top of page
Search
Tom Monto
1 day ago14 min read

Timeline of Canadian electoral reform, and list of published works on the subject

Updated: 24 hours ago


[work in progress]


Here is brief timeline/outline of Canadian electoral reform, especially proportional representation and effective voting, and a list of Canadian or Canadian-related published works on the subject


1859 "One of the People" [Alfred Waddington, 1800-1872)]. The Necessity of Reform, a tract for the times addressed to the colonists of Vancouver Island. Victoria: Victoria Colonist office, 1859.

extension of franchise,

Waddington was also author of Sketch of Proposed line of overland railroad through BNA and similar studies of late 1800s. also author of what was said to be the first book published on Vancouver Island -- The Fraser Mines Vindicated, or the History of Four Months (1858).


1874 edward Blake Speech at Aurora

montopedia

CIHM 828

also CIHM 34068


Miall, Edward, 1838?-1903, author

Title

Defects of our system of government : delivered by Mr. Edward Miall before the Literary and Historical Society of Ottawa, on 3rd February, 1877

CIHM 10101


1891 Alderman Walker. Some Thoughts and Suggestions on municipal reform in BC. Published in New Westminster by Lewis and Greig, 1891.

against the ward system of election, against multiple vote.

"A municipal government by angels would be perfect in spite of the system. [What] is required is to make the system perfect in spite of - well, such men are are usually elected into municipal councils."

(CIHM 16421) (not mentioned in Pilon, Drive for PR in BC, 1994.)

At time of writing this, Walker was "chairman of the school board of New Westminster and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants."


Walker, W. J. (Walter James), b. 1852, author

Title Some thoughts and suggestions on municipal reform in British Columbia

Published [New Westminster, B.C.? : publisher not identified], 1891.

Identifier oocihm.16421



1892 Sanford Fleming An appeal to the Canadian Institute on the Rectification of Parliament. Toronto : Copp, Clark, 1892 

Fleming was perhaps Canada's most illustrious scientist of his time. And even today we use the system of 24 time zones around the world that he invented.


see my blogs for copies of this, starting with:

=======


1893 Sanford Fleming. Essays received in response to an appeal by the Canadian Institute on the Rectification of Parliament.

(CIHM 01093)

Essays within included those submitted by Catherine Helen Spence (Southern Australia) and Alfred Cridge (San Francisco, formerly of New Brunswick).

see Montopedia blogs on Alfred Cridge and his writings.

=====


1893 Alfred Cridge Proportional representation including its relation to the Initiative and the Referendum.

Consists of the articles and symposiums pub. in the New time, in 1897 and 1898, with introduction by J.W. Sullivan. in which he sets out reasons why "representatives don't represent."

(reprinted in 1904)

Alfred Cridge was resident of San Fran in 1893 but formerly resident of St. John, New Brunswick.

He participated in the 1893 Chicago PR Convention.

see Montopedia blogs on Alfred Cridge and his writings.


=====

1898 Proportional Representation Committee of Ontario, Effective Voting - the Basis of Good Municipal Government. Toronto. [1898])

(reprinted from Citizen and Country 1898)

(only book by this group available on hathi trust)


======

1901 Socialist Party of Canada called for PR

Socialist Party of British Columbia. Socialist Party of British Columbia. : statement of principles adopted at Vancouver, October 3rd, 1901.

Published Ferguson, B.C. : Lardeau Eagle Print., [1901?]

Identifier oocihm.83287




1900 Eltwood Pomeroy By the People Arguments and Authorities for Direct Legislation or the Initiative and the Referendum

Consists of the articles and symposiums pub. in the New time, in 1897 and 1898, with introduction by J.W. Sullivan. in which he sets out reasons why "representatives don't represent."

includes an article on P.R. by Robert Tyson in which he discussed the similarities between Direct Legislation and P.R.; different types of P.R. -- the Hare plan (STV), the Gove method, the Swiss Free list; Belgium's first use of PR in a national election in the world; etc.


