# Bow Valley (provincial electoral district)

Bow Valley was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1913 to 1940, and again from 1971 to 1997.

## History

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Bow Valley :
| Assembly | Years | Member | Party |
| See Gleichen electoral district from 1905-1913 and Lethbridge District from 1909-1913 |||||
| 3rd | 1913–1913 | George Lane | Liberal |
| 3rd | 1913–1917 | Charles Richmond Mitchell | Liberal |
| 4th | 1917–1921 | Charles Richmond Mitchell | Liberal |
| 5th | 1921–1926 | Charles Richmond Mitchell | Liberal |
| 6th | 1926–1930 | Joseph Tweed Shaw | Liberal |
| 7th | 1930–1935 | John Mackintosh | Independent |
| 8th | 1935–1940 | Wilson E. Cain | Social Credit |
| See Edson electoral district from 1940-1971 and Bow Valley-Empress electoral district from 1940-1971 |||||
| 17th | 1971–1975 | Fred Mandeville | Social Credit |
| 18th | 1975–1979 | Fred Mandeville | Social Credit |
| 19th | 1979–1982 | Fred Mandeville | Social Credit |
| 20th | 1982–1986 | Tom Musgrove | Progressive Conservative |
| 21st | 1986–1989 | Tom Musgrove | Progressive Conservative |
| 22nd | 1989–1993 | Tom Musgrove | Progressive Conservative |
| 23rd | 1993–1997 | Lyle Oberg | Progressive Conservative |
| See Strathmore-Brooks electoral district from 1996-2019, Drumheller-Chinook electoral district from 1996-2004 and Cypress-Medicine Hat electoral district from 1996-Present |||||
The Bow Valley electoral district was formed in 1913 from the Gleichen and Lethbridge District electoral districts. Bow Valley would be abolished prior to the 1940 Alberta general election, primarily forming Bow Valley-Empress electoral district, and a small portion added to Edson electoral district.
Bow Valley was revived in the 1970 electoral district re-distribution from the Bow Valley-Empress electoral district.
In the 1996 electoral district re-distribution, the Bow Valley electoral district was abolished and the territory was divided among Strathmore-Brooks, Drumheller-Chinook and Cypress-Medicine Hat electoral districts. The Electoral Boundaries Commission drafted the report with the intention of the Strathmore-Brooks electoral district retaining the name "Bow Valley".

### Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

The 1926 Alberta general election would be the first held under single transferable vote in rural districts. Liberal leader Joseph Tweed Shaw came in second in the first count to United Farmers of Alberta candidate Ben S. Plumer. However, as per the rules of Instant-runoff voting, Plumer was not declared elected because he did not have a majority of the votes. After the least popular candidate was eliminated and his votes transferred, Shaw accumulated a majority and was declared elected. Shaw won the district by one vote.

## Election results
### 1913

vte1913 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | George Lane | 396 | 61.78% |
| | Conservative | Harold William Hounsfield Riley | 245 | 38.22% |
| Total | Total | Total | 641 |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1913 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1913 by-election

vteAlberta provincial by-election, June 12, 1913 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | Charles Richmond Mitchell | Acclaimed |
| Called due to resignation of G. Lane to provide seat |||||||
| Source: "By-elections for the Period of 1905 – 1973". Elections Alberta. Retrieved June 30, 2015. |||||||

### 1917

vte1917 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Richmond Mitchell | 604 | 58.13% | -3.65% |
| | Conservative | Edmund F. Purcell | 435 | 41.87% | 3.65% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,039 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 1,466 | 70.87% | 11.58% |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -3.65% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1917 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1921

vte1921 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Richmond Mitchell | 1,694 | 72.30% | 14.17% |
| | United Farmers | George A. Love | 649 | 27.70% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 2,343 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 2,669 | N/A | N/A |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | 14.17% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1921 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1926

