1964 Saskatchewan general election

1964 Saskatchewan general election

April 22, 1964 (1964-04-22)
59 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan 30 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   LIB PC Leader Ross Thatcher Woodrow Lloyd Martin Pederson Party Liberal Co-operative Commonwealth Progressive Conservative Leader since September 24, 1959 November 3, 1961 October 28, 1958 Leader's seat Morse Biggar Arm River Last election 17 37 0 Seats won 32 26 1 Seat change 15 11 1 Popular vote 269,402 268,742 126,028 Percentage 40.40% 40.30% 18.90% Swing 7.3pp 0.46pp 4.95pp
Premier before election Woodrow Lloyd Co-operative Commonwealth Premier after election Ross Thatcher Liberal

The 1964 Saskatchewan general election was held on April 22, 1964, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) government of Premier Woodrow Lloyd was defeated by the Liberal Party, led by Ross Thatcher. The CCF had governed Saskatchewan since the 1944 election under the leadership (until December 1961) of Tommy Douglas.

By 1964 the provincial Social Credit Party had collapsed, nominating only two candidates. In another morale hit, the federal Social Credit Party endorsed the Liberals during the election. While the CCF held on to nearly all of their vote from the previous election and only trailed the Liberals by 0.1%, most of the shift in Social Credit support went to the Liberals and proved decisive in helping to push Thatcher to a majority government.

The Progressive Conservative Party also picked up some support at the expense of Social Credit but won only one seat in the legislature, that of leader Martin Pederson.

Election campaign

Douglas' government was the first social democratic government in North America, and had introduced the medicare system in Canada. This led to a 23-day strike by the province's physicians. Universal public health care, however, was not an issue in the campaign. In fact, following its successful introduction, the opposition Liberals were for expanding Medicare even more. The only provincial party to advocate eliminating Medicare was the small Social Credit Party.

The Social Credit party nominated only two candidates in the election, and they were hurt by statements by the federal Social Credit party leader, Robert N. Thompson, supporting the Saskatchewan Liberals. The Socreds' leader, Martin Kelln, chose not to spend much time on the campaign, in part because of the recent death of his mother.

The Progressive Conservatives returned to the Legislative Assembly for the first time since 1934. They won only one seat despite winning almost 19% of the popular vote. The Tories promised to keep Medicare in place, but opposed the Liberals' plans to expand it. They argued that the Liberals were too radical, and that the CCF government was not doing enough to develop the province's natural resources.

The Liberals were able to capitalize on the collapse of Social Credit and were more effective than the Tories in drawing the "anti-socialist" (anti-CCF) vote. Yet the campaign was not marked by any major issues.

There was, however, considerable animosity between the Liberals and the CCF. The Liberals employed what were called "Madison Avenue campaign tactics" and spent a lot of money on campaign advertising, especially television advertising. They tried to characterize the election as being a choice between socialism and private enterprise-oriented reform. The Saskatchewan Liberals ran well to the right of the federal Liberals and claimed that the CCF government was stagnating.

A warning sign came in the 1962 federal election. The federal CCF had merged with the Canadian Labour Congress to form the New Democratic Party, though the Saskatchewan branch kept the CCF name. Douglas resigned as premier and party leader to become the NDP's first leader, and was succeeded by then-Treasurer Woodrow Lloyd, a former teacher. However, the NDP was completely shut out in Saskatchewan, and Douglas lost by almost 10,000 votes in his bid for a Regina-area riding.

The CCF campaigned heavily on its 17-year record in government. Lloyd attacked the Liberal campaign, stating that they had resorted to "hucksterism, the kind of sales attempts that one usually associates with useless pills, second hand cars and body deodorants."

Lloyd faced several challenges: taxes in Saskatchewan were among the highest in Canada; spending on health care, welfare and education were high; and he lacked the popular support Douglas had enjoyed. However, Saskatchewan had the second highest per capita income in Canada and the lowest unemployment rate in Canada.

