Olds-Didsbury

{{Short description|Defunct provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada}} {{Use Canadian English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox Canada electoral district | name =Olds-Didsbury | province =Alberta | image = | caption = | prov-rep = | prov-rep-link = | prov-rep-party = | prov-rep-party-link = | prov-status =defunct | prov-created =1961 | prov-abolished =1997 | prov-election-first =1963 | prov-election-last =1993 }} '''Olds-Didsbury''' was a provincial electoral district in central Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first-past-the-post method of voting from 1963 to 1997.<ref>{{cite web |title=Election results for Olds-Didsbury. |url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury |website=abheritage.ca. |publisher=Heritage Community Foundation |access-date=8 June 2020 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208183724/http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury |archive-date=December 8, 2010 |location=Wayback Machine}}</ref>

It is noteworthy as the location of a famous by-election in 1982, when the separatist Western Canada Concept achieved the first and only electoral victory in the movement's history.

==History== {| class=wikitable align=right |+ Members of the Legislative Assembly for Olds-Didsbury |- !Assembly !Years !colspan="2"|Member !Party |- |align="center" colspan=5|''See Olds and Didsbury 1909–1963'' |- |align=center|15th |1963–1967 |rowspan=5 {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}}| |rowspan=5|Robert Clark |rowspan=5|Social Credit |- |align=center|16th |1967–1971 |- |align=center|17th |1971–1975 |- |align=center|18th |1975–1979 |- |align=center rowspan=3|19th |1979–1981 |- |1981–1982 |{{Canadian party colour|AB|Vacant|background}}| |colspan=2|Vacant |- |1982 |{{Canadian party colour|AB|Western Canada Concept|background}}| |Gordon Kesler |Western Canada Concept |- |align=center|20th |1982–1986 |rowspan=4 {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}}| |Stephen Stiles |rowspan=4|Progressive Conservative |- |align=center|21st |1986–1989 |rowspan=3|Roy Brassard |- |align=center|22nd |1989–1993 |- |align=center|23rd |1993–1997 |- |align="center" colspan=5|''See Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills 1997–, Rocky Mountain House and Airdrie-Rocky View'' |} The riding was created in 1963 when the Olds and Didsbury districts were merged. Incumbent MLA for Didsbury Robert Clark ran in the new riding for Social Credit, and was easily re-elected. He was appointed to cabinet by premier Ernest Manning in 1966 and re-appointed by Harry Strom.

In the 1971 election, when Peter Lougheed's Progressive Conservatives swept Social Credit out of power, Clark retained Olds-Didsbury by a wide margin. He then served as opposition leader while Social Credit leader Werner Schmidt had no seat in the legislature, and when Schmidt resigned after failing to improve the party's fortunes, Clark won the leadership of the party, continuing as opposition leader. As party leader he won the largest majority in the history of Olds-Didsbury in the 1979 election, but the party failed to make inroads elsewhere. He subsequently resigned as party leader and MLA.

The resulting by-election in Olds-Didsbury shocked the political establishment in Canada, as Gordon Kesler of the separatist Western Canada Concept cruised to a surprise victory, due to anger over the National Energy Program and the patriation of the Constitution of Canada under Pierre Trudeau.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/02/19/Gordon-Kesler-and-his-Western-Canada-Concept-colleagues-successful/6602382942800/|title=Gordon Kesler and his Western Canada Concept colleagues, successful...|work=UPI|access-date=2018-04-30|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1982/0219/021945.html|title=Western Canada gets its first separatist leader|date=1982-02-19|work=Christian Science Monitor|access-date=2018-04-30|issn=0882-7729}}</ref>

The premier called a snap election for later that year to ensure a quick showdown with Western Canada Concept. Kesler chose to run in Highwood, where he lived, and was defeated by a huge margin. This rendered him the shortest-serving MLA in Alberta history, counting from election to defeat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.albertafmla.ca/theme/common/page.cfm?i=11820|title=Alberta Association of Former MLAs|last=(www.broadport.ca)|first=Broadport Canada Inc|website=www.albertafmla.ca|access-date=2018-04-30|archive-date=May 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501093923/http://www.albertafmla.ca/theme/common/page.cfm?i=11820|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Progressive Conservatives also finally captured Olds-Didsbury, where Stephen Stiles nearly doubled previous Progressive Conservative results amid a surge in turnout.

