1959 Ontario general election
← 1955 June 11, 1959 1963 →
98 seats in the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
50 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  LIB
Leader Leslie Frost John Wintermeyer Donald C. MacDonald
Party Progressive Conservative Liberal Co-operative Commonwealth
Leader since April 27, 1949 April 20, 1958 November 21, 1953
Leader's seat Victoria Waterloo North York South
Last election 83 11 3
Seats won 71 22 5
Seat change Decrease12 Increase11 Increase2
Percentage 46.3% 36.6% 16.7%
Swing Decrease2.2pp Increase3.3pp Increase0.2pp
Premier before election

Leslie Frost
Progressive Conservative

Premier after election

Leslie Frost
Progressive Conservative

The 1959 Ontario general election was held on June 11, 1959, to elect the 98 members of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario.[1]

The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by Leslie Frost, won a sixth consecutive term in office, and maintained its majority in the legislature, although it lost 12 of the 83 seats it had won in the previous election.

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by John Wintermeyer, increased its caucus from 11 to 22 members, and continued in the role of official opposition. Liberal-Labour MPP Albert Wren was re-elected and continued to sit with the Liberal caucus. Wren died in 1961 and was succeeded in a by-election by Robert Gibson.

The social democratic Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), led by Donald C. MacDonald, won two additional seats, for a total of five.

Campaign

Riding contests, by number of candidates (1959)[1]
Candidates PC Lib LL CCF Lab-CCF Lab-Pr SC Ind I-PC WC Total
2 17 17 34
3 64 63 1 63 1 192
4 15 15 15 7 4 2 1 1 60
5 2 2 2 2 1 1 10
Total 98 97 1 80 1 9 5 2 2 1 296

Results

Elections to the 26th Parliament of Ontario (1959)[1]
Political party Party leader MPPs Votes
Candidates 1955 Dissol. 1959 ± # % ± (pp)
Progressive Conservative Leslie Frost 98 83 71 12Decrease 868,815 46.15% 1.91Decrease
Liberal John Wintermeyer 97 10 21 11Increase 682,589 36.26% 3.46Increase
Co-operative Commonwealth Donald C. MacDonald 80 3 5 2Increase 313,834 16.67% 0.13Increase
Liberal–Labour 1 1 1 Steady 6,559 0.35% 0.06Decrease
Independent-PC 2 1 – 1Decrease 2,119 0.11% 0.29Decrease
Labor–Progressive Bruce Magnuson 9 – – – 4,304 0.23% 0.96Decrease
Social Credit Edgar Shipley Birrell 5 – – – 1,740 0.09% New
Labour-CCF 1 – – – 1,512 0.08% New
Independent 2 – – – 832 0.04% 0.48Decrease
White Canada 1 – – – 268 0.01% New
Independent-Liberal – – – Did not campaign
Independent-Social Credit – – – Did not campaign
  Socialist-Labour – – – Did not campaign
Vacant
Total 296 98 98 98 1,882,572 100.00%
Blank and invalid ballots 21,272
Registered voters / turnout 3,187,801 59.72% 1.68Decrease
Seats and popular vote by party
Party Seats Votes Change (pp)
█ Progressive Conservative
71 / 98
46.15%
 -1.91
 
█ Liberal
21 / 98
36.26%
 3.46 3.46
 
█ Co-operative Commonwealth
5 / 98
16.67%
 0.13 0.13
 
█ Other
1 / 98
0.92%
 -1.68
 


Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1959 Ontario general election[1]
Riding Winning party Turnout
[a 1] 		Votes
Name[a 2] 1955 Party Votes Share Margin
# 		Margin
% 		PC Lib/LL CCF Lab-Pr SC Ind Oth Total
 
