Social Credit candidates, 1953 Manitoba provincial election
The
Manitoba Social Credit Party ran 43 candidates in the
1953 Manitoba election, two of whom were elected. Some of these candidates are individual biography pages. Information about others may be found here.
The 1953 Manitoba election was determined by instant-runoff voting in most constituencies. Three constituencies (Winnipeg Centre, Winnipeg North and Winnipeg South) returned four members by the single transferable vote (STV), with a 20% quota for election. St. Boniface elected two members by STV, with a 33% quota.
The Social Credit campaign was organized by
Orvis Kennedy and
Peer Paynter, who had been responsible for the
British Columbia Social Credit Party's upset victory in that province's
1952 election. While they managed to nominate a large number of candidates in Manitoba, they were unable to repeat their success. The party did not have an official leader.
Eric Bailey was nominated as a Social Credit candidate in
Virden, but withdrew before election day.
Bloomfield finished fourth out of four candidates with 677 votes (7.83%). The winner was
Reginald Wightman of the
Liberal-Progressive Party.
Wyborn finished third out of three candidates with 1,056 votes (13.83%). The winner was
Reginald Lissaman of the
Progressive Conservative Party.
Kroeker was nominated on
May 11, 1953. He finished second to
Liberal-Progressive candidate
Edmond Prefontaine in a two-candidate contest, receiving 1,065 votes (24.52%).
Philippe was a school teacher, and a resident of
St. Claude. He had been a supporter of Social Credit for ten years before being nominated for the party. He finished third out of three candidates with 950 votes (24.15%). The winner was
Francis Ferg of the Liberal-Progressive Party.
Bullmore placed first on the first count with 1,668 votes (32.19%), and was declared elected on transfers. See his biography page for more information.
Loeppky was an implement dealer in
Carman, and was 26 years old at the time of the election. He was the first Social Credit candidate to be nominated in the leadup to the election. His nomination was a surprise to most present. Loeppky defeated
Winkler principal Peter Brown and
Homewood farmer
Ivan Langtry. Langtry had previously campaigned for the provincial legislature as a candidate of the
Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, and was considered the favoured candidate. Loeppky himself appears to have been surprised by the nomination, and a
Winnipeg Free Press report from
April 28,
1953 describes him as "slightly bewildered" in delivering his acceptance speech.
In addressing his nominators, Loeppky made the following comments: "I guess I'm not a politician. I want to be a social crediter. I think Social Credit offers something that political parties don't. It's a way of life."
He finished in second place on the first count with 1,329 votes (32.63%), and lost to
Liberal-Progressive candidate
Walter McDonald on the second count.
Loeppky later ran for the
Canadian House of Commons on two occasions, as a candidate of the
Social Credit Party of Canada in the
Lisgar riding. He finished third of four candidates in the
1963 federal election with 4,099 votes, and third of four again in the
1965 election with 2,711 votes. By this time, Loeppky was describing himself as a fur farmer.
Friesen finished third out of three candidates with 220 votes (4.68%). The winner was Independent Liberal-Progressive
John Solomon.
Dyck finished fourth out of four candidates with 225 votes (5.89%). Liberal-Progressive candidate
Michael N. Hryhorczuk was declared elected on the first count.
Cook placed second out of four candidates on the first count with 659 votes (29.06%), and lost to Liberal-Progressive candidate
James Anderson on the second count.
Heindrichs finished fourth out of four candidates with 144 votes (5.51%). Liberal-Progressive candidate
Nicholas Bachynsky was elected on the first count.
Brown was a prominent local figure, who had served as
Mayor of
Gilbert Plains and was a member of the hospital board. He worked as a farm implement dealer, and formerly edited the
Gilbert Plains Maple Leaf newspaper. He finished third out of four candidates on the first count with 695 votes (22.18%), and was eliminated on transfers.
Fitch finished second out of three candidates with 867 votes (26.17%). Liberal-Progressive candidate
Steinn O. Thompson was elected on the first count.
Charles was a
Minnedosa district farmer. He received 525 votes (15.67%), finishing third in a field of three candidates.
Rempel finished fourth out of four candidates with 374 votes (9.79%). The winner was
John McDowell of the Progressive Conservative Party.
