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1908 Ontario general election

Canadian provincial election

Field	Value
election_name	1908 Ontario general election
country	Ontario
flag_year	1868
type	parliamentary
ongoing	no
party_colour	no
party_name	no
previous_election	1905 Ontario general election
previous_year	1905
previous_mps	11th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
next_election	1911 Ontario general election
next_year	1911
elected_members	[elected members](12th-legislative-assembly-of-ontario)
seats_for_election	106 seats in the [12th Legislative Assembly of Ontario](12th-legislative-assembly-of-ontario)
54 seats were needed for a majority
election_date	June 8, 1908
image1	[[Image:James Whitney.jpg	150x150px]]
colour1
leader1	James P. Whitney
leader_since1	1896
party1
leaders_seat1	Dundas
last_election1	69
seats1	86
seat_change1	17
popular_vote1	246,324
percentage1	54.68%
swing1	1.31 pp
image2	[[Image:Alexander Grant MacKay.jpg	150x150px]]
colour2
leader2	Alexander Grant MacKay
leader_since2	1907
party2
leaders_seat2	Grey North
last_election2	28
seats2	19
seat_change2	9
popular_vote2	177,719
percentage2	39.45%
swing2	5.16 pp
title	Premier
posttitle	Premier after election
before_election	James P. Whitney
before_party
after_election	James P. Whitney
after_party
map	{{Switcher

54 seats were needed for a majority | [[File:1908 Ontario election by vote share map.png|400px]] | Results by electoral district, shaded by winners' vote share | [[File:1908 Ontario election by holds and gains map.png|400px]] | Results by electoral district, holds and gains}}

The 1908 Ontario general election was the 12th general election held in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 8, 1908, to elect the 106 Members of the 12th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs").

The Ontario Conservative Party, led by Sir James P. Whitney, was elected for a second term in government, increasing its majority in the Legislature significantly.

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Alexander Grant MacKay, continued to lose seats.

Allan Studholme became the province's first Labour MLA as the result of a 1906 Hamilton East by-election. He was re-elected in the 1908 general election and would remain in the legislature until his death in 1919.

The four Toronto districts each elected two members in this election. Each seat was contested separately, with each voter in the district allowed to vote for a candidate in each contest.

Expansion of the Legislative Assembly

The number of electoral districts was increased from 97 to 102, under an Act passed in 1902, returning a total of 106 MLAs. The following electoral changes were made:

:* Fort William and Lake of the Woods was split into Fort William and Kenora :* Port Arthur and Rainy River was split into Port Arthur and Rainy River :* Nipissing East was divided into Nipissing and Timiskaming :* Nipissing West was divided into Sudbury and Sturgeon Falls :* Cardwell was renamed Simcoe South, after the transfer of Albion and Bolton to Peel :* The three ridings of Huron County were reorganized: ::* Huron South gained from Huron West the remainder of the Township of Goderich not previously included in it, in exchange for Seaforth ::* Huron East and Huron West were reorganized into Huron North and Huron Centre respectively :* Ottawa was divided into Ottawa East and Ottawa West :* Toronto East, Toronto North, Toronto South and Toronto West now returned two MLAs each, elected separately in seats labelled A and B in each district.

Electoral system

The eight Toronto MPPs were elected in two-seat districts, with each seat determined by a separate First-past-the-post voting contest.

The other 94 MPPs were elected through First-past-the-post voting in single-member districts.

Results

|- ! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party ! rowspan=2 | Party leader ! colspan=4 | MLAs ! colspan=4 | Votes |- ! Candidates 1905 !1908 !± !# ! ± !% ! ± (pp) | 105 || 69 || 86 || 17 || 246,324 || 8,712 || 54.68% || 1.31 | 90 || 28 || 19 || 9 || 177,719 || 20,876 || 39.45% || 5.16 | || 8 || – || 1 || 1 || 7,555 || 7,555 || 1.68% ||New | || 2 || 1 || – || 1 || 1,470 || 3,892 || 0.33% || 0.87 | || 6 || – || – || – || 7,977 || 7,882 || 1.77% || 1.75 | || 13 || – || – || – || 3,129 || 1,856 || 0.69% || 0.40 | || 6 || – || – || – || 3,091 || 2,991 || 0.69% || 0.67 | || 1 || – || – || – || 2,187 || 281 || 0.49% || 0.06 | || 1 || – || – || – || 1,017 || 1,017 || 0.23% ||New |- ! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Total |232||98 ! " colspan="2"|106 ! " colspan="2"|450,469 ! " colspan="2"| 100.00% |- | 457,209 | 10,006 | 73.42