===

1901 "R.T." [Robert Tyson]. Proportional Voting in municipal elections. Toronto: Proportional Representation Society of Ontario [1901] (5 pages)

(CIHM 87696)

(Robert Tyson see 1904, 1912)


1902 George Shibley Majority Rule in combination with representative government

quotes Canadian scholar Goldwin Smith on how existing system allows rule by the few.

But Smith never went on to endorse PR, as Tyson mentions in his writing.

===


1902 Toronto Federation for Majority Rule, People's veto and direct initiative. How to get it at the next general election. Published in Toronto. 2-page broadside. (Weinrich) (see also 1903)



1903 Toronto Federation for Majority Rule, Report of progress. Published in Toronto. 1-page broadside. (Weinrich)

Toronto Federation for Majority Rule was "organized to secure the adoption of the people's veto and the direct initiative in the city government." (Weinrich) (see also 1902)


===

1904 Alfred Cridge Proportional representation including its relation to the Initiative and the Referendum (different version from the 1893 edition)

includes an article on P.R. by Robert Tyson in which he discussed PR and the life story of Alfred Cridge, who was something of a mentor to Tyson.


see Montopedia blogs on Alfred Cridge and his writings.

=========================================

1909 Freemasons. Proportionate representation as the basis of the vote for grand lodge officers. Toronto : [publisher not identified], 1909

(CIHM 79333)


1912 Richard J. Cartwright, Reminscences Toronto: William Briggs, 1912.

Richard J. Cartwright, MP and cabinet minister 1867-1904 approx., had been long-time fan of Pro-Rep.

CIHM 73162)


===




1912 Robert Tyson wrote a series of articles in Grain Growers Guide on PR, calling for STV but discussing list PR and SNTV.

The Guide's publication of info on electoral reform helped push Canadian Council of Agriculture to endorse that reform. The farmer movement as a whole had interlocking interests in Direct Legislation, electoral reform, Henry George single tax, monetary reform/Social Credit, and more, with the women's wings of the provincial farmers' movements being also active in the drive for Prohibition and female suffrage.

(Robert Tyson see 1901, 1904)


[Winnipeg? : publisher not identified, 1913?]

CIHM 77603)


1916 The Crisis in party politics and the way out. the method and advantages of P.R. and an illustrative election (1916) (Hathi trust online)

The crisis in party politics, and the way out : the method and advantages of proportional representation and an illustrative election.

Published

Vancouver : Westminster Review Pub. Office, 1916.

Identifier

oocihm.76838



1917 Earl Grey on PR in Equity July 1917.

(see When Canada Had PR for excerpt, p. 15)

This Earl Grey served as Canada's gov-gen 1908-1914?

self-described as a perfact fanatic on the subject of electoral reform, prominent member of the Proportional Represention League (U.K.)



1918 John D. Hunt The Dawn of a New Patriotism (1918)

(CIHM 83522)

also author of Democracy in Canada (a chapter in The Dawn... but printed as separate monograph as well. Alberta Legislature Library has copy)


John D. Hunt was clerk of the executive council of Alberta in the 1920s and was the force behind Alberta adopting STV-PR in 1924. (Of course the government in power at the time - the United Farmers of Alberta - played an important part as well.) (Actually Alberta adopted a hybrid STV/IRV system. In 1926 Alberta was the first legislature in North America to hold an election where all its members were elected using non-plurality methods - the proportional STV or the majoritarian Instant-Runoff Voting system.)


Hunt's booklet A Key to P.R. (1924) is accessible in Peel's PP website and also reproduced in the book A Report on Alberta Elections and in the 100 years of Democracy volume of the Centennial Series.


Two files at the PAA contain information concerning his work for the Legislative Assembly, some of which centred around the introducfion of STV in Alberta provincial elections, with correspondence with Humphreys and Hallett.:

PR1969.0289/194      1-600-31

======



1919 Canadian Council of Agriculture. A new national policy

image 9 discusses pro-rep.

(CIHM 81359)

also cihm 97623


1919 The first municipal P.R. elections in the United Kingdon: Sligo (Ireland) municipal elections, January, 1919 : a practical demonstration of the working of the single transferable vote. [Ottawa: Proportional Representation Society of Canada], 1919.

