South Okanagan
This article is about the defunct British Columbia provincial electoral district named South Okanagan. For towns in and other information on the southern Okanagan region, see Okanagan. For other electoral districts, see Okanagan (electoral districts).
South Okanagan was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia beginning with the election of 1916. Following the 1975 election boundary revisions accompanied the riding's renaming to Okanagan South. The riding was originally part of the Yale riding until 1890, and when first that riding was broken up the Okanagan was in Yale-East (1894–1900), and then in Okanagan (1903–1912). Both South Okanagan and North Okanagan were created in advance of the 1916 election.
Notable MLAs
The most famous MLA from this riding was indubitably W.A.C. Bennett, who won the seat originally as a Conservative in 1941, sat with the Coalition in '45 and '49, then joined the Social Credit League of British Columbia in the preferential-ballot melee of '52 and '53 which led to his securing majority rule for his long tenure as Premier from 1953 to 1972. The second-most famous MLA from this riding was his son, William Richards Bennett, Premier from 1975 election to 1986 election.
Political geography
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Election results
23rd British Columbia election, 19523
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Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes 1st count
|
%
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Votes final count
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Social Credit League |
William Andrew Cecil Bennett |
6,082 |
51.24% |
6,082 |
51.24%
|
|
Co-operative Commonwealth Fed.
|
Thomas Wilkinson
|
2,654
|
22.36%
|
2,654
|
22.36%
|
|
unknown
|
|
Liberal
|
Cecil Robert Bull
|
1,763
|
14.85%
|
1,763
|
14.85%
|
|
unknown
|
|
Progressive Conservative
|
William Bower Hughes-Games
|
1,371
|
11.55%
|
1,371
|
11.55%
|
|
unknown
|
Total valid votes
|
11,870
|
100.00%
|
11,870
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%
|
|
Total rejected ballots
|
543
|
|
|
Turnout
|
%
|
|
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3 Preferential ballot; final count is between top two candidates from first count; one count only needed in this riding.
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By-election, September 7, 1973
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±
|
Expenditures
|
|
Social Credit |
William Richards Bennett |
9,726 |
39.47% |
|
unknown
|
|
New Democratic |
Brian Patrick McIver |
6,390 |
25.93% |
|
unknown
|
|
Progressive Conservative
|
Derril Thomas Warren
|
6,023
|
24.44%
|
|
unknown
|
|
Liberal
|
John Dyck
|
2,434
|
9.88%
|
|
unknown
|
|
Marxist–Leninist |
Brian Keith Sproule |
43 |
.17% |
|
unknown
|
}
|
Independent
|
Kenneth Leslie Craig Hasanen
|
26
|
.11%
|
|
unknown
|
Total valid votes
|
26,642
|
100.00%
|
|
Total rejected ballots
|
113
|
|
|
Turnout
|
%
|
|
|
Reason for by-election: Resignation of W.A.C. Bennett on June 5, 1973, upon retirement from politics.
|
Redistribution of the riding following the 1975 election saw adjustments of its boundaries and a new name, Okanagan South, for the 1979 election.
External links
Sources
Elections BC website - historical election data
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