When was the 1958 Canadian federal election held?

The 1958 Canadian federal election took place on March 31, 1958.

What was the primary outcome of the 1958 Canadian federal election for Prime Minister John Diefenbaker's government?

The 1958 election transformed Prime Minister John Diefenbaker's minority government into the largest majority government in Canadian history at that time, securing a substantial mandate. It also resulted in the second-largest percentage of the popular vote ever achieved by a party in a Canadian federal election.

How did the 1958 election result compare to Robert Borden's victory in 1917 in terms of popular vote percentage?

While the 1958 election result was a significant triumph for John Diefenbaker, Unionist Prime Minister Robert Borden's victory in the 1917 federal election, which achieved 56.93 percent of the popular vote, was higher.

What was the voter turnout percentage in the 1958 Canadian federal election, and how does it rank historically?

The voter turnout in the 1958 Canadian federal election was 79.4%, which stands as the highest percentage of eligible electors to cast a ballot in Canadian federal election history.

What were the three main factors that Prime Minister John Diefenbaker capitalized on to achieve his significant victory in the 1958 election?

Prime Minister Diefenbaker called a snap election and leveraged three key factors: 1) The Liberal Party had just elected a new leader, Lester Pearson, who made a speech suggesting the Liberals could form a government without an election due to an economic downturn; Diefenbaker used classified documents to counter this. 2) A shift in Quebec's political landscape, where voters were open to new options following Louis St. Laurent's resignation, and an alliance with Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis' Union Nationale party helped the Progressive Conservatives win a large number of seats in a historically Liberal stronghold. 3) A significant decline in support for the Social Credit Party, which resulted in them losing all their seats and allowed the Progressive Conservatives to gain ground, particularly in Western Canada.

How did Lester Pearson's maiden speech in the Commons contribute to the 1958 election outcome?

Lester Pearson, the newly elected leader of the Liberal Party, delivered a maiden speech in the Commons that suggested the Governor General should allow the Liberals to form a government without an election due to a recent economic downturn. Prime Minister Diefenbaker seized upon this remark, contrasting it with classified Liberal Cabinet documents that predicted an economic downturn, which helped portray the Liberals as inconsistent and contributed to their electoral defeat.

What was the Liberal Party's seat count in the 1958 election, and how did it compare to their historical performance at the time?

In the 1958 election, the Liberal Party was reduced to only 48 seats, which was the smallest seat count in their history up to that point.

How did the political situation in Quebec influence the 1958 election results?

Quebec, which had largely supported the Liberal Party since the Conscription Crisis of 1917, saw its voters become more open to alternatives after the resignation of Louis St. Laurent. An alliance between Diefenbaker's Progressive Conservatives and Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis' Union Nationale party enabled the Tories to win two-thirds of the seats in Quebec, a province that had been a Liberal stronghold for decades. Despite this, the Liberals still secured a significant portion of the vote in Quebec, which accounted for over half of their total seats won nationwide.

What was the fate of the Social Credit Party in the 1958 federal election?

The Social Credit Party experienced a collapse in support during the 1958 election, losing all 19 of the seats they had held previously. This marked the beginning of a long decline for the federal Social Credit Party.

How did the decline of the Social Credit Party impact the Progressive Conservative Party's performance, particularly in Alberta?

The collapse of Social Credit support allowed the Progressive Conservatives to not only pick up Social Credit seats but also to win decisively in many four-way races. This was particularly evident in Alberta, where the Progressive Conservatives swept all seventeen seats, having previously held only three seats to Social Credit's thirteen.

What was the total number of seats in the House of Commons for the 1958 election?

The 1958 Canadian federal election was for 265 seats in the House of Commons.

How many seats were required for a majority in the House of Commons during the 1958 election?

A majority in the House of Commons during the 1958 election required 133 seats.

Who were the leaders of the Progressive Conservative and Liberal parties during the 1958 election?

John Diefenbaker was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, and Lester B. Pearson was the leader of the Liberal Party during the 1958 election.

What was the popular vote percentage for the Progressive Conservative Party in the 1958 election?

