1914 Ontario general election

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1914 Ontario general election

← 1911 June 29, 1914 1919 →

111 seats in the 14th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
56 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader James P. Whitney Newton Rowell
Party Conservative Liberal
Leader since 1896 1911
Leader's seat Dundas Oxford North
Last election 83 22
Seats won 84 24
Seat change Increase1 Increase2
Percentage 55.3% 38.6%
Swing Decrease0.3pp Increase0.1pp

Premier before election

James P. Whitney
Conservative

Premier after election

James P. Whitney
Conservative

The 1914 Ontario general election was the 14th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 29, 1914, to elect the 111 Members of the 14th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (MLAs).[1]

The Ontario Conservative Party, led by Sir James P. Whitney, won a fourth consecutive term in government. Whitney died three months after the election and was succeeded by William Howard Hearst. The Conservatives contested 109 of the 111 ridings, deciding not to have candidates stand in Glengarry (where the Liberal Hugh Munro was acclaimed) and Norfolk North (where the Liberal incumbent Thomas Robert Atkinson was up against a Liberal anti-Temperance candidate).[2] However, dissension within the Tory ranks resulted in a significant number of them campaigning as either independent or temperance candidates.[2]

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Newton Rowell, formed the official opposition.

Independent Labour MLA Allan Studholme was re-elected in Hamilton East. He had held the seat since a 1906 by-election.

The campaign was seen to turn more significantly on the matter of Regulation 17 (which limited instruction in French-language Catholic separate schools), in comparison to temperance issues, and that worked against the Liberals,[3] who placed Prohibition of sales in bars and clubs as a main plank in their platform.[4]

Expansion of the Legislative Assembly[edit]

Toronto ridings, as constituted in 1914

An Act passed prior to the election expanded the number of members from 106 to 111, and the number of ridings from 103 to 107.[5] The following changes were made:

The Patricia Portion acquired in 1912 was divided between Cochrane and Kenora.

Results[edit]

Elections to the 14th Parliament of Ontario (1914)[1]
Political party Party leader MPPs Votes
Candidates 1911 Dissol. 1914 ± # % ± (pp)
Conservative James P. Whitney 109 82 84 2Increase 268,548 54.02% 1.57Decrease
Liberal Newton Rowell 90 22 24 2Increase 186,168 37.45% 1.06Decrease
Labour 4 1 1 Steady 6,535 1.31% 1.12Decrease
Independent-Liberal 2 1 1Increase 2,236 0.45% New
  Temperance 9 13,064 2.63% New
Liberal-Temperance 1 1 1Increase 2,733 0.55% New
Conservative-Temperance 2 2,222 0.45% 0.02Increase
Prohibitionist 1 1,302 0.26% New
Liberal–Conservative 1 1Decrease Did not campaign
Independent 5 4,837 0.97% 0.07Increase
Socialist 12 4,532 0.91% 0.04Increase
Independent-Conservative 4 4,270 0.86% 0.11Decrease
Liberal-Anti-Temperance 1 691 0.14% New
Vacant
Total 240 106 106 111 497,138 100.00%
Blank and invalid ballots 7,304
Registered voters / turnout 697,935 72.28% 8.02Increase
Seats and popular vote by party
Party Seats Votes Change (pp)
Conservative
84 / 111
54.02%
-1.57
 
Liberal
24 / 111
37.45%
-1.06
 
  Temperance factions
1 / 111
3.89%
3.86 3.86
 
Other
2 / 111
4.64%
-1.23
 

Synopsis of results[edit]

Results by riding - 1914 Ontario general election[1]
Riding Winning party Turnout
[6]
Votes
Name[a 1] 1911 Party Votes Share Margin
#
Margin
%
Con Lib Temp Lab Soc I-Lib I-Con LAT Ind Total
 
