The 1953 British Columbia general election was the 24th 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 10, 1953, and held on June 9, 1953. The new legislature met for the first time on September 15, 1953. The minority government formed in 1952 by the conservative Social Credit party of Premier W.A.C. Bennett lasted only nine months before new elections were called. Social Credit was re-elected with a majority in the legislature to a second term in government with almost 38% of the popular vote. The social democratic Co-operative Commonwealth Federation formed the official opposition with the only significant opposition caucus (14 seats). The British Columbia Liberal Party had a net loss of two of its six seats despite maintaining its 23% share of the popular vote. They lost five of the six seats they had won in 1952, but picked up three new seats. The Progressive Conservative Party lost three of its four seats in the legislature, as its share of the popular vote fell from almost 17% to under 6%. One seat was won by a Labour candidate.

Results

MLAs elected

{{legend|#EEDDAA|Alberni: Stanley John Squire}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Atlin: Frank Calder}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Burnaby: Ernest Winch}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Cariboo: Ralph Chetwynd}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Chilliwack: William Kenneth Kiernan}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Columbia: Richard Orr Newton}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Comox: William Campbell Moore}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Cowichan-Newcastle: Robert Strachan}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Cranbrook: Leo Nimsick}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Delta: Thomas Irwin}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Dewdney: Lyle Wicks}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Esquimalt: Herbert Joseph Bruch}} {{legend|#EEBBBB|Fernie: Thomas Aubert Uphill}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Fort George: Llewellyn Leslie King}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Grand Forks-Greenwood: Rupert Haggen}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Kamloops: Phil Gaglardi}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Kaslo-Slocan: Randolph Harding}} {{legend|#A51B12|Lillooet: James Gordon Gibson}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Mackenzie: Anthony Gargrave}} {{legend|#9999FF|Nanaimo and the Islands: Larry Giovando}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Nelson-Creston: Wesley Drewett Black}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|New Westminster: Rae Eddie}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|North Okanagan: Lorne Shantz}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|North Vancouver: George Henry Tomlinson Jr.}} {{legend|#A51B12|Oak Bay: Philip Archibald Gibbs}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Omineca: Cyril Morley Shelford}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Peace River: Charles William Parker}} {{legend|#A51B12|Prince Rupert: Arthur Bruce Brown}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Revelstoke: Vincent Segur}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Rossland-Trail: Robert Sommers}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Saanich: John Douglas Tisdalle}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Salmon Arm: James Allan Reid}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Similkameen: Frank Richter, Jr.}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Skeena: Frank Howard}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|South Okanagan: W. A. C. Bennett}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Vancouver-Burrard: Eric Charles Fitzgerald Martin}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Vancouver-Burrard: Bert Price}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Vancouver Centre: Alexander Small Matthew}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Vancouver Centre: George Churchill Moxham}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Vancouver East: Arthur James Turner}} {{legend|#EEDDAA|Vancouver East: Arnold Alexander Webster}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Vancouver-Point Grey: Thomas Audley Bate}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Vancouver-Point Grey: Robert Bonner}} {{legend|#A51B12|Vancouver-Point Grey: Arthur Laing}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Victoria City: Lydia Arsens}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Victoria City: William Chant}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Victoria City: Walter Percival Wright}} {{legend|#ADD8E6|Yale: Irvine Finlay Corbett}}

Synopsis of results

Analysis