# 1937 British Columbia general election

The 1937 British Columbia general election was the nineteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 14, 1937, and held on June 1, 1937. The new legislature met for the first time on October 26, 1937.
The governing Liberal Party, despite winning only 37% of the popular vote, benefited from the split in the opposition vote between the Conservative Party and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. Liberals won a solid majority of the seats in the legislature with barely more than a third of the votes cast.
The rift in the Conservative Party that led to its decision not to nominate candidates in the 1933 election had been resolved, and the party was able to form the official opposition.
The Conservatives and CCF each won about 29% of the vote, and only 8 seats and 7 seats, respectively (they were each due about 14 based on their vote share). Two other seats were won by an Independent and a Labour party candidate.

## Health insurance plebiscite

In 1936, the Legislature passed an Act providing for the creation of a health insurance plan for the Province. This was 26 years ahead of its introduction in Saskatchewan in 1962. The medical profession resisted its implementation to such a degree that a plebiscite was held on the same day as the election.
The question asked was, "Are you in favour of a comprehensive Health Insurance plan progressively applied?" The results were as follows:
1937 health insurance plebiscite :
| Type of vote | Yes | No | Total |
| Ordinary and absentee votes | 143,218 | 98,946 | 242,164 |
| Yes or No written on the ballot | 4,613 | 4,687 | 9,300 |
| Total | 147,831 | 103,633 | 251,464 |
| Percentage | 58.79% | 41.21% | 100.00% |
| Electoral districts carried | 42 | 6 | 48 |
Despite the majority in favour, the legislation was never brought into force, but it would not be repealed until 1973. Medicare was finally introduced after the 1967 passage of the Medical Services Act.

## Results

Elections to the 19th Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (1937) :
| Political party | Political party | Party leader | MLAs | MLAs | MLAs | MLAs | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Political party | Political party | Party leader | Candidates | 1933 | 1937 | ± | # | ± | % | ± (pp) |
| | Liberal | Duff Pattullo | 48 | 35 | 31 | 4 | 156,074 | 3,057 | 37.34 | 4.40 |
| | Conservative | Frank Porter Patterson | 43 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 119,521 | 54,278 | 28.60 | 11.48 |
| | CCF split | CCF split | CCF split | CCF split | CCF split | CCF split | CCF split | CCF split | CCF split | CCF split |
| | █ Co-operative Commonwealth | None | 46 | 7 | 7 | | 119,400 | 785 | 28.57 | 2.96 |
| | █ Social Constructive | Robert Connell | 14 | – | – | – | 8,086 | 8,086 | 1.93 | New |
| | Independent | | 11 | 1 | 1 | | 7,341 | 18,317 | 1.76 | 4.97 |
| | Labour (all factions) | | 2 | 1 | 1 | | 1,787 | 570 | 0.43 | 0.19 |
| | Social Credit League | Andrew Henry Jukes | 18 | – | – | – | 4,812 | 4,812 | 1.15 | New |
| | Communist | | 1 | – | – | – | 567 | 567 | 0.14 | New |
| | Socialist Party of Canada | | 2 | – | – | – | 287 | 287 | 0.07 | Returned |
| | Financial Justice | | 1 | – | – | – | 54 | 54 | 0.01 | New |
| Total | Total | Total | 186 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 417,929 | 417,929 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 4,143 | 763 | | |
| Actual voters who voted | Actual voters who voted | Actual voters who voted | Actual voters who voted | Actual voters who voted | Actual voters who voted | Actual voters who voted | 265,446 | 29,031 | 71.20% | 1.87 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 372,781 | 49,241 | | |
* ↑ Assembly was increased mid-term by the division of Columbia-Revelstoke, thus reviving the previous districts of Columbia and Revelstoke.
* ↑ Compared to the 1933 aggregate of all Conservative factions.
* ↑ CCF leader Robert Connell was expelled from the party over doctrinal differences.
Seats and popular vote by party :
| Party | Seats | Votes | Change (pp) | Change (pp) |
| █ Liberal | 31 / 48 | 37.34% | -4.40 | |
| █ Conservative (all factions) | 8 / 48 | 28.60% | 11.48 | 11.48 |
| █ Co-operative Commonwealth | 7 / 48 | 28.57% | -2.96 | |
| █ Social Constructive | 0 / 48 | 1.93% | 1.93 | 1.93 |
| █ Independent | 1 / 48 | 1.76% | -4.97 | |
| █ Social Credit League | 0 / 48 | 1.15% | 1.15 | 1.15 |
| █ Other | 1 / 48 | 0.65% | -2.23 | |

