Provincial Vote

With the first round of federal elections done, we move to the provincial side of the bracket for a series of intriguing match-ups. Once again, the seeds have been selected from the list of reader nominations by Fights of our Lives author John Duffy. Voting will close at 10 pm on Wednesday night.

1935 Alberta (8) vs. 1976 Quebec (1)

1935 Alberta (Aberhart over the UFA): Brownlee and the farmers knocked down to 0 seats after he’s set up in a faux sex scandal. The crazy SoCreds take over going from zero seats to 36 years in power, tilting Alberta to the right for the next 70+ years.

1976 Quebec (Levesque over Bourassa): Rene Levesque surges to power, and puts the threat to Canada’s unity on the cover of TIME magazine. The PQ threat in Quebec would define Canadian politics for the next 30 years.

Which Election Was Bigger?
(8) 1935 Alberta (Aberhart over the UFA)
(1) 1976 Quebec (Levesque over Bourassa)

See Results

1952 BC (7) vs. 1944 Saskatchewan (2)

1952 BC (SoCreds over Socialists): West Coast wildness – STV system used to keep CCF out of power, but it leads to a surprise SoCred win.
1944 Saskatchewan (Douglas over Patterson): Tommy Douglas creates North America’s first socialist government, leading to new frontiers in social policy nationwide.

Which Election Was Bigger?
(7) 1952 BC (SoCreds over Socialists)
(2) 1944 Saskatchewan (Douglas over Patterson)

See Results

1867 Ontario (6) vs. 1943 Ontario (3)

1867 Ontario (Macdonald ties McKellar): Libs and Tories deadlocked at 41 seats, leading to a grand coalition government under John Stanfield Macdonald’s leadership.
1943 Ontario (Drew over Nixon, CCF): Liberals implode, CCF on the march, and Conservatives come up winners to begin a 42-year dynasty.

Which Election Was Bigger?
(6) 1867 Ontario (Macdonald ties McKellar)
(3) 1943 Ontario (Drew over Nixon)

See Results

1989 Newfoundland (5) vs. 1960 Quebec (4)

1989 Newfoundland (Wells over Rideout): Clyde Wells loses the popular vote but wins the election, helping to kill Meech Lake.
1960 Quebec (Lesage over l’Union Nationale): The Quiet Revolution begins on election night and transforms Quebec society, Canadian politics, and public policy, forever

Leave a Reply Cancel reply