Electoral system

In this election, Saskatchewan used a mixture of single-member districts, electing through First past the post, and multiple-member districts, electing through Plurality block voting.

Before the next election, Saskatchewan switched to consistent single-member districts.

Results

Party		Party leader	# of candidates	Seats				Popular vote
				1960	Dissol.	Elected	% Change	#	%	% Change
	Liberal	Ross Thatcher	59	17	19	32	+68.4%	269,402	40.40%	+7.73%
	Co-operative Commonwealth	Woodrow Lloyd	59	37	35	25/261	-25.7%	268,742	40.30%	-0.46%
	Progressive Conservative	Martin Pederson	42	–	–	1	+1000%	126,028	18.90%	+4.95%
	Social Credit	Martin Kelln	2	–	–	–	–	2,621	0.39%	-11.96%
	Communist		1	–	–	–	–	68	0.01%	-0.05%
Total			163	54	54	591	+9.3%	666,861	100%
Source: Elections Saskatchewan

Note: ¹ One seat declared void.

Percentages

Popular vote Liberal   40.40% CCF   40.30% PC   18.90% Others   0.40%

Seats summary Liberal   54.24% CCF   44.07% PC   1.69%

Ranking

Party		Seats	Second	Third
	Liberal	32	26	1
	Co-operative Commonwealth	26	31	2
	Progressive Conservative	1	2	39
	Other parties	0	0	3

Riding results

Names in bold represent cabinet ministers and the Speaker. Party leaders are italicized. The symbol " ** " indicates MLAs who are not running again.

Northwestern Saskatchewan

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		CCF		PC		Other
Athabasca		Allan Ray Guy 1,076		John M. Stonehocker 684		Harry J. Houghton 909				Allan Ray Guy
Cut Knife-Lloydminster		Raymond H. Rooney 1,821		Isidore Charles Nollet 2,927		Gordon Goodfellow 1,617				Isidore Charles Nollet
Meadow Lake		Henry Coupland 3,149		Martin Semchuk 2,113		Frederick L. Dunbar 1,014				Martin Semchuk
Redberry		Bernard L. Korchinski 1,993		Dick Michayluk 2,200		Walter John Dolynny 1,238				Demitro Wasyl Michayluk
Rosthern		David Boldt 2,873		George Guenther 1,949				Isaak Elias (Social Credit) 1,239		David Boldt
Shellbrook		John Cuelenaere 2,427		John Thiessen 2,259		Norval Horner 1,701				John Thiessen
The Battlefords		Herbert O.M. Sparrow 4,242		Eiling Kramer 4,645						Eiling Kramer
Turtleford		Frank Foley 2,123		Bob Wooff 2,221		William Elmer Armstrong 1,502				Franklin Edward Foley

Northeastern Saskatchewan

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		CCF		PC		Other
Cumberland		Eldon McLachlan 1,630		Bill Berezowsky 2,135		Emanuel Sonnenschein 963				Bill Berezowsky
Humboldt		Mathieu Breker 4,226		Sylvester E. Wiegers 3,030		Frank J. Martin 1,244				Mary Batten**
Kelsey		William John McHugh 2269		John Hewgill Brockelbank 5283		Carsten Johnson 703				John Hewgill Brockelbank
Kelvington		Bryan Bjarnason 2,888		Neil Byers 2,398		Joseph M. Ratch 1,341				Clifford Benjamin Peterson**
Kinistino		Michael A. Hnidy 3,125		Arthur Thibault 3,334						Arthur Thibault
Melfort-Tisdale		William Ernest Hurd 3,056		Clarence George Willis 3,471		Kenneth Aseltine 2,094				Clarence George Willis
Nipawin		Frank Radloff 2,652		Bob Perkins 2,440		John A. Whittome 1,942				Robert Irvin Perkins
Prince Albert		Davey Steuart 5,024		Joseph E. Leon Lamontagne 4,946		Richard E. Spencer 3,828				David Gordon Steuart

