Canadian election maps

[Hatman 🍁]

I don't know how active I will be in making these, but I guess I should make a thread for any maps I make.

Here is a map of Ontario for the 1867 federal election (Canada's first election as a country)

[Hatman 🍁]

Here's 1872. I had to make an educated guess for Muskoka however, as the description wasn't exactly clear.

 

[Hatman 🍁]

Very interesting; could you explain some of the voting patterns?

I was hoping you could shed some light on that, Al. This is interesting stuff, but unfortunately my knowledge is lacking as to exact voting patterns of the day.

The Conservatives won both elections, however 1872 was much closer. In Ontario, the Liberals picked up a lot of seats.

Results in Ontario:
1867 Cons 49, Lib 33
1872 Cons 39, Lib 49

[Hatman 🍁]

I was hoping you could shed some light on that, Al. This is interesting stuff, but unfortunately my knowledge is lacking as to exact voting patterns of the day.

I was wondering how closely the voting patterns fitted in with where different groups of immigrants and all that settled... I've got some maps somewhere actually...

This map might help: http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/archives/1stedition/peopleandsociety/population/page29a_29b

Looks like the Irish voted Conservative and the English Liberal.

I should also note that the maps I made reflect the party's on the ballot (ie listed on the Parliament's website). In some cases people who ran as Liberal-Conservatives would end up sitting as a Liberal.

[Hatman 🍁]

1874

[Hatman 🍁]

Hashemite reminded me of this thread, and I posted this in the gallery but never here:

1878

[Hatman 🍁]

1882

That looks like the area around Woodstock.

Oxford North, actually. So, close enough.

I like these threads.

Was the white area sparsely inhabited?

Pretty much. Perhaps a few logging camps and whatnot.

[Hatman 🍁]

1887

[Hatman 🍁]

1891:

[Hatman 🍁]

1896:

[Hatman 🍁]

1900:

[Hatman 🍁]

1904. This one took a while. I had to add an inset for Northern Ontario and Toronto.

[Hatman 🍁]

1908

[Hatman 🍁]

1911.. Conservative sweep

[Hatman 🍁]

The suggestion to look at the earlist settlement patterns makes excellent sense. Generally the Liberals got a lot of support from areas in Western Ontario that were Methodist - the old Clear Grit "Rep by Pop" tradition. Eastern Ontario was Tory - the Conservatives got strong support from Northern Irish (Protestant) and the Liberals from Irish Catholics as well as some immigrants such as Germans. Once voting paterns got settled I can follow small Irish Catholic settlements in Eastern Ontario which voted Liberal for decades of elections (e.g. Downeyville in Victoria, Stoco and Hanleys in Hastings).

Perhaps due to the National Policy, the Conservatives ran very well in small industrial towns like Thorold, Walkerville and Paris, as well as larger cities generally while Liberal support was more strongly rural (and in favour of lower tariffs). Some counties like Oxford were incredible Liberal strongholds.

I am glad to be the first to note the 1882 map which was the first under Sir John A's incredible gerrymander! It didn't help a great deal but if you compare boundaries to 1878 you will see a lot of changes in Western Ontario. He tried very hard!

I was wondering what the deal with Oxford was. Fascinating. And, I hypothesized about the Irish Protestants voting Conservative. Would explain why my Irish great grandmother (a proud Protestant) voted Conservative.

I dont know why Macdonald bothered with those gerrymanders, they didn't seem to help him that much.

[Hatman 🍁]

Dear SoFA EarlAW - you are coming up to two very interesting elections. 1917 was interesting for its unionist vote but better still is 1921 with the intrusion of the Progressive party.

I know, but I have to make a base map, and that will be difficult.