(PRSC P.R. pamphlet No. 8)

(CIHM 99422)


1919 Education, Social and Moral Reform, P.R. (Liberal Party of Ontario. 1919)

(CIHM 65659) (Hathi trust online)


1920 Your Committee have given special attention to P.R. as a method of voting (Social Service Council of Canada, Committee on Political Purity and the Franchise, 1920)

(Hathi trust online -- CIHM 80353)


1920 Charles Mullen, Proportional Representation and Municipal Government (1920)

 [published in Montreal]

 [not actually available online, available at UofA Library and many other major university libraries across Canada]


1920 J.A.S. (J.A. Stephenson) Proportional representation A truly democratic form of votong for government - just what it means and how it works. published in Winnipeg by by Canadian Council of Agriculture.

Stevenson, a writer for the CCA, was also author of Profiteering and Where the Farmer touches city labor (these are both listed in Weinrich, Social Protest).

[Writings such as these encouraged the UFA to promise ot being in PR if elected - and helped the UFA actually fulfill that promise.)



1923 United Farmers of Ontario. Proportional representation and the transferable vote in single member constituencies. published in Toronto (four pages)

UFO had been in power 1919 to 1921 but by 1923 it had missed its chance to bring in PR.

(Weinrich Social Protest)



1929  J.S. Woodsworth.  Labor's case in Parliament: A summary and compilation of the speeches of J.S. Woodsworth in the Canadian House of Commons 1921-1928. [Ottawa]: Canadian Brotherhood of Railroad Employees, 1929.

Canada pre-eminent lefty of his time, J.S. Woodsworth, called for "Proportional Representation with grouped constituencies" in a book of his speeches published in 1929.

"Proportional Representation with grouped constituencies" at the time meant STV - ranked votes, single voting and multi-member districts.

Page 76 to 78 also concern that type of electoral reform.

(Peel 10437)

see my blog for excerpts on this material.

=====


1930 Joseph P. Harris

The Practical Workings of Proportional Representation in the U.S. and Canada (1930)


A very good and detailed examination of processes of STV and its variations such as a "fixed quota" as a means of making it simpler to communicate and thus easier to sell (p. 3)

As well, contains a city-by-city chronology of the use of STV

including Calgary p. 365 and Winnipeg p. 366.

====

1994 Dennis Pilon. The Drive for PR in BC, 1917-1923. Simon Fraser University BA thesis.

available online.

(see also 2007)

file:///home/chronos/u-7471ce29d386ae6b6c8a0356e0b3c71f1425c61b/MyFiles/Downloads/b18026539.pdf


=====

1998 Jansen, Harold. The Single Transferable Vote in Alberta and Manitoba. UofA thesis.



===

2007 Dennis Pilon. The Politics of Voting, Reforming Canada's Electoral System. Toronto Edmund Montgomery Publishing, 2007

Montopedia: "2005 referendum..."

Dennis Pilon is regarded as Canada's leading expert on elector reform.

===========


2021 Darren C. Choi. Alberta's Forgotten Experiment with Electoral reform. The Hybrid STV/Alternative vote and the Quasi-party system. UofA (Political Science Undergraduate Review)

====


2024 Tom Monto. When Canada had Proportional Representation (fourth edition)

(epub and pdf version available by emailing montotom@yahoo.ca)


Monto was also author of Old Strathcona Edmonton's Southside Roots and Protest and Progress - Three Labour Radicals in Early Edmonton.



======

===

sources:

Weinrich Social Protest from the Left in Canada 1870-1970 A Bibliography. UofT Press (1920; 1923)


Hathi trust online


CIHM


===============

Index

Cartwright

Cridge

Fleming, Sandford


Harris, Joseph P. (1930)

Hunt (1921 1924)

Proportional Representation Committee of Ontario 1898

Toronto Federation for Majority Rule 1902, 1903

Tyson (1904, 1912)

UFA

UFO

Walker (New Westminster politician) (1891)

=========================================

walker 1891 done

====================

not copied elsewhere

Toronto ILP constitution 81619;

public ownership 990785

Constitution of the Central Trades and Labour Council of the City of Montreal, 1886 (CIHM 64072)