West Central Saskatchewan

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		CCF		PC		Other
Arm River		Gustaf Herman Danielson 2,020		Emanuel Lang 1,550		Martin Pederson 2,326				Gustaf Herman Danielson
Biggar		Benson McLeod Blacklock 1,992		Woodrow S. Lloyd 2,875		George Loucks 1,120				Woodrow Lloyd
Hanley		Herbert C. "Charlie" Pinder 3,938		Robert Alexander Walker 3,940		Hans Taal 2,602				Robert Alexander Walker
Kerrobert-Kindersley		William S. Howes 3,799		Eldon Johnson 2,937						Eldon Arthur Johnson
Rosetown		George Loken 2,573		Allan Stevens 2,367		Les P. Hickson 1,396				Allan Leonard Frederick Stevens
Watrous		Neil McArthur 2,602		Hans Broten 2,725						Hans Broten
Wilkie		Joseph "Cliff" McIsaac 3,593		W. Ray Grant 2,162		Donald Wallace 1,649				John Whitmore Horsman**

Re-run of voided election

December 16, 1964, by-election: Hanley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	CCF	Robert Walker	4,608	45.14%	+7.55
	Liberal	Herb Pinder	3,864	37.86%	+0.28
	Prog. Conservative	W. Hugh Arscott	1,735	17.00%	-7.83
Total			10,207	100.00%

East Central Saskatchewan

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		CCF		PC		Other
Canora		Ken Romuld 3,391		Alex Kuziak 3,348						Alex Gordon Kuziak
Last Mountain		Donald MacLennan 2,857		Russell Brown 2,799				Martin Kelln (Social Credit) 1,382		Russell Brown
Melville		James W. Gardiner 3,485		William Wiwchar 3,229		Douglas A. Ellis 1,627				James Wilfrid Gardiner
Pelly		Jim Barrie 2,669		Leo Larson 2,705		Bohdan E. Lozinsky 1,212				Jim Barrie
Saltcoats		James Snedker 3,260		Baldur M. Olson 2,275		David Arthur Keyes 1,537				James Snedker
Touchwood		George Trapp 2,692		Frank Meakes 2,566		Alice M.L. Turner 1,320				Frank Meakes
Wadena		Elizabeth Mary Paulson 2,580		Fred Dewhurst 3,295		H.D. McPhail 1,405				Frederick Arthur Dewhurst
Yorkton		Barry Gallagher 4,337		Karl Rokeby Bartelt 3,494		Lawrence L. Ball 1,841				Bernard David Gallagher

Southwest Saskatchewan

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		CCF		PC		Other
Elrose		George Leith 3,317		Alex Turnbull 3,263						Olaf Alexander Turnbull
Gravelbourg		Leo Coderre 2,999		Roland Leblanc 2,448						Lionel Philas Coderre
Maple Creek		Alexander Cameron 2,977		William Percy Rolick 2,424		Marlyn K. Clary 1,389				Alexander C. Cameron
Morse		Ross Thatcher 3,188		Paul W. Beach 2,952						Ross Thatcher
Notukeu-Willow Bunch		Jim Hooker 2,660		Hasket Merle Sproule 2,193		Boyd M. Anderson 946				Karl Frank Klein**
Shaunavon		Fernand Larochelle 2,955		Art Kluzak 2,545		Clifford Boyd Clark 1,225				Arthur Kluzak
Swift Current		T. Lawrence Salloum 4,647		Everett Irvine Wood 5,238						Everett Irvine Wood