0.54
622,751
18,085
-
}

Party	Seats	Votes	Change (pp)
		{{bartable	1.31	-5	1em	background:green}}

Synopsis of results

Riding	Winning party	Turnout	Votes	Nameorder is as given in EO reports	[1905](1905-ontario-general-election)	Party	Votes	Share	Margin
#	Margin
%	Con	Lib	Lab	I-Con	I-Lib	Soc	Proh	L-Tmp	Ind	Total
Addington		Con		Con	acclaimed
Algoma		Con		Con	2,134	60.95%	767	21.91%	80.70%	2,134	1,367	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,501
Brant North		Con		Con	1,850	54.69%	317	9.37%	89.15%	1,850	1,533	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,383
Brant South		Lib		Con	2,815	51.83%	199	3.66%	86.91%	2,815	2,616	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,431
Brockville		Lib		Con	2,195	56.59%	511	13.17%	85.09%	2,195	1,684	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,879
Bruce Centre		Con		Con	1,940	55.05%	356	10.10%	88.48%	1,940	1,584	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,524
Bruce North		Lib		Lib	2,282	53.99%	337	7.97%	80.85%	1,945	2,282	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,227
Bruce South		Con		Lib	1,774	51.39%	96	2.78%	86.02%	1,678	1,774	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,452
Carleton		Con		Con	1,352	62.22%	531	24.44%	51.67%	1,352	821	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,173
Dufferin		Con		Con	2,229	50.48%	42	0.95%	84.37%	2,229	–	–	–	–	–	2,187	–	–	4,416
Dundas		Con		Con	2,260	62.67%	914	25.35%	75.78%	2,260	1,346	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,606
Durham East		Con		Con	acclaimed
Durham West		Con		Con	1,575	51.04%	64	2.07%	85.30%	1,575	1,511	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,086
Elgin East		Con		Con	2,289	56.09%	497	12.18%	86.70%	2,289	1,792	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,081
Elgin West		Con		Con	3,347	55.00%	609	10.01%	76.88%	3,347	2,738	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	6,085
Essex North		Con		Con	2,988	63.63%	1,280	27.26%	51.74%	2,988	1,708	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,696
Essex South		Lib		Con	2,618	50.76%	78	1.51%	83.62%	2,618	2,540	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,158
Fort William	New		Con	1,317	61.06%	477	22.11%	67.38%	1,317	840	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,157
Frontenac		Con		Con	1,576	53.05%	181	6.09%	67.46%	1,576	1,395	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,971
Glengarry		Lib		Con	2,170	53.07%	251	6.14%	77.41%	2,170	1,919	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,089
Grenville		Con		Con	1,923	50.30%	23	0.60%	75.72%	1,923	–	–	1,900	–	–	–	–	–	3,823
Grey Centre		Con		Con	2,253	64.54%	1,015	29.07%	62.54%	2,253	1,238	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,491
Grey North		Lib		Lib	3,026	50.59%	71	1.19%	70.93%	2,955	3,026	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,981
Grey South		Con		Con	2,187	53.04%	251	6.09%	73.16%	2,187	1,936	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,123
Haldimand		Lib		Lib	1,977	54.81%	347	9.62%	96.22%	1,630	1,977	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,607
Halton		Con		Con	2,449	53.86%	351	7.72%	86.86%	2,449	2,098	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,547
Hamilton East		Con		Lab	2,717	40.91%	75	1.13%	72.45%	2,642	1,258	2,717	–	–	–	–	–	24	6,641
Hamilton West		Con		Con	3,121	63.22%	1,558	31.56%	69.65%	3,121	1,563	–	–	–	–	–	–	253	4,937
Hastings East		I-Lib		Con	2,201	61.76%	838	23.51%	75.90%	2,201	1,363	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,564
Hastings North		Con		Con	2,225	65.42%	1,049	30.84%	64.19%	2,225	–	–	1,176	–	–	–	–	–	3,401
Hastings West		Con		Con	1,882	52.41%	173	4.82%	81.15%	1,882	1,709	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,591
Huron Centre		Lib		Lib	2,051	52.11%	166	4.22%	78.68%	1,885	2,051	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,936
Huron North		Lib		Con	2,292	51.94%	171	3.87%	93.11%	2,292	2,121	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,413
