (LP) 521
• A.J. Yallits (Ind Lab) 99

Second Count (Gray surplus)

• (x)Morris Gray (CCF) 4917
• (x)William Kardash (LPP) 4199
• Frank Chester (LP/Coalition) 3714
• John Hawryluk (CCF) 2569
• Abe Simkin (LP/Coalition) 2139
• John M. Kozoriz (LP/Coalition) 1818
• (x)William Scraba (Independent LP/Coalition) 1697
• Stan Carrick (PC/Coalition) 1149
• Herman Shaak (CCF) 1100
• Jerdry Wach (Ind/Coalition) 651
• Donald Callis (LP) 533
• A.J. Yallits (Ind Lab) 104

Third Count (Yallits and Callis eliminated)

• (x)Morris Gray (CCF) 4917
• (x)William Kardash (LPP) 4219
• Frank Chester (LP/Coalition) 3923
• John Hawryluk (CCF) 2616
• Abe Simkin (LP/Coalition) 2227
• John M. Kozoriz (LP/Coalition) 1868
• (x)William Scraba (Independent LP/Coalition) 1718
• Stan Carrick (PC/Coalition) 1211
• Herman Shaak (CCF) 1116
• Jerdry Wach (Ind/Coalition) 671

Fourth Count (Wach eliminated)

• (x)Morris Gray (CCF) 4917
• (x)William Kardash (LPP) 4240
• Frank Chester (LP/Coalition) 4035
• John Hawryluk (CCF) 2678
• Abe Simkin (LP/Coalition) 2243
• John M. Kozoriz (LP/Coalition) 1914
• (x)William Scraba (Independent LP/Coalition) 1810
• Stan Carrick (PC/Coalition) 1369
• Herman Shaak (CCF) 1131

Fifth Count (Shaak eliminated)

• (x)Morris Gray (CCF) 4917
• (x)William Kardash (LPP) 4772
• Frank Chester (LP/Coalition) 4107
• John Hawryluk (CCF) 3497
• Abe Simkin (LP/Coalition) 2270
• John M. Kozoriz (LP/Coalition) 1935
• (x)William Scraba (Independent LP/Coalition) 1827
• Stan Carrick (PC/Coalition) 1384

Sixth Count (Carrick eliminated)

• (x)Morris Gray (CCF) 4917
• (x)William Kardash (LPP) 4804
• Frank Chester (LP/Coalition) 4501
• John Hawryluk (CCF) 3700
• Abe Simkin (LP/Coalition) 2351
• John M. Kozoriz (LP/Coalition) 2110
• (x)William Scraba (Independent LP/Coalition) 2046

Seventh Count (Scraba eliminated)

• (x)Morris Gray (CCF) 4917
• (x)William Kardash (LPP) 4862
• Frank Chester (LP/Coalition) 4824
• John Hawryluk (CCF) 4316
• John M. Kozoriz (LP/Coalition) 2681
• Abe Simkin (LP/Coalition) 2411

Eighth Count (Simkin eliminated; Kardash, Chester and Hawryluk declared elected)

• (x)Morris Gray (CCF) 4917
• (x)William Kardash (LPP) 5204
• Frank Chester (LP/Coalition) 5660
• John Hawryluk (CCF) 4485
• John M. Kozoriz (LP/Coalition) 2809

Winnipeg South (four members):

First Count (quota: 5,522 votes; McDiarmid, Stinson and Turner declared elected)

• (x)John McDiarmid (LP/Coalition) 6466
• (x)Lloyd Stinson (CCF) 6346
• (x)Ronald Turner (LP/Coalition) 5526
• Dufferin Roblin (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 3443
• C.F. Green (Ind/Anti-Coalition) 2349
• J. Gurzon Harvey (LP/Coalition) 1739
• (x)Alex Stringer (PC/Coalition) 1738

Second Count (McDiarmid surplus)

• (x)John McDiarmid (LP/Coalition) 5522
• (x)Lloyd Stinson (CCF) 6346
• (x)Ronald Turner (LP/Coalition) 5526
• Dufferin Roblin (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 3572
• C.F. Green (Ind/Anti-Coalition) 2444
• J. Gurzon Harvey (LP/Coalition) 2320
• (x)Alex Stringer (PC/Coalition) 1877

Third Count (Stinson surplus)

• (x)John McDiarmid (LP/Coalition) 5522
• (x)Lloyd Stinson (CCF) 5222
• (x)Ronald Turner (LP/Coalition) 5526
• Dufferin Roblin (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 3767
• C.F. Green (Ind/Anti-Coalition) 2833
• J. Gurzon Harvey (LP/Coalition) 2447
• (x)Alex Stringer (PC/Coalition) 1990

Fourth Count (Stringer eliminated)

• (x)John McDiarmid (LP/Coalition) 5522
• (x)Lloyd Stinson (CCF) 5222
• (x)Ronald Turner (LP/Coalition) 5526
• Dufferin Roblin (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 4601
• C.F. Green (Ind/Anti-Coalition) 3151
• J. Gurzon Harvey (LP/Coalition) 3003

Fifth Count (Harvey eliminated; Roblin declared elected)

• (x)John McDiarmid (LP/Coalition) 5522
• (x)Lloyd Stinson (CCF) 5222
• (x)Ronald Turner (LP/Coalition) 5526
• Dufferin Roblin (IPC/Anti-Coalition) 5557
• C.F. Green (Ind/Anti-Coalition) 3959

post-election changes:

On August 15, 1950, Progressive Conservative leader Errick Willis resigned his seat in cabinet. The party formally left the coalition later in the summer, and John McDowell, Hugh Morrison and Dufferin Roblin joined the party caucus.

Some Progressive Conservative MLAs opposed their party's decision, and chose to remain with the coalition side. Charles Greenlay and Wallace Miller chose to remain in cabinet, while James Argue and Joseph Donaldson sat as pro-coalition independents. Argue rejoined the Progressive Conservatives in 1953, while Donaldson resigned his seat. Thomas Seens did not initially support the party's decision to leave the coalition, but sat with the Progressive Conservatives in the legislature.

Ronald Robertson and Edmond Prefontaine rejoined the Liberal-Progressives, while independents Rod Clement and Walter Weir also remained on the government side. Harry Shewman appears to have sided with the opposition.

St. Andrews (dec. James McLenaghen, June 23, 1950), October 24, 1950:

• Thomas P. Hillhouse (LP) 2366
• William Earl Gordon (CCF) 1513
• Veitch (PC) 1187

St. Clements (dec. Nicholas Stryk, 1950), October 24, 1950:

• Albert Trapp (LP) 2729
• Wasylyk (CCF) 560
• Andrew Bileski (LPP) 254

Brandon City (res. Joseph Donaldson, April 18, 1951), January 21, 1952:

• Reginald Lissaman (PC) 3223
• Alex McPhail (LP) 2233
• Spafford (CCF) 1305

La Verendrye (dec. Sauveur Marcoux, November 16, 1951), January 21, 1952:

• Edmond Brodeur (LP) 2334
• Arpin (PC) 1363

Winnipeg South (res. Charles Rhodes Smith, 1952)

St. Clements (dec. Albert Trapp, January 9, 1953)

Cypress (dec. James Christie, January 19, 1953)

Virden (dec. Robert Mooney, January 30, 1953)

Ste. Rose (dec. Maurice MacCarthy, June 8, 1953)