The Progressive Conservative Party received 53.67% of the popular vote in the 1958 election.

What was the popular vote percentage for the Liberal Party in the 1958 election?

The Liberal Party received 33.75% of the popular vote in the 1958 election.

What was the popular vote percentage for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in the 1958 election?

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) received 9.51% of the popular vote in the 1958 election.

What was the popular vote percentage for the Social Credit Party in the 1958 election?

The Social Credit Party received 2.59% of the popular vote in the 1958 election.

How many seats did the Progressive Conservative Party win in the 1958 election?

The Progressive Conservative Party won 208 seats in the 1958 election.

How many seats did the Liberal Party win in the 1958 election?

The Liberal Party won 48 seats in the 1958 election.

How many seats did the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) win in the 1958 election?

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) won 8 seats in the 1958 election.

How many seats did the Social Credit Party win in the 1958 election?

The Social Credit Party won 0 seats in the 1958 election.

What was the seat change for the Progressive Conservative Party compared to the 1957 election?

The Progressive Conservative Party saw a seat change of +87.4% compared to the 1957 election, winning 208 seats.

What was the seat change for the Liberal Party compared to the 1957 election?

The Liberal Party experienced a seat change of -53.8% compared to the 1957 election, winning 48 seats.

What was the seat change for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) compared to the 1957 election?

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) experienced a seat change of -68.0% compared to the 1957 election, winning 8 seats.

What was the seat change for the Social Credit Party compared to the 1957 election?

The Social Credit Party experienced a seat change of -100% compared to the 1957 election, losing all 19 of its seats.

What was the total popular vote in the 1958 Canadian federal election?

The total popular vote in the 1958 Canadian federal election was 7,284,467.

What percentage of seats did the Progressive Conservative Party win in the 1958 election?

The Progressive Conservative Party won 78.49% of the seats in the 1958 election.

What percentage of seats did the Liberal Party win in the 1958 election?

The Liberal Party won 18.11% of the seats in the 1958 election.

What percentage of seats did the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) win in the 1958 election?

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) won 3.01% of the seats in the 1958 election.

What was the percentage of the popular vote for 'Others' in the 1958 election?

Parties categorized as 'Others', including Liberal-Labour, Independent, Labor-Progressive, and others, collectively received 0.84% of the popular vote in the 1958 election.

How did the Progressive Conservative Party perform in Alberta in the 1958 election compared to 1957?

In the 1958 election, the Progressive Conservative Party swept all seventeen seats in Alberta, a significant increase from the three seats they held previously. This was largely due to the collapse of Social Credit support in the province.

What was the outcome of the 1958 election in Quebec for the Progressive Conservative Party?

The Progressive Conservative Party won 50 seats in Quebec in the 1958 election, significantly increasing their presence in a province that had historically favored the Liberals. This was partly due to an alliance with the provincial Union Nationale party.

What was the Liberal Party's seat count in Quebec during the 1958 election?

The Liberal Party won 25 seats in Quebec during the 1958 election. These seats represented more than half of their total caucus that year.

What was the voter turnout percentage in the 1958 election, and how did it compare to the previous election?

The voter turnout in the 1958 election was 79.4%, which was an increase of 5.3 percentage points compared to the 1957 election.

What was the Progressive Conservative Party's popular vote percentage in Ontario during the 1958 election?

In Ontario, the Progressive Conservative Party secured 56.4% of the popular vote in the 1958 election.

What was the Liberal Party's popular vote percentage in Quebec during the 1958 election?

In Quebec, the Liberal Party received 45.6% of the popular vote in the 1958 election, narrowly trailing the Progressive Conservatives.

What was the result for the Social Credit Party in the province of Alberta in the 1958 election?

In the 1958 election, the Social Credit Party won no seats in Alberta, losing all thirteen seats they had held previously to the Progressive Conservatives.

What does the provided image titled 'The Canadian parliament after the 1958 election' depict?

The image titled 'The Canadian parliament after the 1958 election' visually represents the composition of the House of Commons following the results of that federal election.