Stiles served only one term as MLA. Progressive Conservative candidate Roy Brassard easily defended Olds-Didsbury for his party, serving three terms. Brassard was appointed to cabinet as Minister for Seniors under Lougheed in 1991, and retired upon the dissolution of the Legislature in 1997. At the same time, Olds-Didsbury was merged with the north part of Three Hills-Airdrie to form Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, with some parts of the riding transferred to Rocky Mountain House and Airdrie-Rocky View.

==Election results==

===Elections in the 1960s=== {{CANelec/top|AB|1963|Olds-Didsbury|percent=yes}} {{CANelec|AB| Social Credit | Robert Clark | 3,950 | 66.95 }} {{CANelec|AB| Independent Movement | Roger Lebeuf | 1,550 | 26.27 }} {{CANelec|AB| NDP | Eva Banta | 400 | 6.78 }} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 5,900 | 100.00 }} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled, and declined| 14 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout| 9,177 | 64.44 }} {{CANelec/pickup|AB|Social Credit}} {{CANelec/source|hide={{Cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|title=Election results for Olds-Didsbury|author=Heritage Community Foundation|access-date=April 30, 2018|archive-date=December 8, 2010|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208184152/http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|url-status=dead}}}} {{end}} {{CANelec/top|AB|1967|Olds-Didsbury|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|AB| Social Credit | Robert Clark | 4,052 | 65.22 | -1.73 }} {{CANelec|AB| Liberal | Stan Bell | 1,129 | 18.17 | —}} {{CANelec|AB| Independent Conservative | Chas. Purvis | 547 | 8.80 | —}} {{CANelec|AB| NDP | Eva Banta | 485 | 7.81 | +1.03 }} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 6,213 | 100.00 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled, and declined| 19 | —| —}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout| 8,988 | 69.34 | +4.89 }} {{CANelec/hold|AB|Social Credit| -9.95 }} {{CANelec/source|hide=}} {{end}}

===Elections in the 1970s=== {{CANelec/top|AB|1971|Olds-Didsbury|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|AB| Social Credit | Robert Clark | 4,346 | 59.62 | -5.60 }} {{CANelec|AB| PC | Rudolf Pedersen | 2,578 | 35.36 | +26.56 }} {{CANelec|AB| NDP | William C. McCutcheon | 366 | 5.02 | -2.79 }} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 7,290 | 100.00 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled, and declined| 32 | —| —}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout| 9,275 | 78.94 | +9.61 }} {{CANelec/hold|AB|Social Credit| -16.08 }} {{CANelec/source|hide={{Cite web|url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208184152/http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|title=Election results for Olds-Didsbury|author=Heritage Community Foundation|access-date=April 30, 2018}}}} {{end}} {{CANelec/top|AB|1975|Olds-Didsbury|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|AB| Social Credit | Robert Clark | 4,400 | 58.91 | -0.71 }} {{CANelec|AB| PC | Kenneth Amthor | 2,860 | 38.29 | +2.93 }} {{CANelec|AB| NDP | Margaret Hinton | 209 | 2.80 | -2.22 }} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 7,469 | 100.00 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled, and declined| 7 | —| —}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout| 9,737 | 76.78 | -2.16 }} {{CANelec/hold|AB|Social Credit| -1.82 }} {{CANelec/source|hide={{Cite web|url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208184152/http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|title=Election results for Olds-Didsbury|author=Heritage Community Foundation|access-date=April 30, 2018}}}} {{end}} {{CANelec/top|AB|1979|Olds-Didsbury|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|AB| Social Credit | Robert Clark | 6,399 | 70.16 | +11.25 }} {{CANelec|AB| PC | Bill Edgar | 2,514 | 27.57 | -10.73 }} {{CANelec|AB| NDP | Gregory Hoffarth | 152 | 1.67 | -1.13 }} {{CANelec|AB| Liberal | Stephen Shaw | 55 | 0.60 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 9,120 | 100.00 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled, and declined| 22 | —| —}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout| 12,458 | 73.38 | -3.40 }} {{CANelec/hold|AB|Social Credit| +10.99 }} {{CANelec/source|hide={{Cite web|url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208184152/http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|title=Election results for Olds-Didsbury|author=Heritage Community Foundation|access-date=April 30, 2018}}}} {{end}}