Addington Con Con 1,841 78.27% 1,330 59.70% 71.18% 1,841 511 2,352
Algoma Con Con 1,959 56.50% 451 13.01% 65.22% 1,959 1,508 3,467
Brant North Con Lib 1,987 50.62% 49 1.25% 77.56% 1,938 1,987 3,925
Brant South Con Lib 3,594 52.50% 342 5.00% 73.48% 3,252 3,594 6,846
Brockville Con Con 1,768 49.08% 466 12.94% 70.40% 1,768 472 1,302 60 3,602
Bruce North Lib Lib 1,736 50.10% 7 0.20% 86.41% 1,729 1,736 3,465
Bruce South Lib Con 1,820 54.77% 317 9.54% 76.76% 1,820 1,503 3,323
Bruce West Lib Lib 2,153 58.84% 647 17.68% 72.10% 1,506 2,153 3,659
Carleton Con Con 1,712 75.92% 1,169 51.84% 46.30% 1,712 543 2,255
Cochrane New Lib 1,197 41.52% 28 0.97% 35.89% 1,169 1,197 517 2,883
Dufferin Con Con 2,094 57.48% 545 14.96% 66.68% 2,094 1,549 3,643
Dundas Con Con 2,212 58.97% 673 17.94% 75.17% 2,212 1,539 3,751
Durham East Con Con 1,720 58.82% 516 17.65% 72.61% 1,720 1,204 2,924
Durham West Con Con 1,647 53.63% 223 7.26% 79.77% 1,647 1,424 3,071
Elgin East Con Con 2,234 54.01% 332 8.03% 77.18% 2,234 1,902 4,136
Elgin West Con Con 3,386 55.92% 717 11.84% 69.16% 3,386 2,669 6,055
Essex North Con Lib 2,431 57.58% 640 15.16% 64.26% 1,791 2,431 4,222
Essex South Con Lib 2,196 50.38% 33 0.76% 77.88% 2,163 2,196 4,359
Fort William Con Con 2,385 55.63% 483 11.27% 39.75% 2,385 1,902 4,287
Frontenac Con Con 1,623 55.45% 319 10.90% 64.24% 1,623 1,304 2,927
Glengarry Lib Lib acclaimed
Grenville Con Con 2,082 56.42% 474 12.85% 71.28% 2,082 1,608 3,690
Grey Centre Con Con 2,404 61.47% 897 22.94% 65.52% 2,404 1,507 3,911
Grey North Lib Con 2,943 56.50% 677 13.00% 68.85% 2,943 2,266 5,209
Grey South Con Con 2,866 60.78% 1,017 21.57% 69.21% 2,866 1,849 4,715
Haldimand Lib Con 2,692 53.02% 307 6.05% 81.12% 2,692 2,385 5,077
Halton Con Con 2,676 53.17% 319 6.34% 74.46% 2,676 2,357 5,033
Hamilton East Lab Lab 4,496 56.16% 987 12.33% 61.09% 3,509 4,496 8,005
Hamilton West Con Con 3,361 63.28% 1,411 26.57% 61.36% 3,361 1,950 5,311
Hastings East Con Con 2,155 63.78% 931 27.55% 67.73% 2,155 1,224 3,379
Hastings North Con Con 2,247 79.01% 1,650 58.02% 53.77% 2,247 597 2,844
Hastings West Con Con 2,347 62.67% 949 25.34% 68.31% 2,347 1,398 3,745
Huron Centre Lib Lib 2,165 53.98% 319 7.95% 77.20% 1,846 2,165 4,011
Huron North Con Con 2,103 51.59% 130 3.19% 84.14% 2,103 1,973 4,076
Huron South Con Con 2,159 54.06% 324 8.11% 57.87% 2,159 1,835 3,994
Kenora Con Con acclaimed
Kent East Lib Lib 2,566 53.90% 371 7.79% 73.65% 2,195 2,566 4,761
Kent West Con Con 4,017 50.08% 13 0.16% 76.12% 4,017 4,004 8,021
Kingston Con Con 2,900 66.94% 1,468 33.89% 72.51% 2,900 1,432 4,332
Lambton East Lib Con 2,154 50.05% 4 0.09% 81.45% 2,154 2,150 4,304
Lambton West Con Con 3,924 55.71% 804 11.41% 74.43% 3,924 3,120 7,044
Lanark North Con Con 1,666 51.88% 121 3.77% 77.60% 1,666 1,545 3,211
Lanark South Con Con 1,860 53.76% 548 15.84% 66.23% 1,860 1,312 288 3,460
Leeds Con Con 2,025 55.75% 418 11.51% 69.93% 2,025 1,607 3,632
Lennox Con Con 1,485 53.59% 199 7.18% 76.40% 1,485 1,286 2,771
Lincoln Con Lib 2,051 53.68% 281 7.35% 77.56% 1,770 2,051 3,821
London Con Con 4,350 57.08% 1,496 19.63% 63.27% 4,350 2,854 417 7,621
Manitoulin Con Con 1,163 55.38% 226 10.76% 54.14% 1,163 937 2,100
Middlesex East Lib Con 2,383 54.68% 408 9.36% 71.90% 2,383 1,975 4,358
Middlesex North Con Lib 1,989 51.56% 120 3.11% 78.43% 1,869 1,989 3,858
Middlesex West Lib Lib 1,798 62.30% 710 24.60% 75.04% 1,088 1,798 2,886
Muskoka Con Con 2,056 63.09% 853 26.17% 63.44% 2,056 1,203 3,259
Niagara Falls New Con 2,444 54.01% 969 21.41% 66.28% 2,444 1,475 606 4,525
Nipissing Con Con 1,638 45.46% 58 1.61% 55.72% 1,638 1,580 385 3,603
Norfolk North Lib Lib 1,927 73.61% 1,236 47.21% 58.05% 1,927 691 2,618
Norfolk South Con Con 1,381 53.24% 168 6.48% 74.20% 1,381 1,213 2,594
Northumberland East Con Con 2,426 57.50% 633 15.00% 71.39% 2,426 1,793 4,219
Northumberland West Lib Lib 1,609 52.26% 139 4.51% 83.58% 1,470 1,609 3,079
Ontario North Con Con 1,877 54.14% 287 8.28% 81.56% 1,877 1,590 3,467
Ontario South Lib Con 2,772 50.47% 52 0.95% 75.19% 2,772 2,720 5,492