Huron South		Con		Con	2,365	54.41%	383	8.81%	89.97%	2,365	1,982	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,347
Kenora	New		Con	1,078	56.00%	231	12.00%	41.23%	1,078	847	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,925
Kent East		Con		Con	2,524	50.83%	82	1.65%	78.54%	2,524	2,442	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,966
Kent West		Lib		Con	3,926	52.98%	441	5.95%	83.47%	3,926	3,485	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	7,411
Kingston		Lib		Con	2,215	54.48%	393	9.67%	96.27%	2,215	1,822	29	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,066
Lambton East		Con		Lib	2,404	52.57%	235	5.14%	93.46%	2,169	2,404	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,573
Lambton West		Con		Con	3,841	54.45%	628	8.90%	79.98%	3,841	3,213	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	7,054
Lanark North		Con		Con	2,017	56.61%	471	13.22%	90.11%	2,017	1,546	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,563
Lanark South		Con		Con	acclaimed
Leeds		Con		Con	2,102	52.35%	189	4.71%	89.98%	2,102	1,913	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,015
Lennox		Con		Con	1,477	50.29%	17	0.58%	89.40%	1,477	1,460	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,937
Lincoln		Con		Con	3,463	59.56%	1,112	19.13%	78.67%	3,463	2,351	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,814
London		Con		Con	5,084	58.00%	1,403	16.01%	78.42%	5,084	3,681	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8,765
Manitoulin		Con		Con	1,414	66.73%	709	33.46%	58.48%	1,414	705	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,119
Middlesex East		Con		Con	2,363	56.44%	539	12.87%	79.28%	2,363	1,824	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,187
Middlesex North		Con		Lib	2,172	51.29%	109	2.57%	91.10%	2,063	2,172	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,235
Middlesex West		Lib		Lib	1,775	60.29%	606	20.58%	82.91%	–	1,775	–	–	1,169	–	–	–	–	2,944
Monck		Lib		Con	1,816	50.49%	35	0.97%	90.23%	1,816	1,781	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,597
Muskoka		Con		Con	acclaimed
Nipissing	New		Con	1,654	59.09%	509	18.19%	67.63%	1,654	1,145	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,799
Norfolk North		Lib		Con	1,720	51.08%	73	2.17%	94.01%	1,720	1,647	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,367
Norfolk South		Con		Con	1,490	52.04%	117	4.09%	92.48%	1,490	1,373	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,863
Northumberland East		Con		Con	2,582	56.30%	578	12.60%	82.12%	2,582	2,004	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,586
Northumberland West		Lib		Lib	1,591	53.44%	205	6.89%	92.38%	1,386	1,591	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,977
Ontario North		Con		Con	2,230	55.62%	451	11.25%	85.39%	2,230	1,779	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,009
Ontario South		Con		Con	2,773	52.90%	304	5.80%	85.46%	2,773	2,469	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,242
Ottawa East	New		Lib	2,798	54.54%	466	9.08%	78.11%	2,332	2,798	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,130
Ottawa West	New		Con	4,806	55.04%	880	10.08%	71.86%	4,806	3,926	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8,732
Oxford North		Lib		Lib	2,893	54.03%	432	8.07%	81.25%	2,461	2,893	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,354
Oxford South		Con		Lib	2,671	50.42%	44	0.83%	88.55%	2,627	2,671	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,298
Parry Sound		Con		Con	2,879	62.05%	1,263	27.22%	53.88%	2,879	1,616	–	–	–	–	–	–	145	4,640
Peel		Lib		Con	2,852	54.78%	498	9.57%	87.79%	2,852	2,354	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,206
Perth North		Con		Con	3,688	51.87%	266	3.74%	88.65%	3,688	3,422	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	7,110
Perth South		Con		Lib	2,453	50.58%	56	1.15%	93.18%	2,397	2,453	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,850
Peterborough East		Lib		Con	1,978	61.14%	721	22.29%	78.99%	1,978	1,257	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,235
