Getting PR -- Manitoba and Alberta and Western Canadian cities

At provincial level,

only Alberta and Manitoba tried PR 

MB brought it in for Winnipeg MLAs (at first DM-10, then DM-4 in three "wards".)

Alberta brought it in for Edmonton and Calgary.

(DM varied from 5 to 7.)

city-wide MMDs

the cause for each province's adoption of PR was somewhat different.

In Winnipeg, the General Strike caused extreme polarization and authorities figured false-majority in city results would inflame the situation.

In Alberta after decades of workers and farmer candidates being blocked from election by the two old-line parties, the United Farmers campaigned on promise of PR ---

"Proportional Representation for all classes of the community according to their numerical strength." This was to be produced by "Proportional Representation [in the cities] and a preferential ballot [IRV] in the single-member constituencies." (Manitoba Free Press, July 25, 1921)

By PR, they meant STV.

The UFA won a majority and with support for Labour Party MLAs, brought in PR in the largest cities, against opposition from the Liberal and Conservatives.

in first PR prov elections, Labour took 40 percent of seats in Winnipeg and 14 percent in Edmonton, and 20 percent in Calgary.

after change to FPTP in Edmonton in 1956, Social Credit took all the seats.

At city level, Labour seldom had majority of seats in a city,

so if PR came in, it was with business leader backing, and yes, that often happened because right-wing politicos feared Labour getting false majority.

That and local reformers having influence.  on an ethics basis, they targeted FPTP for change.

cities in BC and Sask in particular apply.

but problems were not that bad before, so the improvement was not so visible and thought not worth the extra trouble.

Calgary was first to get PR at city level and held it the longest to 1961, then again in 1971.

Calgary was hotbed of radicalism at that time - OBU (and CCF later) born there, elected 2 Labour MPs in 1921.

In Calgary's case Labour might have been powerful enough to force PR for its own benefit.

Edmonton too 

Labour councillors wanted it 

and enough business councillors (Izena Ross and Bickerton Pratt) supported at least having a plebiscite

and majority of city voters voted for the change.

Edmonton's PR push also had support of local officials -- democratic activist John D. Hunt and City Clerk Cox.

and City commissioner Yorath (who had previously been commissioner in Saskatoon and had secured PR there)

and pundits say their support had great influence.

for Edmonton's five city elections using STV, labour got consistent 40 percent of votes and seats each time

after move to Block Voting, Labour took majority of seats on council, 

then after a couple years, dropped to minority, then back up to majority briefly during Depression, then down to obscurity, electing just one or two each time ever since, especially after change to FPTP in 2010 (yes as recently as that).

Winnipeg 

a demand of General Strike strikers was for "PR - real democratic government by means of PR."

Winnipeg city PR came in at same time as its prov. PR and likely for same reason, 

although the 1919 city election just months after the General Strike had gone okay, it seems. 

but by 1920 former WGS Labour leader Fred Dixon was travelling across the west calling for PR and "active citizenry."

Winn's city PR perhaps caused by a combo of factors:

Labour had power to get PR considered,

right-wing politicos feared seat windfall to the Left,  

law-and-order officials feared unrest if election result not fair, with FPTP widely seen as unfair.

in 1920, Winnipeg elected Labour (of varying hues) to 40 percent seats;

later Labour took 20 percent of Winn. seats.

Communist Party had a rep. on council for much of its time using city PR.

Independents too were elected.

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STV fragmented Manitoba party structure, at least it looks that way if you look superficially

previously Lib Conservative and Labour elected

1920 election -- Libs, Conservatives, four Labour parties (three parties with just small rep.), and Farmers.

the Labour parties worked together to make up a full slate between them, 

and votes came across party boundaries from labour party to labour party, to get four seats altogether.

so in some ways just Farmer party is new --

and no Farmers were elected in Winnipeg so you can't blame PR for that.

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