Southeast Saskatchewan

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		CCF		PC		Other
Bengough		Sam Asbell 2,613		Hjalmar Dahlman 2,311		Roy Bailey 1,192				Hjalmar Reinhold Dahlman
Cannington		Tom Weatherald 3,852		Henry George Doty 2,489		Glenn Brimner 1,917				Rosscoe Arnold McCarthy**
Lumsden		Darrel Heald 2,469		Cliff Thurston 2,068		William Clyde Tufts 1,614				Clifford Honey Thurston
Milestone		Cyril MacDonald 2,568		James M. Hubbs 1,972		Leonard Frederick Westrum 1,023				Jacob Walter Erb**
Moosomin		Alexander Hamilton McDonald 4,523		William Francis Goodwin 3,102						Alex "Hammy" McDonald
Qu'Appelle-Wolseley		Doug McFarlane 3,525		John Stephen Leier 2,188		Victor Edward Horsman 2,164				Douglas Thomas McFarlane
Souris-Estevan		Ian MacDougall 6,220		Ivar Johann Kristianson 4,040						Ian Hugh MacDougall
Weyburn		Junior Staveley 4,347		Jim Pepper 4,453		Jean Benson 1,234				Junior Herbert Staveley

June 30, 1965, by-election: Moosomin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Frank Gardner	3,033	36.72%	-22.60
	CCF	William Francis Goodwin	2,821	34.14%	-6.54
	Prog. Conservative	Andrew Emerson Bruce	2,407	29.14%	-
Total			8,261	100.00%

February 16, 1966, by-election: Bengough

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alex Mitchell	2,423	42.74%	+0.02
	CCF	Hjalmar Dahlman	2,285	40.31%	+2.52
	Prog. Conservative	George W. Spicer	961	16.95%	-2.54
Total			5,669	100.00%

Moose Jaw and Saskatoon

Saskatchewan general election, 1964: Moose Jaw City (2 members elected)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	CCF	William Davies (incumbent)	7,749	24.55%	-
	CCF	Gordon Snyder (incumbent)	7,550	23.92%	-
	Prog. Conservative	Daniel J. Patterson	7,115	22.54%	-
	Liberal	E. A. Astell	5,455	17.28%	-
	Prog. Conservative	Gordon A. Hume	3,697	11.71%	-
Total			31,566	100.00%

Saskatchewan general election, 1964: Saskatoon City (5 members elected)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	CCF	Alex M. Nicholson (incumbent)	16,701	7.83%	-
	CCF	Edward Brockelbank (elected)	16,559	7.76%	-
	CCF	Wes Robbins (elected)	16,126	7.56%	-
	Liberal	Sally Merchant (elected)	16,068	7.53%	-
	CCF	Harry D. Link (elected)	16,041	7.52%	-
	Liberal	Clarence Estey	15,761	7.39%	-
	CCF	Gladys Strum (incumbent)	15,741	7.38%	-
	Liberal	Keith McLean Crocker	15,661	7.34%	-
	Liberal	Joseph J. Charlebois	15,542	7.28%	-
	Liberal	Victor C. Hession	14,770	6.92%	-
	Prog. Conservative	Lewis Brand	11,401	5.34%	-
	Prog. Conservative	W. Hugh Arscott	11,344	5.32%	-
	Prog. Conservative	Ray Hnatyshyn	10,874	5.09%	-
	Prog. Conservative	Henry Clay Rees	10,543	4.94%	-
	Prog. Conservative	Irving Goldenberg	10,240	4.80%	-
Total			213,372	100.00%

Regina

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		CCF		PC		Other
Regina East		Paul Dojack 8,208 Jacob W. Erb 8,060		Henry Baker 8,953 Walt Smishek 8,395		Dick Shelton 2,356 George J. Tkach 2,343			New District
Regina North		Ron Atchison 3,867		Ed Whelan 4,722				Norman Brudy (Communist) 68	New District
Regina South		Gordon Grant 7,788		George R. Bothwell 3,440					New District
Regina West		Alex Cochrane 7,770 Betty Sear 6,981		Allan Blakeney 9,076 Marjorie Cooper 8,413		Donald K. MacPherson 4,495			New District

See also

• List of political parties in Saskatchewan
• List of Saskatchewan provincial electoral districts

References

• Saskatchewan Archives Board - Election Results By Electoral Division
• Elections Saskatchewan: Provincial Vote Summaries

Further reading

• Saywell, John T., ed. (1965). Canadian Annual Review for 1964. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.