# Pincher Creek (provincial electoral district)

Pincher Creek was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1940.

## History

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Pincher Creek :
| Assembly | Years | Member | Party |
| 1st | 1905–1909 | John Plummer Marcellus | Liberal |
| 2nd | 1909–1911 | David Warnock | Liberal |
| 2nd | 1911–1913 | John H.W.S. Kemmis | Conservative |
| 3rd | 1913–1917 | John H.W.S. Kemmis | Conservative |
| 4th | 1917–1921 | John H.W.S. Kemmis | Conservative |
| 5th | 1921–1926 | Earle G. Cook | United Farmers |
| 6th | 1926–1930 | Earle G. Cook | United Farmers |
| 7th | 1930–1935 | Harvey Bossenberry | Liberal |
| 8th | 1935–1940 | Roy Charles Taylor | Social Credit |
| See Pincher Creek-Crowsnest electoral district from 1940-1993 and Cardston electoral district from 1940-1993 |||||
The Pincher Creek electoral district was founded as one of the original 25 electoral districts contested in the 1905 Alberta general election upon Alberta joining Confederation in September 1905.
The Pincher Creek electoral district was abolished prior to the 1940 Alberta general election and the territory was redistributed into the Pincher Creek-Crowsnest and Cardston electoral districts.

### Electoral history

The first general election held in the Pincher Creek electoral district turned into a hotly contested four way race. Large portions of the population worked as coal miners in the mountains while the foothills provided prime land for cattle ranching.
Former Mayor of Town of Pincher Creek R. O. Allison would unsuccessful contest the 1926 and 1935 Alberta general elections.

## Election results
### 1905

vte1905 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Plummer Marcellus | 550 | 39.40% | – |
| | Conservative | Frank A. Sherman | 436 | 31.23% | – |
| | Independent | John H.W.S. Kemmis | 410 | 29.37% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,396 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | N/A | N/A | – |
| | Liberal pickup new district. | Liberal pickup new district. | Liberal pickup new district. | Liberal pickup new district. | Liberal pickup new district. | Liberal pickup new district. | Liberal pickup new district. |
| Source(s) Source: "Pincher Creek Official Results 1905 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||
The Returning Officer for the election was James H. Schofield. The provincial Liberal candidate in the election was local rancher John Marcellus. The provincial Conservatives ran John Kemmis. The third party candidate in the race was Frank Sherman who stood as a Labor candidate representing the United Mine Workers Union. Rounding out the field was Independent candidate Charles Kettles. Kettles was well known for founding the Pincher Creek townsite in 1882 when he worked for the North-West Mounted Police and served as a Department of Indian Affairs employee. He also ran a grocery store C. Kettles & Co. He dropped out of the race in time to have his name stricken off the ballot.
On election night the race between Marcellus and Sherman seesawed back and forth. At one time during the night Marcellus had conceded his defeat as Sherman pulled ahead in first place. However the election turned as the final polls brought in favorable results for Marcellus leading him to a close victory. Kemmis ran a close third through the evening.

### 1909

vte1909 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | David Warnock | 560 | 57.26% | 17.86% |
| | Conservative | E.J. Mitchell | 418 | 42.74% | 11.51% |
| Total | Total | Total | 978 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 1,301 | 75.17% | – |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | 3.18% |
| Source(s) Source: "Pincher Creek Official Results 1909 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1911 by-election

vteAlberta provincial by-election, October 31, 1911 Upon the resignation of David Warnock to run for a seat in the House of Commons :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John H.W.S. Kemmis | 576 | 57.26% | 14.52% |
| | Liberal | J. F. Ross | 430 | 42.74% | -14.52% |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,006 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Electors / turnout | Electors / turnout | Electors / turnout | N/A | N/A | – |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | -7.26% |
| Source(s) "By-elections". Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 26, 2020. |||||||

### 1913

vte1913 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John H.W.S. Kemmis | 487 | 53.34% | -3.92% |
| | Liberal | A. N. Mount | 426 | 46.66% | 3.92% |
| Total | Total | Total | 913 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 1,053 | 86.70% | 11.53% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | 1.96% |
| Source(s) Source: "Pincher Creek Official Results 1913 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1917

vte1917 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John H.W.S. Kemmis | 496 | 36.47% | -16.87% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Hammond | 448 | 32.94% | -13.72% |
| | Nonpartisan League | J. E. Hillier | 416 | 30.59% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,360 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 1,769 | 76.88% | -9.83% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | -1.58% |
| Source(s) Source: "Pincher Creek Official Results 1917 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1921

vte1921 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | United Farmers | Earle G. Cook | 572 | 41.81% | – |
| | Liberal | Harvey Bossenberry | 471 | 34.43% | 1.49% |
| | Independent | A. E. Cox | 192 | 14.04% | -16.55% |
| | Independent | Donald Randolph McIvor | 133 | 9.72% | -20.87% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,368 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | N/A | N/A | – |
| | United Farmers gain from Conservative | United Farmers gain from Conservative | Swing | Swing | 1.93% |
| Source(s) Source: "Pincher Creek Official Results 1921 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1926

vte1926 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes 1st count | % | Votes final count | ±% |
| | United Farmers | Earle G. Cook | 542 | 33.77% | 720 | -8.04% |
| | Liberal | Harvey Bossenberry | 592 | 36.88% | 668 | 2.45% |
| | Conservative | R. O. Allison | 471 | 29.35% | – | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,605 | – | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 37 | – | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 1,868 | 87.90% | – | – |
| | United Farmers hold | United Farmers hold | Swing | Swing | -5.25% |
| Source(s) Source: "Pincher Creek Official Results 1926 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.Instant-runoff voting requires a candidate to receive a plurality (greater than 50%) of the votes. As no candidate received a plurality of votes, the bottom candidate was eliminated and their 2nd place votes were applied to both other candidates until one received a plurality. |||||||

### 1930

vte1930 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Harvey Bossenberry | 959 | 51.04% | 14.15% |
| | United Farmers | Earle G. Cook | 920 | 48.96% | 15.19% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,879 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 38 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 2,424 | 79.08% | -8.82% |
| | Liberal gain from United Farmers | Liberal gain from United Farmers | Swing | Swing | 2.60% |
| Source(s) Source: "Pincher Creek Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1935

vte1935 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Social Credit | Roy Charles Taylor | 1,214 | 51.66% | – |
| | Liberal | Harvey Bossenberry | 528 | 22.47% | -28.57% |
| | Conservative | R. O. Allison | 312 | 13.28% | – |
| | United Farmers | Earle G. Cook | 296 | 12.60% | -36.37% |
| Total | Total | Total | 2,350 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 65 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 2,731 | 88.43% | 9.34% |
| | Social Credit gain from Liberal | Social Credit gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | 13.56% |
| Source(s) Source: "Pincher Creek Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||