UMWA constitution Fernie, BC 1905 (CIHM 84397)

Citizens Electoral Association (Vancouver) Constitution 1915 [president not mentioned] first vice-pres Patrick Donnelly, secretary W.H. McInnes

IODE amendments to the constitution 1920 Calgary 66693 Should Canadian women have the vote? 1913 CIHM 86114


Saskatchewan GGA 1920

"this is not a party movement. either for or against the existing government. It is primarily an expression of political independence from the old party methods and a demand for truly democratic expression at the polls. Instead of electing supporters or opponents of a party leader who either is or hopes to become premier, the electors are demanding a means for intelligent expression of their own views at the polls and we believe that by the method proposed this can be accomplished." (J.B. Musselman (SGGA secretary), New Provincial Political Platform, CIHM 99025)


The Manitoba and Northwest Farmers' Union

Resolutions adopted at farmers convention Winnipeg, 1883. Brandon?, 1884 "it is plan that there are grievances that ought not to be borne without remonstrance – resistance if necessary. But we believe that a fair representation of our condition backed by a stern determination to have it remedied, will secure for us such universal sympathy and respect as will break down every obstacle to our ultimate success. Let us then continue to work as we have begun, keeping in view those rights we have inherited as subjects of a constitutional monarchy that can alone secure to this country that liberty upon which depends its prosperity." ... and whereas it is the right of every British subject to call the attention of the constituted authorities to existence of abuses and wrongs,.. therefore this convention demands... the right of representation in the Dominion cabinet. (page 6) (CIHM 30526)


Fuller, Government by the People (1908) (CIHM 65824)


Socialist Party of BC (CIHM 83287)


working hints for local unions of UFWA political situation page 17 mentions Hare PR


Harold Begbie. Albert Fourth Earl Grey A Last Word 1917 (CIHM 71702) PR on page 75-78

history of freedom page 97 pro rep


Not copied:

Report of Alberta Liberal convention Calgary 1919 [many other items on Liberal conventions in 1919]

The Initiative, referendum and recall c. 1912

Social Service Congress 1914

unfinished programme of democracy [1919?]

Calgary ideally situated ... [1919?]

Pros and cons [1914] [debating manual?] includes pro-rep

John H. Humphreys pro-rep 1911

catalogue of books in TO library (CIHM 86437)

Socialism as it is 1915

Early federation movement of Australia 1910


American Commonwealth p. 471 on pro-rep referendums:

"Virginia by her constitution of 1872 and South Dakota by hers of 1889 submitted proposals for pro-rep. both failed" (CIHM 65828)


Hon. Blake supported pro-rep Parliamentary companion (CIHM 32961)

Liberty of Parliament 1880 Henry Fawcett and Millicent Fawcett essays... (1872) (pro-rep) CIHM 61311)

1837 rebellion demand pro-rep [actually meant rep by pop.?] (CIHM 8038)

Defects of government 189 210101

Democracy or despotism

Earl Grey Education and pro rep fallacies

======================

Fleming: essays on rectification Fleming (CIHM 01093)

Fleming Canada ocean travel

Fleming party or parliament (CIHM 6103)

=================

fourth dimension CIHM 9-90816

freedom

government by the people

hillquit socialism

Hillquit, Morris, 1869-1933., author

Title

Socialism in theory and practice

Published

New York ; Toronto : Macmillan, 1912.

Identifier

oocihm.65771

ILP


Man and NW Farmers 30526


Reminiscences cihm 76594


North Wester [1850s?] (appeal for responsible government)

O'Hanly resume and suggestions [Done below] (CIHM 36062)

Political situation and labour Toronto committee 1920


CIHM writing etc

=======

Conner, J. McArthur (James McArthur), d. 1938.

Title Public ownership

Published Toronto : Central Executive of the Independant Labor Party of Toronto, [192-?]

CIHM/ICMH microfiche series ; no. 9-90785


======

Mowat, Oliver, 1820-1903, author

Title

Reform government in Ontario : the benefits it has conferred upon the people : speeches delivered by the Hon. Oliver Mowat at Woodstock, Thursday eve'g, Dec. 12th, 1878, before his constituents, and in Toronto, Wednesday evening, Jan. 8th, 1879, before the Young Men's Reform Literary and Debating Club.