Ottawa East Con Lib 2,843 53.75% 865 16.35% 64.73% 1,978 2,843 468 5,289
Ottawa West Con Lib 5,018 50.54% 108 1.09% 57.43% 4,910 5,018 9,928
Oxford North Lib Lib 3,048 50.94% 113 1.89% 80.84% 2,935 3,048 5,983
Oxford South Lib Con 2,582 50.01% 1 0.02% 76.78% 2,582 2,581 5,163
Parkdale New Con 2,981 55.98% 637 11.96% 58.16% 2,981 2,344 5,325
Parry Sound Con Con 2,770 58.84% 832 17.67% 56.57% 2,770 1,938 4,708
Peel Con Con 2,855 56.17% 627 12.34% 73.89% 2,855 2,228 5,083
Perth North Con Con 3,840 55.19% 1,117 16.05% 76.19% 3,840 2,723 395 6,958
Perth South Con Con 2,375 52.31% 210 4.63% 81.94% 2,375 2,165 4,540
Peterborough East Con Con 1,783 57.76% 479 15.52% 69.57% 1,783 1,304 3,087
Peterborough West Con Lib 2,587 51.69% 169 3.38% 73.48% 2,418 2,587 5,005
Port Arthur Con Con 2,219 49.45% 789 17.58% 58.80% 2,219 1,430 838 4,487
Prescott Lib I-Lib 1,768 43.01% 349 8.49% 68.21% 924 1,419 1,768 4,111
Prince Edward Con Lib 1,943 47.76% 97 2.38% 79.31% 1,846 1,943 279 4,068
Rainy River L-Con Con 1,196 60.22% 406 20.44% 53.23% 1,196 790 1,986
Renfrew North Con Con 2,548 57.76% 685 15.53% 76.39% 2,548 1,863 4,411
Renfrew South Con Con acclaimed
Riverdale New Con 3,299 69.06% 1,962 41.07% 55.73% 3,299 1,337 141 4,777
Russell Lib Lib 3,851 73.10% 2,434 46.20% 56.99% 1,417 3,851 5,268
St. Catharines New Con 2,863 68.22% 1,529 36.43% 60.38% 2,863 1,334 4,197
Sault Ste. Marie Con Con 2,231 60.92% 800 21.85% 52.73% 2,231 1,431 3,662
Simcoe Centre Con Con 2,247 53.27% 276 6.54% 73.17% 2,247 1,971 4,218
Simcoe East Con Con 3,293 57.90% 899 15.81% 67.00% 3,293 2,394 5,687
Simcoe South Con Con 1,447 66.62% 722 33.24% 59.86% 1,447 725 2,172
Simcoe West Con Con 2,233 66.05% 1,085 32.09% 64.58% 2,233 1,148 3,381
Stormont Con Con 2,436 51.46% 138 2.92% 69.88% 2,436 2,298 4,734
Sturgeon Falls Lib Lib 1,650 75.65% 1,119 51.31% 62.51% 531 1,650 2,181
Sudbury Con Con 2,047 54.78% 357 9.55% 53.61% 2,047 1,690 3,737
Timiskaming Con Con 2,838 48.45% 731 12.48% 50.34% 2,838 2,107 912 5,857
Toronto Northeast - A New Con 5,956 58.25% 1,687 16.50% 58.97% 5,956 4,269 10,225
Toronto Northeast - B New Con 5,666 55.86% 1,189 11.72% 58.50% 5,666 4,477 10,143
Toronto Northwest - A New Con 6,153 61.59% 2,315 23.17% 53.24% 6,153 3,838 9,991
Toronto Northwest - B New Con 5,974 59.86% 2,512 25.17% 41.57% 5,974 3,462 544 9,980
Toronto Southeast - A New Con 4,296 71.85% 2,876 48.10% 53.41% 4,296 1,420 263 5,979
Toronto Southeast - B New Con 4,362 73.36% 2,778 46.72% 53.41% 4,362 1,584 5,946
Toronto Southwest - A New Con 6,127 68.84% 3,696 47.61% 52.45% 6,127 2,431 342 8,900
Toronto Southwest - B New Con 6,509 72.32% 4,018 48.15% 52.76% 6,509 2,491 9,000
Victoria North New Con 1,474 59.36% 465 18.73% 52.67% 1,474 1,009 2,483
Victoria South New Con 2,232 55.48% 545 13.55% 74.50% 2,232 1,687 104 4,023
Waterloo North Con Con 3,787 56.40% 1,454 21.65% 69.35% 3,787 2,333 595 6,715
Waterloo South Con Con 3,251 50.73% 856 13.36% 66.55% 3,251 2,395 762 6,408
Welland Con Con 2,541 59.90% 840 19.80% 63.89% 2,541 1,701 4,242
Wellington East Lib Lib 1,946 55.05% 357 10.10% 75.49% 1,589 1,946 3,535
Wellington South Con L-Tmp 2,733 49.11% 104 1.87% 76.42% 2,629 2,733 203 5,565
Wellington West Con Con 1,720 52.20% 145 4.40% 76.80% 1,720 1,575 3,295
Wentworth North Lib Con 1,586 50.33% 21 0.67% 78.05% 1,586 1,565 3,151
Wentworth South Con Con 1,704 55.72% 350 11.45% 71.28% 1,704 1,354 3,058
Windsor New Lib 2,309 42.59% 398 7.34% 59.38% 3,112[a] 2,309 5,421
York East Con Con 3,671 56.51% 846 13.02% 58.62% 3,671 2,825 6,496
York North Con Con 2,826 52.42% 261 4.84% 81.09% 2,826 2,565 5,391
York West Con Con acclaimed
  1. ^ order is as given in EO reports
  = 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
  = incumbency arose from prior election result being overturned by the court
  = other incumbents renominated
  = joint Conservative candidate
  = Prohibition candidate
  = joint Liberal candidate
  = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
  = multiple candidates