Carson was a doctor. He finished third out of four candidates with 1,117 votes (9.23%). The winner was
Russell Paulley of the
Manitoba Cooperative Commonwealth Federation.
Paterson was a farmer and auctioneer in
Pilot Mound. He was 34 years old at the time of the election, and had served with the
Royal Canadian Air Force in
World War II. He won the Social Credit nomination without opposition. In the general election, he finished third out of three candidates with 666 votes (18.09%).
Tully was a farmer in
Curtis. He received 786 votes (19.26%), finishing second against Liberal-Progressive candidate
Douglas Campbell, the
Premier of Manitoba. Campbell was elected on the first count.
Doherty finished third out of three candidates with 709 votes (16.54%). Liberal-Progressive candidate
Matthew R. Sutherland won on the second count.
Dufresne was nominated on
May 5, 1953. He lost to
Liberal-Progressive candidate
Edmond Brodeur in a two-candidate contest, receiving 1,576 votes (41.70%).
O'Donnell finished third out of three candidates with 758 votes (22.18%). Progressive Conservative candidate
Hugh Morrison was declared elected on the second count.
Hutton finished second out of three candidates on the first count with 1,401 votes (36.10%), and was unexpectedly elected on transfers with the second count. See his biography page for more information.
Tinkler was president of the Manitoba Social Credit League for much of the 1940s and 1950s. He was nominated over the Rev. H. Hartfield on
May 8,
1953. He finished third out of three candidates in Morris with 844 votes (23.69%). See his biography page for more information.
Lafreniere was born in
1921, and died in
1987.[
1] He was a resident of
St. Boniface for most of his life, and worked a receiving station agent (telegraph operator) with
Canadian National Railways. In
1952, he worked in
Baldur in the Mountain constituency.
He finished second in with 894 votes (28.44%). The winner was
Liberal-Progressive incumbent
Ivan Schultz.
Lafreniere later campaigned for the
Social Credit Party of Canada in the
1957 federal election, in the
St. Boniface riding. He finished fourth out of five candidates with 3,872 votes. The winner was
Louis Deniset of the
Progressive Conservative Party.
McKinnon was a farmer in the Wellwood district. He placed second on the first count with 1,394 votes (28.50%), and was defeated by Liberal-Progressive candidate
Samuel Burch on the second count.
McKinnon later campaigned for the
Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Social Credit Party of Canada, in the
1957 federal election. He received 4,247 votes in
Portageâ€"Neepawa, finishing third against Progressive Conservative candidate
George Clark Fairfield.
Rempel was 45 years old at the time of the election, and was a foreman with the
Canadian Pacific Railway. He finished third out of three candidates with 784 votes (20.82%). The winner was Liberal-Progressive candidate
Charles Greenlay.
Rempel later campaigned for the
Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the
Social Credit Party of Canada in the
1962 federal election. He received 1,669 votes in
Springfield, finishing last in a field of four candidates. The winner was
Joe Slogan of the
Progressive Conservative Party.
Peters was the principal of Horndean school at the time of the election, and was formerly a Liberal. He won the nomination over Arnold Hiebert, a lumber merchant from
Plum Coulee. There were approximately 100 people at the nomination meeting.
He received 964 votes (30.73%), losing on the first count to Liberal-Progressive candidate
Wallace Miller.
McIntyre was born in
Roblin. He served with the
Canadian Army in
World War II, and was wounded in
France in
1944. After the war, he returned to Roblin and worked as a farmer. He finished third out of four candidates with 366 votes (12.48%). Liberal-Progressive candidate
Ronald Robertson was elected on the first count.
Toutant first campaigned for the Manitoba legislature in the
1941 provincial election, as a Social Credit candidate opposing the
coalition government of the day. He was defeated in
Fairford by Liberal-Progressive candidate
Stuart Garson, a prominent cabinet minister.
Toutant finished third out of three candidates in 1953 with 389 votes (12.98%). Independent Liberal-Progressive
Robert Bend was elected on the first count.
Beswatherick finished fourth out of four candidates with 511 votes (12.38%). Independent Liberal-Progressive candidate
Rodney S. Clement finished first on the first count, and was elected on transfers.
Lemoine was a carpenter, and was the only Social Credit candidate in St. Boniface for the 1953 election. He supported the open sale of alcohol. He finished sixth on the first count with 1,420 votes (7.26%), and was eliminated after the third count with 1,537 votes (7.86%).