Peterborough West		Con		Con	2,561	54.56%	428	9.12%	76.14%	2,561	2,133	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,694
Port Arthur	New		Con	1,241	55.16%	380	16.89%	71.64%	1,241	–	–	861	–	148	–	–	–	2,250
Prescott		Lib		Con	1,944	50.09%	7	0.18%	66.02%	1,944	1,937	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,881
Prince Edward		Lib		Con	2,221	51.53%	132	3.06%	86.70%	2,221	–	–	2,089	–	–	–	–	–	4,310
Rainy River	New		Con	944	54.95%	170	9.90%	78.65%	944	774	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,718
Renfrew North		Con		Lib	2,274	52.28%	198	4.55%	86.47%	2,076	2,274	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,350
Renfrew South		Con		Con	2,623	52.39%	239	4.77%	77.82%	2,623	2,384	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,007
Russell		Lib		Lib	2,642	58.72%	785	17.45%	59.61%	1,857	2,642	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,499
Sault Ste. Marie		Lib		Con	1,406	54.69%	241	9.37%	61.43%	1,406	1,165	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,571
Simcoe Centre		Con		Con	1,972	55.08%	364	10.17%	75.97%	1,972	1,608	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,580
Simcoe East		Lib		Lib	3,105	51.49%	180	2.99%	75.37%	2,925	3,105	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	6,030
Simcoe South		Con		Con	acclaimed
Simcoe West		Con		Con	1,921	65.38%	904	30.77%	61.18%	1,921	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,017	–	2,938
Stormont		Con		Lib	2,327	50.09%	8	0.17%	70.96%	2,319	2,327	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4,646
Sturgeon Falls	New		Con	959	52.92%	106	5.85%	82.42%	959	853	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,812
Sudbury	New		Con	1,492	62.69%	604	25.38%	64.29%	1,492	888	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,380
Timiskaming	New		Con	1,649	55.00%	549	18.31%	48.21%	1,649	1,100	–	–	–	249	–	–	–	2,998
Toronto East - A		Con		Con	4,393	76.51%	1,988	34.62%	48.59%	4,393	–	1,003	–	–	346	–	–	–	5,742
Toronto East – B	New		Con	2,695	43.03%	290	4.63%	53.00%	2,695	975	–	–	–	188	–	–	2,405	6,263
Toronto North - A		Con		Con	6,789	88.44%	2,919	38.03%	53.92%	6,789	–	544	–	–	343	–	–	–	7,676
Toronto North – B	New		Con	4,502	52.40%	632	7.36%	60.40%	4,502	3,870	–	–	–	220	–	–	–	8,592
Toronto South - A		Con		Con	5,202	74.69%	3,103	44.55%	47.61%	5,202	–	1,473	–	–	290	–	–	–	6,965
Toronto South – B	New		Con	4,947	67.67%	2,848	38.95%	49.94%	4,947	2,099	–	–	–	265	–	–	–	7,311
Toronto West - A		Con		Con	6,190	70.58%	3,975	45.32%	47.86%	6,190	1,877	56	–	301	297	–	–	49	8,770
Toronto West – B	New		Con	4,160	47.41%	1,945	22.17%	47.88%	4,160	2,215	380	1,870	–	150	–	–	–	8,775
Victoria East		Con		Con	acclaimed
Victoria West		Con		Con	2,061	50.50%	98	2.40%	94.00%	2,061	1,963	–	–	–	57	–	–	–	4,081
Waterloo North		Con		Con	3,063	49.42%	332	5.36%	76.73%	3,063	2,731	–	–	–	404	–	–	–	6,198
Waterloo South		Con		Con	2,353	63.49%	1,000	26.98%	54.01%	2,353	–	1,353	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,706
Welland		Con		Con	3,729	56.57%	866	13.14%	77.32%	3,729	2,863	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	6,592
Wellington East		Con		Con	1,898	53.06%	219	6.12%	82.09%	1,898	1,679	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,577
Wellington South		Con		Con	2,787	52.12%	399	7.46%	78.67%	2,787	2,388	–	–	–	172	–	–	–	5,347
Wellington West		Con		Lib	1,665	50.53%	35	1.06%	83.14%	1,630	1,665	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3,295
Wentworth North		Lib		Con	1,600	50.60%	119	3.76%	90.98%	1,600	1,481	–	81	–	–	–	–	–	3,162
Wentworth South		Lib		Lib	1,582	53.72%	219	7.44%	85.19%	1,363	1,582	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,945
York East		Con		Con	2,998	56.84%	722	13.69%	65.47%	2,998	2,276	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,274
York North		Con		Con	2,918	54.00%	432	7.99%	92.95%	2,918	2,486	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	5,404
York West		Con		Con	3,241	61.80%	1,453	27.71%	54.81%	3,241	1,788	–	–	–	–	–	–	215	5,244