Analysis[edit]

Party candidates in 2nd place[1]
Party in 1st place Party in 2nd place Total
Accl Con Lib Lab Temp C-Tmp Ind I-Con Proh LAT
Conservative 3 65 1 9 2 2 1 1 84
Liberal 1 22 1 24
Labour 1 1
Independent Liberal 1 1
Liberal-Temperance 1 1
Total 4 24 66 1 9 2 2 1 1 1 111
Candidates ranked 1st to 4th place, by party[1]
Parties Accl 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
 Conservative 3 81 24 2
 Liberal 1 23 66 1
 Labour 1 1 2
 Independent Liberal 1 1
 Liberal-Temperance 1
 Temperance 9
 Independent 2 3
 Conservative-Temperance 2
 Independent Conservative 1 1
 Liberal Anti-Temperance 1
 Prohibitionist 1
 Socialist 11 1
Resulting composition of the 10th Legislative Assembly of Ontario[1]
Source Party
Con Lib Lab I-Lib L-Tmp Total
Seats retained Incumbents returned 52 9 1 62
Acclamations 3 1 4
Open seats held 6 2 8
Seats changing hands Incumbents defeated 4 6 1 11
Open seats gained 2 4 6
Byelection gains held 2 2
Incumbent changed allegiance 1 1 2
New seats New MLAs 6 2 8
Previously incumbent 8 8
Total 84 24 1 1 1 111

Results summary by region[edit]