Algoma—Manitoulin PC PC 8,055 41.20% 1,046 5.35% 62.75% 8,055 7,009 4,488 – – – – 19,552
Brant Lib Lib 8,512 47.42% 1,166 6.50% 59.81% 7,346 8,512 2,092 – – – – 17,950
Brantford Lib Lib 8,011 45.08% 1,460 8.22% 71.17% 6,551 8,011 3,208 – – – – 17,770
Bruce Lib Lib 8,940 61.52% 3,348 23.04% 77.24% 5,592 8,940 – – – – – 14,532
Carleton PC PC 6,410 59.85% 2,662 24.86% 49.24% 6,410 3,748 373 – 179 – – 10,710
Cochrane North PC PC 5,596 45.03% 1,319 10.61% 68.18% 5,596 4,277 2,555 – – – – 12,428
Cochrane South PC PC 12,247 48.66% 4,659 18.51% 66.66% 12,247 4,750 7,588 585 – – – 25,170
Dufferin—Simcoe PC PC 8,390 68.90% 4,603 37.80% 52.70% 8,390 3,787 – – – – – 12,177
Durham PC PC 6,946 50.87% 1,974 14.46% 64.13% 6,946 4,972 1,736 – – – – 13,654
Elgin PC PC 9,157 51.60% 1,833 10.33% 62.73% 9,157 7,324 963 – 302 – – 17,746
Essex North Lib Lib 12,412 42.00% 3,584 12.13% 66.91% 8,828 12,412 8,313 – – – – 29,553
Essex South PC PC 8,356 50.78% 1,001 6.08% 65.35% 8,356 7,355 743 – – – – 16,454
Fort William PC Lib 9,255 42.09% 1,336 6.08% 74.77% 7,919 9,255 4,434 – – 382 – 21,990
Frontenac—Addington PC PC 6,834 56.81% 2,238 18.60% 67.37% 6,834 4,596 600 – – – – 12,030
Glengarry PC PC 4,575 50.38% 69 0.76% 70.61% 4,575 4,506 – – – – – 9,081
Grenville—Dundas PC PC 8,462 68.78% 4,621 37.56% 56.00% 8,462 3,841 – – – – – 12,303
Grey North PC PC 8,167 55.03% 3,153 21.25% 70.93% 8,167 5,014 1,659 – – – – 14,840
Grey South Lib Lib 6,106 52.43% 565 4.85% 75.01% 5,541 6,106 – – – – – 11,647
Haldimand—Norfolk PC PC 13,007 59.37% 4,104 18.73% 64.25% 13,007 8,903 – – – – – 21,910
Halton PC PC 10,385 43.23% 727 3.03% 50.49% 10,385 9,658 3,977 – – – – 24,020
Hamilton Centre PC PC 7,287 39.76% 1,314 7.17% 49.97% 7,287 4,602 5,973 467 – – – 18,329
Hamilton East PC CCF 7,805 41.61% 1,017 5.42% 54.90% 6,788 3,574 7,805 591 – – – 18,758
Hamilton—Wentworth PC PC 10,453 56.55% 5,958 32.24% 56.98% 10,453 4,495 3,535 – – – – 18,483
Hastings East PC PC 6,141 56.95% 1,904 17.66% 65.66% 6,141 4,237 406 – – – – 10,784
Hastings West PC PC 10,384 59.06% 4,209 23.94% 58.32% 10,384 6,175 1,023 – – – – 17,582
Huron PC PC 7,759 55.84% 1,624 11.69% 76.34% 7,759 6,135 – – – – – 13,894
Huron—Bruce PC PC 6,683 55.42% 1,308 10.85% 76.53% 6,683 5,375 – – – – – 12,058
Kenora LL LL 6,559 44.98% 47 0.32% 69.75% 6,512 6,559[a 3] 1,512 – – – – 14,583
Kent East Lib Lib 7,352 56.14% 1,608 12.28% 77.45% 5,744 7,352 – – – – – 13,096
Kent West PC PC 9,941 51.15% 446 2.29% 55.95% 9,941 9,495 – – – – – 19,436
Kingston PC PC 10,330 56.53% 3,358 18.37% 63.73% 10,330 6,972 973 – – – – 18,275
Lambton East PC PC 6,673 53.69% 917 7.38% 70.91% 6,673 5,756 – – – – – 12,429
Lambton West PC PC 10,861 48.54% 2,094 9.36% 62.60% 10,861 8,767 2,746 – – – – 22,374
Lanark PC PC 8,843 62.24% 3,479 24.49% 64.26% 8,843 5,364 – – – – – 14,207
Leeds PC PC 11,318 65.35% 6,010 34.70% 67.15% 11,318 5,308 692 – – – – 17,318
Lincoln PC PC 18,089 49.57% 5,998 16.44% 56.06% 18,089 12,091 6,314 – – – – 36,494
London North PC PC 9,253 54.97% 3,288 19.53% 54.28% 9,253 5,965 1,615 – – – – 16,833
London South PC PC 9,888 50.71% 2,840 14.56% 49.95% 9,888 7,048 2,564 – – – – 19,500
Middlesex North PC PC 6,452 62.34% 2,907 28.09% 65.99% 6,452 3,545 353 – – – – 10,350
Middlesex South PC PC 9,317 55.98% 3,124 18.77% 59.45% 9,317 6,193 1,132 – – – – 16,642
Muskoka PC PC 5,995 56.47% 2,166 20.40% 71.63% 5,995 3,829 793 – – – – 10,617
Niagara Falls PC Lib 12,403 52.07% 4,345 18.24% 59.22% 8,058 12,403 3,357 – – – – 23,818
Nickel Belt PC PC 8,244 36.86% 453 2.03% 71.16% 8,244 7,791 6,333 – – – – 22,368
Nipissing PC Lib 10,390 49.91% 1,870 8.98% 62.87% 8,520 10,390 1,908 – – – – 20,818
Northumberland PC PC 10,322 58.28% 3,341 18.87% 79.32% 10,322 6,981 407 – – – – 17,710
Ontario PC PC 9,018 59.67% 4,822 31.90% 62.69% 9,018 4,196 1,900 – – – – 15,114
Oshawa CCF CCF 10,243 41.98% 1,600 6.56% 56.87% 8,643 5,513 10,243 – – – – 24,399
Ottawa East PC PC 7,965 49.27% 313 1.94% 50.87% 7,965 7,652 548 – – – – 16,165
Ottawa South PC PC 12,989 51.66% 1,870 7.44% 56.34% 12,989 11,119 1,037 – – – – 25,145
Ottawa West PC PC 8,505 51.44% 1,444 8.73% 58.29% 8,505 7,061 969 – – – – 16,535
Oxford Lib Lib 11,414 47.39% 216 0.90% 68.65% 11,198 11,414 1,475 – – – – 24,087
