1894 Ontario general election

The 1894 Ontario general election was the eighth general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 26, 1894, to elect the 94 Members of the 8th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs").

The main issues were the Liberals' "Ontario System", as well as French language schools, farmer interests, support for Toronto business, woman suffrage, the temperance movement, and the demands of labour unions.

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Oliver Mowat, formed the government for the seventh consecutive parliament, even though some of its members were elected under joint banners: either with the Patrons of Industry or the Protestant Protective Association.

The Ontario Conservative Party, led by William Ralph Meredith, formed the official opposition.

The Patrons of Industry, a farmers' organization formed in 1890, cooperated with the urban labour movement to address the political frustrations of both groups with big business. Sixteen members of the Legislative Assembly were elected with Patrons of Industry support—12 Liberals, one Conservative, and three who ran only under the "Patrons of Industry" banner.

The Protestant Protective Association (PPA) was an anti-Catholic group, associated with the Orange Order. It campaigned against the rights of Catholics and French-Canadians, and argued that Roman Catholics were attempting to take over Ontario. Nine candidates were elected with PPA support, 6 Conservatives, 1 Liberal and 2 who ran only under the PPA banner. The PPA worked most closely with the Conservative opposition.

Unlike the previous two elections, this election strictly used First past the post to elect the members. The Toronto district was divided into separate single member districts, as part of the expansion of the Assembly.

Expansion of the Legislative Assembly
An Act passed just prior to the election increased the size of the Assembly from 91 to 94 seats:


 * Toronto, a riding that returned three MLAs, was divided into Toronto East, Toronto North, Toronto South and Toronto West.
 * Hamilton, a single-member constituency, was divided into Hamilton East and Hamilton West.
 * Ottawa became a two-member riding.

Results
! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party ! rowspan=2 | Party leader ! colspan=5 | MPPs ! colspan=3 | Votes ! Candidates !1890 ! Dissol. !1894 !± !# !% ! ± (pp)


 * style="text-align:left;"|Oliver Mowat
 * 80
 * 53
 * 45
 * 8
 * 153,826
 * 40.99%
 * 8.64
 * 8.64


 * style="text-align:left;"|William Ralph Meredith
 * 56
 * 34
 * 23
 * 11
 * 104,369
 * 27.81%
 * 12.07
 * 12.07


 * style="text-align:left;"|Liberal-Patrons
 * style="text-align:left;"|
 * 26
 * 12
 * 12
 * 44,029
 * 11.73%
 * New
 * 11.73%
 * New


 * style="text-align:left;"|Conservative–P.P.A.
 * style="text-align:left;"|
 * 13
 * 5
 * 5
 * 24,616
 * 6.56%
 * New
 * 6.56%
 * New


 * style="text-align:left;"|Joseph Longford Haycock
 * 7
 * 3
 * 3
 * 10,465
 * 2.79%
 * New
 * 2.79%
 * New


 * style="text-align:left;"|Conservative-Patrons
 * style="text-align:left;"|
 * 7
 * 2
 * 2
 * 11,608
 * 3.09%
 * New
 * 3.09%
 * New


 * style="text-align:left;"|Liberal-P.P.A.
 * style="text-align:left;"|
 * 2
 * 2
 * 2
 * 3,649
 * 0.97%
 * New
 * style="background-color:#FF8000;"|
 * style="text-align:left;"|Protestant Protective Association
 * style="text-align:left;"|
 * 8
 * 1
 * 1
 * 11,015
 * 2.94%
 * New
 * 1
 * 1
 * 11,015
 * 2.94%
 * New


 * style="text-align:left;"|
 * 1
 * 1
 * 1
 * 2,326
 * 0.62%
 * New
 * 0.62%
 * New


 * style="text-align:left;"|
 * 9
 * 9,374
 * 2.50%
 * New
 * 9,374
 * 2.50%
 * New
 * New


 * style="text-align:left;"|Liberal-Equal Rights
 * style="text-align:left;"|
 * 2
 * 2
 * colspan="3"|Did not campaign
 * 2
 * colspan="3"|Did not campaign
 * colspan="3"|Did not campaign


 * style="text-align:left;"|Conservative-Equal Rights
 * style="text-align:left;"|
 * 2
 * 2
 * colspan="3"|Did not campaign
 * 2
 * colspan="3"|Did not campaign
 * colspan="3"|Did not campaign


