Hand Hills (electoral district)
# Hand Hills (electoral district)

Hand Hills was a provincial electoral district in Alberta mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1913 to 1963. It was abolished prior to the 1963 Alberta general election due to redistribution, in favour of the new electoral district of Hand Hills-Acadia.

The electoral district took its name from Hand Hills.

## Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Hand Hills :

| Assembly | Years | Member | Party |
| - | - | - | - |
| See Stettler electoral district from 1909-1913 |||||
| 3rd | 1913–1917 | Robert Eaton | Liberal |
| 4th | 1917–1921 | Robert Eaton | Liberal |
| 5th | 1921–1926 | Gordon Forster | United Farmers |
| 6th | 1926–1930 | Gordon Forster | United Farmers |
| 7th | 1930–1935 | Gordon Forster | United Farmers |
| 8th | 1935–1940 | Wallace Warren Cross | United Farmers |
| 9th | 1940–1944 | Wallace Warren Cross | United Farmers |
| 10th | 1944–1948 | Wallace Warren Cross | United Farmers |
| 11th | 1948–1952 | Wallace Warren Cross | United Farmers |
| 12th | 1952–1955 | Wallace Warren Cross | United Farmers |
| 13th | 1955–1959 | Wallace Warren Cross | United Farmers |
| 14th | 1959–1963 | Clinton French | United Farmers |
| See Hand Hills-Acadia electoral district from 1963-1971 |||||

## Election results

### 1910s

vte1913 Alberta general election :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Robert Eaton | 962 | 53.36% | – |
| | Conservative | Albert J. Robertson | 841 | 46.64% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,803 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 2,936 | 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: "Hand Hills Official Results 1913 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

vte1917 Alberta general election :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Robert Eaton | Acclaimed | – | – |
| Total | Total | Total | N/A | – | – |
| 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 hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | N/A |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1917 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. One of eleven Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta acclaimed under The Elections Act Section 38, which stipulated that any member of the 3rd Alberta Legislative Assembly would be guaranteed re-election, with no contest held, if the member joined for wartime service in the First World War. An Act amending The Election Act respecting Members of the Legislative Assembly on Active Service., SA 1917, c. 38 |||||||

### 1920s

vte1921 Alberta general election :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | United Farmers | Gordon Forster | 4,252 | 72.87% | – |
| | Liberal | Robert Eaton | 1,583 | 27.13% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 5,835 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 8,291 | 70.38% | – |
| | United Farmers gain from Liberal | United Farmers gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | N/A |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1921 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

vte1926 Alberta general election :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | United Farmers | Gordon Forster | 2,665 | 66.08% | -6.79% |
| | Liberal | W. G. Anderson | 778 | 19.29% | -7.84% |
| | Conservative | C. L. Sitlington | 590 | 14.63% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 4,033 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 312 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 6,296 | 69.01% | – |
| | United Farmers hold | United Farmers hold | Swing | Swing | 0.52% |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1926 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1930s

vte1930 Alberta general election :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | United Farmers | Gordon Forster | 2,689 | 64.08% | -1.99% |
| | Independent | J. L. Newman | 1,507 | 35.92% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 4,196 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 173 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 5,880 | 74.30% | – |
| | United Farmers hold | United Farmers hold | Swing | Swing | -9.31% |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

vte1935 Alberta general election: Hand Hills :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Social Credit | Wallace Warren Cross | 3,270 | 72.20% | – |
| | United Farmers | C.W. Robinson | 707 | 15.61% | -48.47% |
| | Liberal | Wm. Gibson | 552 | 12.19% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 4,529 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 102 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 5,352 | 86.53% | – |
| | Social Credit gain from United Farmers | Social Credit gain from United Farmers | Swing | Swing | 14.21% |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1935 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1940s

vte1940 Alberta general election: Hand Hills :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Social Credit | Wallace Warren Cross | 2,547 | 56.39% | -15.81% |
| | Independent | Wm. McAllister | 1,970 | 43.61% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 4,517 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 147 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 6,179 | 75.48% | – |
| | Social Credit hold | Social Credit hold | Swing | Swing | -21.91% |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1940 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