Published

[Toronto? : publisher not identified], 1879.

Identifier

oocihm.11163


====

Fuller, Robert Higginson, 1865-1927., author

Title

Government by the people : the laws and customs regulating the election system and the formation and control of political parties in the United States

Published

New York ; Toronto : Macmillan, 1908


====

1891 Fleming, Sandford, Sir, 1827-1915, author

Title

Parliamentary vs. party government : an address delivered at the opening of Queen's University, October 16th, 1891 ; A political problem : a paper

Published

[Kingston, Ont.? : publisher not identified], 1891.

Identifier

oocihm.06103


06103

===

Hume, James Gibson, 1860-1949, author

Title

Political economy and ethics

Published

Toronto : J.E. Bryant, 1892.

Identifier

oocihm.07048


07048

===

Moncrieff, William Glen, author

Title

Party and government by party

Published

Toronto : Copp, Clark; 1871.

Identifier

oocihm.23722


23722

===

Corless, C. V. (Charles Vandyke), d. 1953.

Title

CIHM/ICMH microfiche series ; no. 9-92083


"The Whitley scheme" : a step towards democratising industrial nations

Published

[Montréal? : s.n., 1918?]

Identifier

FC 02 0203 no. 9-92083


oocihm.9_92083

===

Ames, Herbert Brown, 1863-1954., author


Young Men's Christian Association of Montréal.

Title

Canadian political history : outlines of a course of ten lectures delivered in connection with the educational work of the Young Men's Christian Association of Montreal during the autumn of 1894

Published

Montreal : The Association, [1894?]

Identifier

oocihm.04012

===

Jenkins, Edward, 1861-1939., author

Title

The Temple primers.


A history of politics

Published

Toronto : G.N. Morang, [1901?]

Identifier

oocihm.83251


83251

===

Saskatchewan Women Grain Growers' Association author


Its history, constitution and platform

Published

[Saskatchewan?] : [publisher not identified], 1914.

Identifier

oocihm.78204

===

Blake, Edward, 1833-1912.

Title

Young Men's Reform Club (Montréal, Quebec).


Young Men's Reform Club : banquet in honor of Hon. E. Blake, M.P., at the Windsor Hotel, Montreal, Tuesday, 29th March, 1881.

Published

[Montreal? : publisher not identified, 1881?]

Identifier

oocihm.08869


08869

Subject

Blake, Edward,1833-1912.

==

Hunt, John D., 1859-1940., author

Title

The dawn of a new patriotism : a training course in citizenship

Published

Toronto : Macmillan, 1917.

Identifier

oocihm.80903

==

Connolly, Cornelius, 1804-1891, author

Title

Thoughts on the origin, nature and destiny of man.


What is man?, or, Thoughts on the origin, nature, and destiny of man

Published

[Saint John, N.B.? : publisher not identified], 1868.

Identifier

oocihm.05996

==

Lawson, J. R. (James Reid), 1820-1891., author

Title

Why Reformed Presbyterians do not vote at political elections


The British elective franchise, or, Why Reformed Presbyterians do not vote at political elections : a discourse

Published

[St. John, N.B.? : publisher not identified], 1884.

Identifier

oocihm.25598

==

Dixon, F. J. (Frederick John), 1881-1931., author

Title

Direct legislation : address by F.J. Dixon before the Presbyterian Synod, on November 15th, 1911.

Published

[Winnipeg : Direct Legislation League of Manitoba, 1911?]

Identifier

oocihm.86011


86011

==

McLennan, J. S. (John Stewart), 1853-1939., author

Title

The Honourable J.S. McLennan on the desirability of betterment in the machinery of government


The machinery of government

Published

Ottawa : The Senate, 1919.

Identifier

oocihm.82911


82911

==

Whiteway, William Vallance, Sir, 1828-1908., author

Title

Manifesto from Sir William V. Whiteway, K.C.M.G., the leader of the Workingman's Party.