## MLAs elected
### Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1937 British Columbia general election (single-member districts) :
| Riding | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Name | 1933 | 1933 | Party | Party | Votes | Share | Margin # | Margin % | Lib | Con | CCF | SCP | SCL | Ind | Oth | Total |
| Alberni-Nanaimo | | Lib | | Lib | 3,616 | 44.34% | 487 | 5.98% | 3,616 | 1,014 | 3,129 | 397 | – | – | – | 8,156 |
| Atlin | | Lib | | Lib | 562 | 54.56% | 299 | 29.03% | 562 | 205 | 263 | – | – | – | – | 1,030 |
| Burnaby | | CCF | | CCF | 5,908 | 44.03% | 2,529 | 18.85% | 3,379 | 2,307 | 5,908 | 644 | 136 | 1,073 | – | 13,417 |
| Cariboo | | Lib | | Lib | 1,921 | 74.57% | 1,266 | 49.14% | 1,921 | – | – | – | – | 655 | – | 2,576 |
| Chilliwack | | Lib | | Con | 2,524 | 40.08% | 304 | 4.83% | 2,220 | 2,524 | 1,554 | – | – | – | – | 6,298 |
| Columbia | | Lib | | Lib | 921 | 57.06% | 550 | 34.07% | 921 | 371 | 322 | – | – | – | – | 1,614 |
| Comox | | Lib | | CCF | 2,336 | 44.83% | 460 | 8.83% | 1,876 | 999 | 2,336 | – | – | – | – | 5,211 |
| Cowichan-Newcastle | | OG | | CCF | 1,560 | 33.58% | 336 | 7.23% | 1,224 | 639 | 1,560 | – | – | 1,222 | – | 4,645 |
| Cranbrook | | Lib | | Lib | 3,110 | 76.73% | 2,167 | 53.46% | 3,110 | – | 943 | – | – | – | – | 4,053 |
| Delta | | CCF | | CCF | 3,192 | 32.93% | 90 | 0.92% | 3,102 | 2,815 | 3,192 | 583 | – | – | – | 9,692 |
| Dewdney | | Lib | | Con | 1,870 | 39.27% | 252 | 5.29% | 1,618 | 1,870 | 1,274 | – | – | – | – | 4,762 |
| Esquimalt | | Un | | Con | 1,642 | 41.60% | 226 | 5.72% | 1,416 | 1,642 | 765 | – | 57 | 67 | – | 3,947 |
| Fernie | | ILP | | ILP | 1,701 | 53.64% | 231 | 7.28% | 1,470 | – | – | – | – | – | 1,701 | 3,171 |
| Fort George | | Lib | | Lib | 1,493 | 51.54% | 323 | 11.15% | 1,493 | 234 | 1,170 | – | – | – | – | 2,897 |
| Grand Forks-Greenwood | | Lib | | Lib | 722 | 41.93% | 19 | 1.11% | 722 | 703 | 164 | 133 | – | – | – | 1,722 |
| The Islands | | Lib | | Con | 953 | 45.12% | 259 | 12.26% | 694 | 953 | 414 | – | 51 | – | – | 2,112 |
| Kamloops | | Lib | | Lib | 1,786 | 38.89% | 325 | 7.07% | 1,786 | 1,461 | 1,345 | – | – | – | – | 4,592 |
| Kaslo-Slocan | | Lib | | Lib | 1,064 | 38.86% | 135 | 4.93% | 1,064 | 715 | 929 | – | 30 | – | – | 2,738 |
| Lillooet | | Lib | | Lib | 1,176 | 39.78% | 251 | 8.49% | 1,176 | 925 | 855 | – | – | – | – | 2,956 |
| Mackenzie | | CCF | | Lib | 1,828 | 33.93% | 167 | 3.10% | 1,828 | 1,661 | 1,625 | 152 | 122 | – | – | 5,388 |
| Nelson-Creston | | Lib | | Lib | 2,149 | 39.17% | 248 | 4.52% | 2,149 | 1,901 | 1,121 | – | 177 | 139 | – | 5,487 |