Distribution of seats and popular vote %, by party by region (1914)
Region Candidates Seats Vote share (%)
Con Lib Temp Soc Ind Lab Ind-Con Ind-Lib Lib-Anti-T Total Con Lib Lab Ind-Lib L-Temp Con Lib Temp Lab Ind Soc Ind-Lib Ind-Con Lib-Anti-T
Northern Ontario 12 10 1 1 3 27 10 2 50.66% 39.96% 2.45% 5.58% 1.35%
Ottawa Valley 9 8 1 2 20 5 3 1 44.86% 48.49% 0.76% 5.89%
St Lawrence Valley 6 6 1 1 1 15 6 1 56.54% 30.95% 5.48% 0.25% 6.77%
Georgian Bay 8 7 1 16 7 1 58.31% 38.11% 3.58%
Central Ontario 15 10 3 1 2 1 32 12 3 57.45% 30.92% 5.45% 5.41% 0.21% 0.56%
Wentworth-Halton-Niagara 9 6 1 1 2 19 7 1 1 54.31% 26.01% 4.11% 14.10% 1.47%
Midwestern Ontario 21 18 4 4 1 48 14 7 1 50.49% 39.09% 7.78% 1.94% 0.69%
Southwestern Ontario 14 13 1 28 7 6 51.70% 47.67% 0.62%
Peel-York-Ontario 6 5 11 6 54.00% 46.00%
Toronto 10 8 2 4 24 10 63.94% 29.87% 4.59% 1.61%
Total 110 91 13 12 5 4 2 2 1 240 84 24 1 1 1 54.40% 37.54% 3.89% 1.31% 0.97% 0.91% 0.45% 0.38% 0.14%

MLAs elected by region and riding[edit]

Party designations are as follows:

  Conservative
  Liberal
  Labour


Italicized names indicate members returned by acclamation.


Reorganization of ridings[edit]

The newly created ridings returned the following MLAs:

1911 1914
Riding Party Riding Party
Essex North  Conservative Essex North  Liberal
Windsor  Liberal
Monck  Liberal Lincoln  Liberal
Lincoln  Conservative
Withdrawn from Lincoln St. Catharines  Conservative
Welland  Conservative Niagara Falls  Conservative
Welland
Timiskaming  Conservative Timiskaming  Conservative
Cochrane  Liberal
Bruce Centre  Liberal Bruce West  Liberal
Toronto ridings:  Conservative
(8 MLAs)
Parkdale  Conservative
Riverdale  Conservative
Toronto Northeast A  Conservative
B  Conservative
Toronto Northwest A  Conservative
B  Conservative
Toronto Southeast A  Conservative
B  Conservative
Toronto Southwest A  Conservative
B  Conservative

Seats that changed hands[edit]

Elections to the 12th Parliament of Ontario – unaltered seats won/lost by party, 1911–1914
Party 1911 Gain from (loss to) 1914
Con Lib Lab I-Lib L-Tmp L-Con
Conservative 71 8 (8) (1) 1 71
Liberal 20 8 (8) (1) 19
Labour 1 1
Independent-Liberal[a 1] 1 1
Liberal-Temperance 1 1
Liberal–Conservative[a 2] 1 (1)
Total 93 9 (9) 9 (9) (1) (1) 1 93
  1. ^ Gustave Évanturel (Prescott) was originally elected as a Liberal in 1911.
  2. ^ James Arthur Mathieu (Rainy River) campaigned as a Conservative and won.

There were 20 seats that changed allegiance in the election:

Acclamations[edit]

Candidates returned by acclamation
Party Riding Candidate
  Conservative Kenora Harold Arthur Clement Machin
Renfrew South Thomas William McGarry
York West Forbes Godfrey
Liberal Glengarry Hugh Munro

When nominations closed, three candidates were acclaimed.[2] A later withdrawal in Kenora enabled the acclamation of Harold Arthur Clement Machin.[8]

Forbes Godfrey (York West) was acclaimed because the Liberal candidate was held to have missed the deadline by one minute.[2] In Wellington East, the Liberals opted not to press a similar case against the Conservative candidate, whose nomination papers were filed 90 minutes after the deadline.[9]

See also[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Joseph Octave Reaume, previously in Essex North, failed to receive his party's nomination for the new riding. He campaigned anyway under the Conservative banner, and received 1,911 votes.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "1914 General Election". Elections Ontario. Elections Ontario. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Ontario Campaign is Hotly Contested". The Daily British Whig. Kingston. June 23, 1914. p. 8.
  3. ^ "Sir James' Triumph". The Toronto World. June 30, 1914. p. 6.
  4. ^ Hopkins 1915, p. 440.
  5. ^ The Representation Act, S.O. 1914, c. 4
  6. ^ "Sessional Paper No. 50". Sessional Papers (Vol. XLVII–Part XII). Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1915. pp. 5–6.
  7. ^ Hopkins 1915, p. 437.
  8. ^ "Pith of the News". The Daily British Whig. Kingston. June 24, 1914. p. 1.
  9. ^ "Provincial Election: Only 3 Elected by Acclamation". Newmarket Era. June 26, 1914. p. 2.


Further reading[edit]