The leader in first count was not elected in the end after transfer of votes belonging to the least-popular candidate.
vte1926 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes 1st count | % | Votes final count | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Tweed Shaw | 847 | 35.94% | 1,048 | -36.36% |
| | United Farmers | Ben S. Plumer | 869 | 36.87% | 1,047 | 9.17% |
| | Conservative | Edmund F. Purcell | 641 | 27.20% | – | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 2,357 | – | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 188 | – | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 3,750 | 67.87% | – | – |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -22.77% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley 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 | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John Mackintosh | 1,253 | 56.65% | – |
| | United Farmers | L.P. Schooling | 959 | 43.35% | 6.49% |
| Total | Total | Total | 2,212 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 189 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 2,936 | 81.78% | 13.91% |
| | Independent gain from Liberal | Independent gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | 7.11% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1935

vte1935 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Social Credit | Wilson E. Cain | 1,776 | 59.76% | – |
| | Liberal | David Nelson | 591 | 19.89% | – |
| | United Farmers | J. M. Wheatley | 401 | 13.49% | -29.86% |
| | Independent | John Mackintosh | 204 | 6.86% | -49.78% |
| Total | Total | Total | 2,972 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 127 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 3,606 | 85.94% | 4.16% |
| | Social Credit gain from Independent | Social Credit gain from Independent | Swing | Swing | 13.29% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1971

vte1971 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Social Credit | Fred Mandeville | 3,584 | 68.16% | – |
| | Progressive Conservative | Don Murray | 1,674 | 31.84% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 5,258 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 39 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 6,877 | 77.02% | – |
| | Social Credit pickup new district. | Social Credit pickup new district. | Social Credit pickup new district. | Social Credit pickup new district. | Social Credit pickup new district. | Social Credit pickup new district. | Social Credit pickup new district. |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1971 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1975

vte1975 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Social Credit | Fred Mandeville | 2,992 | 58.89% | -9.28% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Jim C. George | 1,906 | 37.51% | 5.68% |
| | New Democratic | Syd Evans | 183 | 3.60% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 5,081 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 14 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 7,981 | 63.84% | -13.18% |
| | Social Credit hold | Social Credit hold | Swing | Swing | -7.48% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1975 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1979

vte1979 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Social Credit | Fred Mandeville | 4,123 | 59.81% | 0.92% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Paul Bartlett | 2,484 | 36.03% | -1.48% |
| | New Democratic | Ron Wickson | 201 | 2.92% | -0.69% |
| | Liberal | Brian Nearing | 86 | 1.25% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 6,894 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 21 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 10,076 | 68.63% | 4.79% |
| | Social Credit hold | Social Credit hold | Swing | Swing | 1.20% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1979 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1982

vte1982 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Tom N. Musgrove | 4,541 | 60.34% | 24.31% |
| | Independent | Murray Erickson | 2,719 | 36.13% | – |
| | New Democratic | Bradley Neubauer | 266 | 3.53% | 0.62% |
| Total | Total | Total | 7,526 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 35 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 10,985 | 68.83% | 0.20% |
| | Progressive Conservative gain from Social Credit | Progressive Conservative gain from Social Credit | Swing | Swing | 0.22% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1982 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1986

vte1986 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Tom N. Musgrove | 3,395 | 57.88% | -2.46% |
| | Representative | Martha Andrews | 1,220 | 20.80% | – |
| | Liberal | Bud Olson | 1,046 | 17.83% | – |
| | New Democratic | Vanore Voaklander | 205 | 3.49% | -0.04% |
| Total | Total | Total | 5,866 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 6 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 12,287 | 47.79% | -21.04% |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | 6.43% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1986 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1989

vte1989 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Tom N. Musgrove | 3,405 | 60.46% | 2.58% |
| | Liberal | George Timko | 1,561 | 27.72% | 9.89% |
| | New Democratic | Larry D. Kern | 666 | 11.83% | 8.33% |
| Total | Total | Total | 5,632 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 12 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 11,486 | 49.14% | 1.35% |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | -2.17% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1989 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1993

vte1993 Alberta general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Lyle Oberg | 5,403 | 61.25% | 0.79% |
| | Liberal | Peter Hansen | 2,424 | 27.48% | -0.24% |
| | New Democratic | Richard Knutson | 558 | 6.33% | -5.50% |
| | Social Credit | Reuben Huber | 436 | 4.94% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 8,821 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 17 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 14,327 | 61.69% | 12.55% |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | 0.52% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||