Parry Sound PC PC 6,540 57.81% 3,044 26.91% 71.19% 6,540 3,496 1,277 – – – – 11,313
Peel PC PC 13,278 42.98% 1,203 3.89% 59.45% 13,278 12,075 5,537 – – – – 30,890
Perth PC PC 11,791 51.70% 2,458 10.78% 68.36% 11,791 9,333 1,681 – – – – 22,805
Peterborough PC PC 13,984 58.17% 6,009 25.00% 58.23% 13,984 7,975 1,834 – 246 – – 24,039
Port Arthur PC PC 10,881 40.88% 2,022 7.60% 70.89% 10,881 8,859 6,874 – – – – 26,614
Prescott PC PC 6,587 58.76% 1,964 17.52% 69.19% 6,587 4,623 – – – – – 11,210
Prince Edward—Lennox PC PC 7,249 61.75% 2,758 23.49% 58.08% 7,249 4,491 – – – – – 11,740
Rainy River PC PC 4,896 52.57% 2,283 24.51% 72.26% 4,896 1,804 2,613 – – – – 9,313
Renfrew North PC PC 8,448 49.55% 1,118 6.56% 68.64% 8,448 7,330 1,270 – – – – 17,048
Renfrew South I-PC PC 8,411 56.96% 2,055 13.92% 79.90% 8,411 6,356 – – – – – 14,767
Russell PC PC 13,940 54.18% 3,445 13.39% 52.82% 13,940 10,495 1,294 – – – – 25,729
Stormont Lib Lib 12,109 62.63% 4,884 25.26% 62.87% 7,225 12,109 – – – – – 19,334
Sault Ste. Marie PC PC 8,260 40.10% 1,305 6.33% 59.76% 8,260 6,955 5,386 – – – – 20,601
Simcoe Centre PC PC 8,625 52.92% 2,240 13.74% 62.63% 8,625 6,385 1,287 – – – – 16,297
Simcoe East PC PC 8,631 57.28% 4,220 28.01% 61.88% 8,631 4,411 1,144 – – – 882 15,068
Sudbury PC Lib 10,904 44.19% 3,143 12.74% 68.56% 7,761 10,904 6,008 – – – – 24,673
Temiskaming PC PC 4,327 41.11% 1,117 10.61% 75.88% 4,327 3,210 2,989 – – – – 10,526
Victoria PC PC 11,117 73.98% 8,233 54.79% 65.92% 11,117 2,884 1,026 – – – – 15,027
Waterloo North Lib Lib 15,767 43.35% 4,168 11.46% 62.66% 11,599 15,767 9,003 – – – – 36,369
Waterloo South PC PC 9,075 42.13% 2,425 11.26% 66.43% 9,075 5,816 6,650 – – – – 21,541
Welland PC PC 12,915 47.16% 2,729 9.96% 62.44% 12,915 10,186 4,287 – – – – 27,388
Wellington—Dufferin PC PC 7,811 61.17% 2,852 22.33% 69.18% 7,811 4,959 – – – – – 12,770
Wellington South Lib Lib 10,427 50.47% 3,467 16.78% 69.71% 6,960 10,427 3,271 – – – – 20,658
Wentworth PC Lib 9,318 37.41% 945 3.79% 58.07% 8,373 9,318 7,219 – – – – 24,910
Wentworth East CCF CCF 9,366 51.01% 3,812 20.76% 53.28% 5,554 3,440 9,366 – – – – 18,360
Windsor—Walkerville PC Lib 6,340 41.40% 1,024 6.69% 63.05% 5,316 6,340 3,659 – – – – 15,315
Windsor—Sandwich PC Lib 8,388 38.23% 1,030 4.69% 55.31% 7,358 8,388 6,197 – – – – 21,943
York Centre PC Lib 15,857 36.54% 1,991 4.59% 51.21% 13,866 15,857 13,400 – – – 268 43,391
York East PC PC 21,827 47.33% 7,545 16.36% 50.17% 21,827 14,282 9,122 – 881 – – 46,112
York—Humber PC PC 11,850 44.02% 3,305 12.28% 52.58% 11,850 8,545 6,522 – – – – 26,917
York North PC PC 12,981 47.16% 2,999 10.90% 49.89% 12,981 9,982 4,560 – – – – 27,523
York—Scarborough PC PC 18,778 37.26% 1,536 3.05% 50.28% 18,778 17,242 14,380 – – – – 50,400
York South CCF CCF 14,478 46.89% 5,303 17.17% 50.06% 9,175 5,531 14,478 456 – – 1,237 30,877
York West PC PC 18,355 44.77% 6,191 15.10% 51.63% 18,355 12,164 10,484 – – – – 41,003
Beaches PC PC 7,294 45.90% 2,892 18.20% 57.16% 7,294 4,195 4,402 – – – – 15,891
Bellwoods PC PC 6,408 54.96% 3,733 32.02% 57.67% 6,408 2,675 1,867 710 – – – 11,660
Bracondale PC Lib 4,069 36.59% 391 3.52% 56.40% 3,678 4,069 2,925 – – 450 – 11,122
Dovercourt PC Lib 5,336 34.74% 218 1.42% 54.46% 5,118 5,336 4,434 473 – – – 15,361
Eglinton PC PC 14,805 57.35% 6,950 26.92% 51.93% 14,805 7,855 3,153 – – – – 25,813
High Park PC PC 6,414 37.85% 504 2.97% 57.20% 6,414 5,910 4,229 394 – – – 16,947
Parkdale PC Lib 9,233 47.05% 2,703 13.77% 56.77% 6,530 9,233 3,862 – – – – 19,625
Riverdale PC PC 7,814 51.25% 3,911 25.65% 48.09% 7,814 3,530 3,903 – – – – 15,247
St. Andrew PC PC 3,787 42.16% 781 8.70% 53.63% 3,787 3,006 1,655 402 132 – – 8,982
St. David PC PC 5,813 43.70% 1,520 11.43% 51.47% 5,813 4,293 2,971 226 – – – 13,303
St. George PC PC 7,960 54.31% 3,047 20.79% 49.17% 7,960 4,913 1,783 – – – – 14,656
St. Patrick PC PC 5,298 59.21% 2,767 30.92% 51.76% 5,298 2,531 1,119 – – – – 8,948
Woodbine PC CCF 7,883 41.87% 267 1.42% 57.44% 7,616 3,330 7,883 – – – – 18,829
  1. ^ including spoilt ballots
  2. ^ order is as given in EO reports
  3. ^ Albert Wren was already a member of the Legislature
  = open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = other incumbents renominated
  = Liberal-Labour candidate
  = Labour-CCF candidate

Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place[1]
Party in 1st place Party in 2nd place Total
PC Lib CCF
Progressive Conservative 65 6 71
Liberal 21 21
Liberal–Labour 1 1
Co-operative Commonwealth 5 5
Total 27 65 6 98
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party[1]
Parties 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
█ Progressive Conservative 71 27
█ Liberal 21 65 11
█ Co-operative Commonwealth 5 6 69
█ Liberal–Labour 1
█ Labour CCF 1
█ Labor–Progressive 8 1
█ Social Credit 4 1
█ Independent 2
█ Independent PC 2
█ White Canada 1
Resulting composition of the 26th Legislative Assembly[1]
Source Party
PC Lib Lib-Lab CCF Total
Seats retained Incumbents returned 63 10 1 3 77
Open seats held 7 7
Seats changing hands Incumbents defeated 8 2 10
Open seats gained 3 3
Byelection gains held 1 1
Total 71 21 1 5 98

Seats that changed hands

Elections to the 26th Parliament of Ontario – seats won/lost by party, 1955–1959
Party 1955 Gain from (loss to) 1959
PC Lib CCF L-L I-PC
Progressive Conservative 83 (11) (2) 1 71
Liberal 10 11 21
Co-operative Commonwealth 3 2 5
Liberal–Labour 1 1
Independent-PC 1 (1) –
Total 98 13 (1) – (11) – (2) – – 1 – 98

There were 14 seats that changed allegiance in the election.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "1959 general election results". Elections Ontario. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
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