 * colspan="3"|
 * colspan="5"|
 * -style="background:#E9E9E9;"
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left;"|Total
 * 209
 * 91
 * 91
 * 94
 * 375,277
 * 100.00%
 * colspan="8" style="text-align:left;"|Blank and invalid ballots
 * align="right"|3,886
 * style="background:#E9E9E9;" colspan="2"|
 * -style="background:#E9E9E9;"
 * colspan="8" style="text-align:left;"|Registered voters / turnout
 * 539,358
 * 70.30%
 * 0.70
 * }
 * 539,358
 * 70.30%
 * 0.70
 * }

Before the Legislature's first session opened, four by-elections were called. William Ralph Meredith (London) resigned to accept appointment as a judge, while the elections of James M. Savage (Algoma West), John Senn (Haldimand) and Edward H. Smythe (Kingston) were overturned on appeal. The Liberals won all four Conservative seats, thus securing a majority in the Assembly. That, together with the inability of the Patrons of Industry and the Conservatives to combine on any issue, ensured the Liberals' hold on power.

Synopsis of results

 * = open seat
 * = turnout is above provincial average
 * = 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
 * = incumbency arose from prior election result being overturned by the court
 * = other incumbents renominated
 * = joint Conservative candidate
 * = joint Independent Conservative candidate
 * = joint Liberal candidate
 * = joint Labour candidate
 * = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
 * = multiple candidates

! colspan=2 | Political party ! Candidate ! Votes ! % ! Elected ! Incumbent


 * style="text-align:left;"|George O. O'Keefe
 * 3,381 ||29.99
 * style="text-align:center;"|✅


 * style="text-align:left;"|Erskine Henry Bronson
 * 3,316 ||29.41
 * style="text-align:center;"|✅
 * style="text-align:center;"|✅


 * style="text-align:left;"|Taylor McVeitty
 * 2,616 ||23.20


 * style="text-align:left;"|A. F. McIntyre
 * 1,923 ||17.06

!colspan="3" style="text-align:right;"|Majority !colspan="3" style="text-align:right;"|Turnout !colspan="3" style="text-align:right;"|Registered voters
 * style="text-align:left;"|T. H. Beck
 * 39 ||0.65
 * 700 ||6.21
 * 6,841 ||56.11
 * 12,193
 * }

MLAs elected by region and riding
Party designations are as follows:

{{legend|#EA6D6A|Liberal}} {{legend|#9999FF|Conservative}} {{legend|#A52A2A|Patrons of Industry and allied candidates}} {{legend|#FF8000|Protestant Protective Association and allied candidates}}


 * Northern Ontario
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Algoma East: Charles Franklin Farwell}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Algoma West: James M. Savage}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Nipissing: John Loughrin}}


 * Ottawa Valley
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Carleton: George Nelson Kidd C-PI}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Lanark North: Richard Franklin Preston}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Lanark South: Arthur James Matheson}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Ottawa: Erskine Henry Bronson}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Ottawa: George O. O'Keefe}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Prescott: Alfred Évanturel}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Renfrew North: Henry Barr}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Renfrew South: Robert Adam Campbell}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Russell: Alexander Robillard}}


 * Saint Lawrence Valley
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Brockville: George Augustus Dana}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Dundas: James Pliny Whitney}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Glengarry: David Murdoch McPherson L-PI}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Grenville: Orlando Bush}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Kingston: Edward H. Smythe}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Leeds: Walter Beatty}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Stormont: John Bennett L-PI}}


 * Central Ontario
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Addington: James Reid}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Durham East: William Armstrong Fallis}}
 * {{legend|#FF8000|Durham West: William Henry Reid C-PP}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Frontenac: Joseph Longford Haycock L-PI}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Hastings East: Alexander McLaren L-PI}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Hastings North: James Haggerty}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Hastings West: William Hodgins Biggar}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Lennox: Walter William Meacham}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Northumberland East: William Arnson Willoughby}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Northumberland West: Corelli Collard Field}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Peterborough East: Thomas Blezard}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Peterborough West: James Robert Stratton}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Prince Edward: John Caven L-PI}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Victoria East: John Hilliard Carnegie}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Victoria West: John McKay}}


 * Georgian Bay
 * {{legend|#FF8000|Bruce North: Daniel McNaughton L-PP}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Grey North: James Cleland}}
 * {{legend|#FF8000|Muskoka: George Edward Langford C-PP}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Parry Sound: William Rabb Beatty L-PI}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Simcoe Centre: Robert Paton}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Simcoe East: Andrew Miscampbell}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Simcoe West: Archibald S. Currie L-PI}}