What does the ternary plot comparing the 1957 and 1958 elections illustrate?

The ternary plots comparing the 1957 and 1958 elections illustrate the shift in electoral support for the parties between those two elections, showing how voter intentions changed across different party combinations.

According to the national results table, how many candidates did the Liberal Party nominate in the 1958 election?

The Liberal Party nominated 264 candidates in the 1958 federal election.

What was the total number of candidates nominated across all parties in the 1958 Canadian federal election?

A total of 831 candidates were nominated across all parties in the 1958 Canadian federal election.

What was the 'pp Change' for the Progressive Conservative Party's popular vote in the 1958 election compared to 1957?

The Progressive Conservative Party saw a popular vote 'pp Change' of +14.85 percentage points in the 1958 election compared to 1957.

What was the 'pp Change' for the Liberal Party's popular vote in the 1958 election compared to 1957?

The Liberal Party experienced a popular vote 'pp Change' of -7.35 percentage points in the 1958 election compared to 1957.

What does the 'x' notation signify in the results tables?

The notation 'x' in the results tables indicates a popular vote share of less than 0.05%.

Which party leader was associated with the Progressive Conservative Party in the 1958 election?

John Diefenbaker was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in the 1958 election.

Which party leader was associated with the Liberal Party in the 1958 election?

Lester B. Pearson was the leader of the Liberal Party in the 1958 election.

Which party leader was associated with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in the 1958 election?

M.J. Coldwell was the leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in the 1958 election.

Which party leader was associated with the Social Credit Party in the 1958 election?

Solon Earl Low was the leader of the Social Credit Party in the 1958 election.

What was the total number of seats won by parties other than the Progressive Conservatives and Liberals in the 1958 election?

In the 1958 election, parties other than the Progressive Conservatives and Liberals won a total of 8 seats (8 for the CCF, 0 for Social Credit, 1 for Liberal-Labour, and none for other minor parties).

What was the Progressive Conservative Party's vote percentage in the Maritime provinces during the 1958 election?

The Progressive Conservative Party's vote percentage in the Maritime provinces during the 1958 election was 54.1% in New Brunswick, 57.0% in Nova Scotia, and 62.2% in Prince Edward Island.

What was the Liberal Party's vote percentage in Ontario during the 1958 election?

The Liberal Party received 32.1% of the popular vote in Ontario during the 1958 election.

1958 Canadian Federal Election Wiki: Canada's Electoral Tsunami: The 1958 Landslide

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Election Overview

A Historic Mandate

The 1958 Canadian federal election, held on March 31, 1958, resulted in a monumental victory for Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and the Progressive Conservative Party. This election transformed a minority government into the largest majority in Canadian history at the time, securing 208 seats and 78.5% of the seats in the House of Commons. This outcome remains unparalleled in its percentage of seats and the size of the majority over all opposition parties.

Record Turnout

Voter participation reached an unprecedented 79.4% of eligible electors, marking the highest turnout in Canadian federal election history. This surge in engagement underscored the significant public interest and the pivotal nature of the political landscape at the time.

Key Factors

Diefenbaker's decisive victory was fueled by several critical factors:

Liberal Leadership Transition: The Liberal Party had recently elected Lester Pearson as its new leader, but an early misstep asking Diefenbaker to resign without an election created a political vulnerability.
Quebec's Political Shift: Historically a Liberal stronghold, Quebec saw a significant realignment. Voters, seeking greater representation in Ottawa, were swayed by the Progressive Conservative alliance, leading to a substantial PC gain in the province.
Social Credit Decline: The federal Social Credit Party, once seen as a potential major force, experienced a dramatic collapse, losing all its seats and contributing to the Progressive Conservative's dominance, particularly in Western Canada.

National Results Summary

Vote Distribution

The Progressive Conservative Party secured a commanding majority of the popular vote, demonstrating widespread support across the nation. The Liberal Party, while maintaining a significant portion, saw its support diminish considerably compared to the previous election.