| New Westminster | | Lib | | Lib | 4,055 | 52.02% | 2,289 | 29.36% | 4,055 | 1,766 | 1,321 | – | – | – | 653 | 7,795 |
| North Okanagan | | Lib | | Lib | 2,689 | 52.64% | 970 | 18.99% | 2,689 | 1,719 | 700 | – | – | – | – | 5,108 |
| North Vancouver | | CCF | | CCF | 2,749 | 32.23% | 363 | 4.25% | 1,847 | 1,522 | 2,749 | – | – | 2,411 | – | 8,529 |
| Omineca | | Lib | | Lib | 1,013 | 50.90% | 230 | 11.55% | 1,013 | 194 | 783 | – | – | – | – | 1,990 |
| Peace River | | NP | | Lib | 1,168 | 42.61% | 263 | 9.59% | 1,168 | 434 | 905 | – | – | 234 | – | 2,741 |
| Prince Rupert | | Lib | | Lib | 1,446 | 49.55% | 650 | 22.27% | 1,446 | 662 | 796 | – | 14 | – | – | 2,918 |
| Revelstoke | | Lib | | Lib | 1,162 | 61.16% | 629 | 33.11% | 1,162 | 533 | 205 | – | – | – | – | 1,900 |
| Rossland-Trail | | Lib | | Lib | 1,877 | 46.70% | 626 | 15.57% | 1,877 | 1,251 | 891 | – | – | – | – | 4,019 |
| Saanich | | Lib | | Lib | 2,106 | 36.14% | 447 | 7.67% | 2,106 | 1,659 | 1,531 | 224 | 271 | 37 | – | 5,828 |
| Salmon Arm | | NP | | Ind | 1,533 | 48.33% | 649 | 20.46% | 884 | – | 755 | – | – | 1,533 | – | 3,172 |
| Similkameen | | Lib | | Lib | 2,266 | 43.55% | 136 | 2.61% | 2,266 | 2,130 | 807 | – | – | – | – | 5,203 |
| Skeena | | Lib | | Lib | 1,006 | 59.74% | 328 | 19.48% | 1,006 | – | 678 | – | – | – | – | 1,684 |
| South Okanagan | | Lib | | Lib | 2,388 | 45.02% | 287 | 5.41% | 2,388 | 2,101 | 815 | – | – | – | – | 5,304 |
| Yale | | Lib | | Lib | 968 | 59.94% | 546 | 33.81% | 968 | 225 | 422 | – | – | – | – | 1,615 |
* ↑ James Lyle Telford was nominated by the local CCF Club, but suspended and repudiated by provincial Executive
* ↑ supported and endorsed by SCP
    = open seat
    = 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
    = other incumbents renominated
    = multiple candidates
Results by riding - 1937 British Columbia general election (multiple-member districts) :
| Riding | Riding | Winning party | Winning party | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Name | MLAs | 1933 | 1937 | Lib | Con | CCF | SCP | SCL | Ind | Oth | Total |
| Vancouver-Burrard | 2 | 2 | 2 | 16,903 | 13,503 | 14,423 | 765 | 581 | – | 54 | 46,229 |
| Vancouver Centre | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12,821 | 8,261 | 11,461 | 891 | 922 | – | 234 | 34,590 |
| Vancouver East | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10,314 | 5,914 | 23,102 | 1,146 | 389 | – | 53 | 40,918 |
| Vancouver-Point Grey | 3 | 3 | 2 1 | 27,243 | 29,134 | 18,589 | – | 1,001 | – | – | 75,967 |
| Victoria City | 4 | 2 1 1 | 2 2 | 26,571 | 25,574 | 9,598 | 3,151 | 1,061 | – | – | 65,955 |