Published

[S.l. : publisher not identified, 1893?]

Identifier

oocihm.58858

===

Arguments against an elective legislative council.

Published

[Toronto? : publisher not identified], 1856.

Identifier

oocihm.34747

==

home rule

electors

edmund burke

patriot statemsan

indian myth

===

Farm Women's Union of Alberta.


Working hints for local unions of the United Farm Women of Alberta.

Published

[Calgary? : publisher not identified, 192-?]

Identifier

oocihm.9_90016

==

Southam, Wilson M. (Wilson Mills), 1868-1947., author

Title

Industrial unrest

Published

Ottawa : Citizen Pub. Company, [1919?]

Identifier

oocihm.66556

==

Le Sueur, William D. (William Dawson), 1840-1917., author

Title

The problem of popular government

Published

[Toronto? : publisher not identified, 1901?]

Identifier

oocihm.76564

==

Brown, J. C., author

Title

The political situation : ably reviewed by J.C. Brown, M.P.P., in a comprehensive speech delivered at Westminster, May 19th, 1894.

Published

[New Westminster, B.C.? : publisher not identified, 1894?]

Identifier

oocihm.26299


=


Roberts, Richard, 1874-1945., author

Title

The unfinished programme of democracy

Published

London : Swarthmore Press, [1919?]

Identifier

oocihm.7761

==

Shortt, Adam, 1859-1931., author


McKay, Kenneth W., 1862-1941.


Wickett, S. Morley (Samuel Morley), 1872-1915.

Title

Bibliography of Canadian municipal government


Municipal organization in Ontario


University of Toronto studies. History and economics ; v. 2, no. 2.


Municipal government in Ontario

Published

Toronto : University Library, publishing by the librarian, 1903.

Identifier

oocihm.76161

==

Vrooman, Frank Buffington, b. 1862.

Title

CIHM/ICMH microfiche series ; no. 9-91975


The new politics

Published

New York : Oxford University Press, c1911.

Identifier

FC 02 0203 no. 9-91975


oocihm.9_91975

===

pros and cons

syndicalism

===

Liberal Conservative Party (Ontario)


A pure ballot and an honest count ... : Ontario elections, 1905, Mr. J.P. Whitney, LL. D., K.C., M.P.P., for premier ... : the record and platform of the Liberal-Conservative Party : development, progress, reform and popular freedom, build up Ontario morally and materially : polling January 25, 1905.

Published

[Toronto? : publisher not identified, 1905?]

Identifier

oocihm.86677

===

McPherson, William David, 1863-1929., author

Title

The law of elections in Canada

Published

Toronto : Canada Law Book Company, 1905.

Identifier

oocihm.85382

===

Buchanan, D. W.

Title

The revival of an old idea


CIHM/ICMH microfiche series ; no. 9-90583


Toward democracy, or, The revival of an old idea : direct legislation the next step in democracy

Published

Winnipeg : Grain Growers' Guide, 1913.

Identifier

FC 02 0203 no. 9-90583


oocihm.9_90583

==

Andrews, W. W. (Wilbur William), 1859-1922., author


Methodist Church (Canada). Dept. of Evangelism and Social Service.

Title

Our national sin : something for nothing

Published

Toronto : Issued by the Dept. of Social Service and Evangelism of the Methodist Church, [between 1915 and 1925]

Identifier

oocihm.98780

==

Mavor, James, 1854-1925, author

Title

The political situation and labour problems

Published

Glasgow : J.B. Douglas, [1892?]

Identifier

oocihm.34061

===

done to page 37 of result for representation search on CIHM

===

Cridge, Alfred, author

Title

Epitome of spirit-intercourse : a condensed view of spiritualism, in its scriptural, historical, actual and scientific aspects; its relations to Christianity, insanity, psychometry and social reform; manifestations in Nova Scotia; important communications from the spirits of Sir John Franklin and Rev. Wm. Wishart, St. John, N.B., with evidences of identity and directions for developing mediums

Published

Boston : B. Marsh, 1854.

Identifier

oocihm.18873





0 views

Recent Posts

See All

Комментарии

bottom of page