Popular Vote

PC			53.67%
Liberal			33.75%
CCF			9.50%
Social Credit			2.59%
Others			0.84%

Seat Totals

PC			78.49%
Liberal			18.11%
CCF			3.01%
Others			0.37%

Party Performance

The election saw a dramatic shift in parliamentary representation. The Progressive Conservatives achieved a dominant position, while the Liberal Party suffered significant losses. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and Social Credit Party also saw their seat counts drastically reduced.

Party		Leader	# of candidates	1957	Seats			Popular vote
Party		Leader	# of candidates	1957	Elected	% Change	#	%	pp Change
	Progressive Conservative	John Diefenbaker	265	111	208	+87.4%	3,908,633	53.66%	+14.85
	Liberal	Lester B. Pearson	264	104	48	-53.8%	2,432,953	33.40%	-7.35
	Co-operative Commonwealth	M.J. Coldwell	169	25	8	-68.0%	692,668	9.51%	-1.20
	Liberal–Labour		1	1	1	0%	11,956	0.16%	-
	Social Credit	Solon Low	82	19	-	-100%	188,356	2.59%	-3.99
	Independent		9	2	-	-100%	14,211	0.20%	-0.87
	Independent Liberal		10	2	-	-100%	12,054	0.17%	-1.25
	Labor–Progressive	Tim Buck	18	-	-	-	9,769	0.13%	+0.02
	Candidats des électeurs	Réal Caouette	1	-	-	-	8,276	0.11%	-0.01
	Independent Conservative		5	1	-	-100%	2,097	0.03%	-0.19
	Socialist		2	*	-	*	1,113	0.02%	*
	Capital familial	H-G Grenier	1	*	-	*	968	0.01%	*
	Radical chrétien		1	*	-	*	687	0.01%	*
	Independent SC		1	-	-	-	361	x	-0.04
	Ouvrier canadien		1	*	-	*	243	x	*
Total			831	265	265	-	7,284,467	100.00%
Sources: Elections Canada, History of Federal Ridings since 1867 (Archived)

Opinion Polling Trends

National Trends

Pre-election polling indicated a strong lead for the Progressive Conservatives, reflecting the political momentum gained by Diefenbaker's government. The data shows a consistent upward trend for the PCs and a decline for the Liberals leading up to the election day.

Evolution of voting intentions at national level
Polling firm	Last day of survey	Source	PC	LPC	CCF	SC	Other	Undecided	ME	Sample
Polling firm	Last day of survey	Source						Undecided	ME	Sample
Election 1958	March 31, 1958		53.67	33.75	9.50	2.59	0.49			7,284,467
Gallup	March 1958	[2]	56	32	7	4	1	13	—	—
Gallup	January 1958	[3]	50	35	9	6	—	—	—
Gallup	November 1957	[3]	50	33	9	7	1	—	—	—
Gallup	October 1957	[3]	48	34	10	7	1	—	—	—
Gallup	July 1957	[4]	47	35	10	8	—	—	—	—
Election 1957	June 10, 1957		38.50	40.45	10.59	6.54	3.92

Regional Dynamics

Polling data also highlighted significant regional variations. Quebec showed a shift towards the PCs, while Ontario demonstrated strong Conservative support. Western Canada also saw a notable increase in Progressive Conservative favourability.

Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level (Quebec)
Polling firm	Last day of survey	Source	PC	LPC	CCF	Other	ME	Sample
Polling firm	Last day of survey	Source					ME	Sample
Election 1958	March 31, 1958		49.6	45.6	2.3	2.5	—	—
Gallup	March 1958	[5]	49	45	—	—	—	—
Gallup	January 1958	[3]	42	51	3	4	—	—
Gallup	November 1957	[3]	43	50	1	6	—	—
Gallup	July 1957	[4]	40	54	—	—	—	—
Election 1957	June 10, 1957		30.7	56.8	1.8	10.7	—	—

Historical Context

Post-War Landscape

The election occurred during a period of significant post-war development and evolving political alignments in Canada. The Progressive Conservatives, led by John Diefenbaker, had formed a minority government in the previous election of 1957, ending decades of Liberal dominance. The 1958 election was called as a snap election, allowing Diefenbaker to capitalize on his government's popularity and the perceived weaknesses of the opposition.