 * Wentworth/Halton/Niagara
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Halton: William Kerns}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Hamilton East: James Taylor Middleton}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Hamilton West: John Morison Gibson}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Lincoln: James Hiscott}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Monck: Richard Harcourt}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Welland: William McCleary}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Wentworth North: John Ira Flatt}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Wentworth South: Nicholas Awrey}}


 * Midwestern Ontario
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Brant North: William Bruce Wood}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Brant South: Arthur Sturgis Hardy}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Bruce Centre: John Stevenson McDonald L-PI}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Bruce South: Reuben Eldridge Truax}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Dufferin: William Dynes}}
 * {{legend|#FF8000|Grey Centre: Thomas Gamey}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Grey South: David McNicol}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Haldimand: John Senn}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Huron East: Thomas Gibson}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Huron South: Murdo Young McLean}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Huron West: James Thompson Garrow}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Norfolk North: Edwin Clarendon Carpenter}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Norfolk South: William Andrew Charlton}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Oxford North: Oliver Mowat}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Oxford South: Angus McKay}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Perth North: Thomas Magwood}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Perth South: John McNeill L-PI}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Waterloo North: Alexander Black Robertson}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Waterloo South: John Douglas Moore}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Wellington East: John Craig}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Wellington South: John Mutrie}}
 * {{legend|#FF8000|Wellington West: George Tucker C-PP}}


 * Southwestern Ontario
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Elgin East: Charles Andrew Brower}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Elgin West: Donald Macnish L-PI}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Essex North: William J. McKee}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Essex South: William Douglas Balfour}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Kent East: Robert Ferguson}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Kent West: Thomas Letson Pardo L-PI}}
 * {{legend|#FF8000|Lambton East: Peter Duncan McCallum IC-PP}}
 * {{legend|#FF8000|Lambton West: Alfred Thomas Gurd C-PP}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|London: William Ralph Meredith}}
 * {{legend|#FF8000|Middlesex East: William Shore L-PP}}
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Middlesex North: William Taylor L-PI}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Middlesex West: George William Ross}}


 * Peel/York/Ontario
 * {{legend|#A52A2A|Cardwell: Edward Alfred Little C-PI}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Ontario North: Thomas William Chapple}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Ontario South: John Dryden}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|Peel: Kenneth Chisholm}}
 * {{legend|#FF8000|Toronto East: George Ryerson C-PP}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Toronto North: George Frederick Marter}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Toronto South: Oliver Aiken Howland}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|Toronto West: Thomas Crawford}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|York East: John Richardson}}
 * {{legend|#EA6D6A|York North: Elihu James Davis}}
 * {{legend|#9999FF|York West: Joseph Wesley St. John}}

Division of ridings
The newly created ridings returned the following MLAs:

Seats that changed hands
Of the constituencies that were not altered, there were 38 seats that changed allegiance in the election:


 * Liberal to Conservative
 * Algoma West
 * Haldimand
 * Perth North
 * York West


 * Liberal to Liberal/Patrons of Industry
 * Bruce Centre
 * Middlesex North
 * Parry Sound
 * Perth South
 * Glengarry
 * Prince Edward
 * Stormont


 * Liberal to Conservative/PPA
 * Lambton West
 * Durham West
 * Wellington West


 * Liberal to Patrons of Industry
 * Grey South


 * Liberal to Independent-Conservative/PPA
 * Lambton East


 * Conservative to Liberal
 * Algoma East
 * Brockville
 * Essex North
 * Ontario North
 * Renfrew North
 * Welland


 * Conservative to Liberal/Patrons of Industry
 * Hastings East
 * Kent West
 * Elgin West
 * Frontenac
 * Simcoe West


 * Conservative to Conservative/PPA
 * Muskoka


 * Conservative to Patrons of Industry
 * Hastings North


 * Conservative to Conservative/Patrons of Industry
 * Cardwell
 * Carleton


 * Conservative to Liberal/PPA
 * Bruce North
 * Middlesex East


 * Conservative to PPA
 * Grey Centre


 * Liberal/Equal Rights to Liberal
 * Victoria West


 * Liberal/Equal Rights to Conservative
 * Lanark North


 * Conservative/Equal Rights to Conservative
 * Durham East


 * Conservative/Equal Rights to Patrons of Industry
 * Dufferin