A "J.S.A. Lemoine" contested
La Verendrye as a Social Credit candidate in the
1941 provincial election, and placed second against
Liberal-Progressive candidate
Sauveur Marcoux. This may have been the same person.
Earle was a former councillor in
East Kildonan, representing the suburb's second ward. He lost his council seat in the 1952 municipal election, falling to Kenneth A. Davidson by a margin of 611 votes to 383.
He won the Social Credit nomination without opposition on
May 12, 1953. In the general election, he finished third out of four candidates with 959 votes (16.53%). Liberal-Progressive candidate
Stanley Copp won on the first count.
Hartfield was a reverend. He initially tried for the Social Credit nomination in Morris, but lost to
Wilbert James Tinkler. He lost St. George against Liberal-Progressive
Christian Halldorson in a straight two-candidate contest, receiving 321 votes (15.92%).
Pineau was a garageman. He was chosen as the Social Credit nominee for the general election, and continued his candidacy through to a deferred election on
July 6, scheduled after Liberal-Progressive candidate
Maurice Dane MacCarthy died on election night. He finished third out of three candidates with 891 votes (33.43%). The winner was Liberal-Progressive
Gildas Molgat, who had been selected to replace MacCarthy.
Storsley wsa a farmer, and had served on the town council of
Beausejour for five years prior to the 1953 election. He finished second on the first count with 1,365 votes (35.50%), and lost to Liberal-Progressive candidate
William Lucko on the second count.
Downs was a recent arrival from
Alberta, which had been under a Social Credit government since
1935. He owned a restaurant in
Swan River. Downs required four ballots to win the Social Credit nomination, defeating Swan River Mayor
George E. Scalf,
W.I. Steen, D.A. Woods, A. Helps and N. Tyler.
In the general election, he finished second on the first count with 1,508 votes (31.21%) and was subsequently defeated on transfers. The winner was
Progressive Conservative incumbent
George Renouf.
Later in the same year, Downs ran for the
Social Credit Party of Canada in the northern Manitoba riding of
Churchill for the
1953 federal election. He finished third with 2,490 votes. The winner was
George Dyer Weaver of the
Liberal Party.
Calvert endorsed free enterprise policies during the election, claiming that such policies would lead to higher wages. He finished second out of three candidates with 1,668 votes (20.67%). Liberal-Progressive candidate
Francis Jobin was elected on the first count.
Ferguson worked as a farmer, approximately six miles north of
Boissevain. His nomination was arranged by leaders of the Social Credit Party, rather than by a local convention. He received 507 votes (16.01%), finishing third out of three candidates. The winner was
Errick Willis, leader of the
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba.
Ferguson sought election again in the
1958 provincial election, and again finished third in Turtle Mountain with 316 votes. Willis again won the constituency.
Brown owned a radio business. He was the highest-ranking Social Credit candidate in Winnipeg Centre for the 1953 election, receiving 763 votes (3.71%) on the first count. He was eliminated after the sixth count, having increased his total to 1,132 votes (5.50%) through transfers. This was still well below the 20% quota needed for election.
Johnson used the campaign slogan, "For Progress with Leadership, Vote Social Credit". He finished twelfth out of fourteen candidates on the first count with 354 votes (1.72%), and was eliminated after the second count with 449 votes (2.18%).
Mulgrew finished thirteenth out of fourteen candidates with 286 votes (1.39%), and was eliminated after the first count.
During the closing days of the campaign, Hallas referred to himself as a crusader rather than a politician. (
Winnipeg Free Press, 5 June 1953). He finished tenth out of eleven candidates in Winnipeg North on the first count with 917 votes (4.24%), and was eliminated after the second count with 928 votes (4.29%).
Benjamin finished eighth out of nine candidates on the first count with 612 votes (2.10%), and was eliminated after the fourth count with 1,068 votes (3.67%).
Webster was a teacher, and a longtime advocate of
social credit principles. She had previously lived in
Alberta, where the
Social Credit Party had been in government since
1935. She received 566 votes (1.94%) on the first count, finishing ninth out of nine candidates. Webster was eliminated after the third count, having increased her total to 594 votes (2.04%).