Key Political Shifts

The election marked a profound shift in Canadian political geography. The Progressive Conservatives achieved unprecedented success, particularly in Quebec, a province that had long favoured the Liberal Party. This electoral realignment demonstrated the effectiveness of Diefenbaker's appeal and the strategic positioning of his party.

Major Political Parties

Progressive Conservatives

Led by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, the Progressive Conservatives presented themselves as a party of national unity and progress. Their campaign successfully leveraged public confidence and capitalized on the perceived instability within the Liberal Party, resulting in a landslide victory.

Liberal Party

Under the new leadership of Lester B. Pearson, the Liberal Party faced a challenging election. Despite Pearson's international reputation, the party struggled to counter the Conservative momentum and suffered substantial seat losses, marking a low point in their electoral history.

CCF and Social Credit

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the Social Credit Party experienced significant declines in support. The CCF saw its seat count reduced, while the Social Credit Party was virtually eliminated from Parliament, highlighting the two-party dominance that emerged from this election.

Provincial Results Breakdown

The Progressive Conservative landslide was evident across most provinces, with notable gains in traditional Liberal strongholds. The following table details the seat distribution and popular vote percentages by province and territory.

		BC	AB	SK	MB	ON	QC	NB	NS	PE	NL	YK	NW	Total
Progressive Conservative	Seats:	18	17	16	14	67	50	7	12	4	2	1	-	208
Progressive Conservative	Vote (%):	49.4	59.9	51.4	56.7	56.4	49.6	54.1	57.0	62.2	45.2	54.5	42.8	53.7
Liberal	Seats:	-	-	-	-	14	25	3	-	-	5	-	1	48
Liberal	Vote (%):	16.1	13.7	19.6	21.6	32.1	45.6	43.4	38.4	37.5	54.4	43.3	57.2	33.4
Co-operative Commonwealth	Seats:	4	-	1	-	3	-	-	-	-	-			8
Co-operative Commonwealth	Vote (%):	24.5	4.4	28.4	19.6	10.5	2.3	1.8	4.5	0.3	0.2			9.5
Liberal–Labour	Seats:					1								1
Liberal–Labour	Vote (%):					0.5								0.2
Social Credit	Seats:
Social Credit	Vote (%):	9.6	21.6	0.4	1.8	0.3	0.6							2.6
Independent	Vote (%):			xx	xx	0.1	0.6							0.2
Independent Liberal	Vote (%):						0.6				0.2			0.2
Labor–Progressive	Vote (%):	0.4	0.3	0.1	0.4	0.1	0.1							0.1
C. des électeurs	Vote (%):						0.4							0.1
Independent PC	Vote (%):		0.1			0.1								xx
Socialist	Vote (%):					xx	xx							xx
Capital familial	Vote (%):						xx							xx
Radical chrétien	Vote (%):						xx							xx
Independent SC	Vote (%):		0.1											xx

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References

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Canada's Electoral Tsunami: The 1958 Landslide

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Election Overview 🏛️

🗓️ A Historic Mandate

📈 Record Turnout

⚡ Key Factors

National Results Summary 📊

🗳️ Vote Distribution

🏛️ Party Performance

Opinion Polling Trends 📈

📊 National Trends

🗺️ Regional Dynamics

Historical Context ⏳

📜 Post-War Landscape

➡️ Key Political Shifts

Major Political Parties 🤝

🔵 Progressive Conservatives

🔴 Liberal Party

🟢 CCF and Social Credit

Provincial Results Breakdown 🗺️

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Dive in with Flashcard Learning!

Election Overview

A Historic Mandate

Record Turnout

Key Factors

National Results Summary

Vote Distribution

Party Performance

Opinion Polling Trends

National Trends

Regional Dynamics

Historical Context

Post-War Landscape

Key Political Shifts

Major Political Parties

Progressive Conservatives

Liberal Party

CCF and Social Credit

Provincial Results Breakdown

Teacher's Corner

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References

Feedback & Support

Disclaimer

Important Notice