vte1944 Alberta general election: Hand Hills :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Social Credit | Wallace Warren Cross | 3,125 | 68.98% | 12.60% |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Wm. P. Roberts | 873 | 19.27% | – |
| | Independent | William McAllister | 532 | 11.74% | -31.87% |
| Total | Total | Total | 4,530 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 50 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 5,688 | 80.52% | – |
| | Social Credit hold | Social Credit hold | Swing | Swing | 18.47% |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1944 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

vte1948 Alberta general election: Hand Hills :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Social Credit | Wallace Warren Cross | 2,773 | 63.31% | -5.67% |
| | Liberal | Joseph H. Cramer | 1,607 | 36.69% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 4,380 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 5,550 | 78.92% | – |
| | Social Credit hold | Social Credit hold | Swing | Swing | -11.55% |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1948 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

### 1950s

vte1952 Alberta general election: Hand Hills :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Social Credit | Wallace Warren Cross | 2,806 | 71.02% | 7.71% |
| | Liberal | Fred W. Slemp | 1,145 | 28.98% | -7.71% |
| Total | Total | Total | 3,951 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 237 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 6,073 | 68.96% | – |
| | Social Credit hold | Social Credit hold | Swing | Swing | 7.71% |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1952 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

vte1955 Alberta general election: Hand Hills :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Social Credit | Wallace Warren Cross | 2,685 | 57.95% | -13.07% |
| | Liberal | Wm. Stainton | 1,666 | 35.96% | 6.98% |
| | Independent | Arthur D. Brown | 282 | 6.09% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 4,633 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 260 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 5,934 | 82.46% | – |
| | Social Credit hold | Social Credit hold | Swing | Swing | -10.02% |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

vte1959 Alberta general election: Hand Hills :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Social Credit | Clinton French | 3,052 | 66.13% | 8.18% |
| | Progressive Conservative | William J. Newman | 1,074 | 23.27% | – |
| | Liberal | Val Gobel | 489 | 10.60% | -25.36% |
| Total | Total | Total | 4,615 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 10 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 5,934 | 77.94% | – |
| | Social Credit hold | Social Credit hold | Swing | Swing | 10.43% |
| Source(s) Source: "Hand Hills Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||

## Plebiscite results

### 1957 liquor plebiscite

1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results: Hand Hills :

| Question A: Do you approve additional types of outlets for the sale of beer, wine and spirituous liquor subject to a local vote? ||||
| - | - | - | - |
| Ballot choice | Ballot choice | Votes | % |
| | Yes | 1,669 | 57.87% |
| | No | 1,215 | 42.13% |
| Total votes | Total votes | 2,884 | 100% |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 19 | 19 |
| 5,504 eligible electors, turnout 52.74% ||||

On October 30, 1957, a stand-alone plebiscite was held province wide in all 50 of the then current provincial electoral districts in Alberta. The government decided to consult Alberta voters to decide on liquor sales and mixed drinking after a divisive debate in the legislature. The plebiscite was intended to deal with the growing demand for reforming antiquated liquor control laws.

The plebiscite was conducted in two parts. Question A, asked in all districts, asked the voters if the sale of liquor should be expanded in Alberta, while Question B, asked in a handful of districts within the corporate limits of Calgary and Edmonton, asked if men and women should be allowed to drink together in establishments.

Province wide Question A of the plebiscite passed in 33 of the 50 districts, while Question B passed in all five districts. Hand Hills voted in favour of the proposal with a solid majority. Voter turnout in the district was good, as it was significantly higher than the province wide average of 46%.

Official district returns were released to the public on December 31, 1957. The Social Credit government in power at the time did not consider the results binding. However the results of the vote led the government to repeal all existing liquor legislation and introduce an entirely new Liquor Act.

Municipal districts lying inside electoral districts that voted against the plebiscite were designated Local Option Zones by the Alberta Liquor Control Board and considered effective dry zones. Business owners who wanted a license had to petition for a binding municipal plebiscite in order to be granted a license.