: = open seat : = turnout is above provincial average : = winning candidate was in previous Legislature : = incumbent had switched allegiance : = previously incumbent in another riding : = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature : = incumbency arose from byelection gain : = incumbency arose from prior election result being overturned by the court : = other incumbents renominated : = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada : = multiple candidates

Analysis

Party in 1st place	Party in 2nd place	Total	Accl	Con	Lib	Lab	I-Con	I-Lib	Ind	L-Tmp
6		69	4	4		1	1	1	86
	18				1				19
	1								1
Total	6	19	69	4	4	1	1	1	1	106

Accl	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
6	80	19
	19	69	2
	1	4	1	1	1
		4	2
		1	3	1
		1	1
		1
		1
			10	2	1

Source	Party	Total
align="center"	Con	align="center"	Lib	align="center"	Lab
Seats retained	Incumbents returned	49
Acclamations	6
Open seats held	2	3
Seats changing hands	Incumbents defeated	6
Open seats gained	9	2
Byelection gains held	1
New seats	New MLAs	9
Previously incumbent in the Legislature	4	1
Total	86	19

MLAs elected by region and riding

Party designations are as follows:

Northern Ontario

Ottawa Valley

Saint Lawrence Valley

Central Ontario

Georgian Bay

Wentworth/Halton/Niagara

Midwestern Ontario

Southwestern Ontario

Peel/York/Ontario

Toronto

Division and reorganization of ridings

The newly created ridings returned the following MLAs:

1905	1908	Riding
Fort William and Lake of the Woods		Fort William
Kenora
Port Arthur and Rainy River		Port Arthur
Rainy River
Nipissing East		Nipissing
Timiskaming
Nipissing West		Sudbury
Sturgeon Falls
Ottawa
(2 MLAs)	Ottawa East
Ottawa West
Toronto East		Seat A
Seat B
Toronto North		Seat A
Seat B
Toronto South		Seat A
Seat B
Toronto West		Seat A
Seat B
Huron East		Huron North
Huron West		Huron Centre

Seats that changed hands

Party	1905	Gain from (loss to)	1908	Con	Lib	I-Lib	Lab
62			14	(8)	1
23	8	(14)
Total	86	9	(15)	14	(8)	1	–

Of the unaltered seats, there were 24 that changed allegiance in the election:

Liberal to Conservative

Brant South
Brockville
Essex South
Glengarry
Kent West
Kingston
Monck
Norfolk North
Peel
Peterborough East
Prescott
Prince Edward
Sault Ste. Marie
Wentworth North

Independent-Liberal to Conservative

Hastings East

Conservative to Liberal

Bruce South
Lambton East
Middlesex North
Oxford South
Perth South
Renfrew North
Stormont
Wellington West

Conservative to Labour

Hamilton East

References

{{Cite canlaw. (1908)
"1908 General Election".

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