Twenty Western Canadian cities used STV in more than 150 elections, stretching from 1917 to 1971. (Some of these municipalities became cities later.)
Calgary was the first city in Canada to adopt STV, in 1917. And the last city-level STV election was held in that city in 1971. Actually this was the last STV election held to elect government representatives anywhere in Canada. Calgary's use of STV did have a break - from 1960 to 1970 Calgary used Alternative Voting, with occasional relapses to STV in the odd ward.
Around 1923, STV was used in about 12 cities. By that time most of the BC cities had used it and had already discarded it.
BC cities did not usually hold referendum before making the switches.
On the Prairies mostly the decision to adopt STV and the decision to discard it were made after referendums where votes called for those moves. In BC only two cities held referendums.
By 1931, STV had been voted out in almost every city where it was brought to a vote. In Regina and Saskatoon, voters voted to continue STV in the first referendum held after adoption. A later referendum though overturned the result, and forced the end of STV in those two cities as well.
Calgary adopted STV after a referendum; Winnipeg adopted STV, in 1920, without holding a referendum. In Calgary and Winnipeg it was never brought to a vote after adoption and continued (somewhat intermittently at the end in Calgary's case) into the 1970s, when it was discontinued without a vote. ---------------------------------------------------- 20 Canadian municipalities are known to have adopted STV ---
16 cities and four that would be cities later,
the capital cities of all western provinces,
the largest city in each western province.
AB 3 Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge BC 8 Victoria, Vancouver, South Vancouver, West Vancouver, New Westminster, Mission, Port Coquitlam, Nelson (North Vancouver is possibility ca. 1917 (Pilon [BC]- not in Harris) Sask 4 Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw, North Battleford MN 5 (Winnipeg was only major city followed by St. Boniface, St. James, Transcona, St. Vital - all later to be cities. -------------------------------------------- 10 cities adopted STV after referendum (AB 3, BC 2, SK 4, MN 1)
Winnipeg and most of BC cities that adopted STV did not hold referendums in advance.
All three of the Alberta cities that adopted STV held referendums in advance. Lethbridge's referendum (1928) was on adoption of a new form of government that included STV. 1 Calgary 2 Edmonton 3 Lethbridge 4 South Vancouver 5 Regina 6 Moose Jaw 7 Saskatoon 8 North Battleford 9 St. James MN
10 Victoria BC 10 adopted STV with no referendum 6 BC, 4 MN, 1 West Vancouver 2 Nelson 3 Port Coquitlam 4 Mission 5 Vancouver 6 New Westminster 7 Winnipeg 8 Transcona 9 St. Vital 10 St. Boniface -------------------------------------- 7 cities held votes to discontinue STV 9 reject-STV referendums were held in total Regina (2) Lethbridge Moose Jaw Saskatoon (2) North Battleford Victoria Edmonton All discontinued STV by 1931. after 1930 only three cities - Winnipeg, Calgary and St. James plus three smaller Manitoba municipalities - continued to use STV.
They all continued to use it until 1971.
No city (or province) has used STV since 1971. Ranked ballots were not seen since that time until London, Ontario used Alternative Voting to elect the mayor and city councillors (electing single members in each ward using ranked ballots) in the last civic election.
Other Ontario cities also voted on that occasion to switch away from FPTP.
But now Ford's Conservative government has taken away the right of Ontario cities to make the switch and has forced London to switch back to FPTP as long as it is in power, which may end before even the next round of civic elections.
Thanks for reading.
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