===Elections in the 1980s=== {{CANelec/top|AB|by=yes|February 17, 1982|reason=Upon the resignation of Robert Curtis Clark on November 30, 1981|Olds-Didsbury|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|AB| Western Canada Concept | Gordon Kesler | 4,015 | 42.20 | —}} {{CANelec|AB| Social Credit | Lloyd Quantz | 2,669 | 28.05 | -42.11 }} {{CANelec|AB| PC | Stephen Stiles | 2,396 | 25.18 | -2.38 }} {{CANelec|AB| NDP | Myrna Jarboe | 308 | 3.24 | +1.57 }} {{CANelec|AB| Liberal | George Leussink | 126 | 1.32 | +0.72 }} {{CANelec|AB| Independent | Adilsha Shivji | 9 | 0.09 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 9,514 | 100.00 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled, and declined| 19 | —| —}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout| 13,798 | 69.09 | -4.29 }} {{CANelec/gain|AB|Western Canada Concept|Social Credit| +42.16 }} {{CANelec/source|hide={{Cite web|url=http://www.elections.ab.ca/news-reports/reports/by-elections/|title=By-elections|author=Elections Alberta|access-date=April 30, 2018|archive-date=April 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419141310/http://www.elections.ab.ca/news-reports/reports/by-elections/|url-status=dead}}}} {{end}} {{CANelec/top|AB|1982|Olds-Didsbury|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|AB| PC | Stephen Stiles | 5,096 | 46.99 | +21.81 }} {{CANelec|AB| Independent | Lloyd Quantz | 2,755 | 25.40 | —}} {{CANelec|AB| Western Canada Concept | Daryl M. Jaddock | 2,714 | 25.03 | -17.18 }} {{CANelec|AB| NDP | Roy Agnew | 233 | 2.15 | -1.09 }} {{CANelec|AB| Independent | John Buttrey | 47 | 0.43 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 10,845 | 100.00 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled, and declined| 18 | —| —}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout| 14,296 | 75.99 | +6.90 }} {{CANelec/gain|AB|PC|Western Canada Concept| +19.49 }} {{CANelec/source|hide={{Cite web|url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208184152/http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|title=Election results for Olds-Didsbury|author=Heritage Community Foundation|access-date=April 30, 2018}}}} {{end}} {{CANelec/top|AB|1986|Olds-Didsbury|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|AB| PC | Roy Brassard | 5,204 | 66.62 | +19.63 }} {{CANelec|AB| Confederation of Regions | Elmer Knutson | 1,785 | 22.85 | —}} {{CANelec|AB| NDP | Tom Monto | 823 | 10.54 | 8.39 }} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 7,812 | 100.00 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled, and declined| 30 | —| —}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout| 14,322 | 54.75 | -21.23 }} {{CANelec/hold|AB|PC| -1.61 }} {{CANelec/source|hide={{Cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|title=Election results for Olds-Didsbury|author=Heritage Community Foundation|access-date=April 30, 2018|archive-date=December 8, 2010|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208184152/http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|url-status=bot: unknown}}}} {{end}} {{CANelec/top|AB|1989|Olds-Didsbury|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|AB| PC | Roy Brassard | 4,960 | 60.25 | -6.37 }} {{CANelec|AB| Social Credit | Ray Young | 1,249 | 15.17 | —}} {{CANelec|AB| Liberal | Garfield Marks | 1,182 | 14.36 | —}} {{CANelec|AB| NDP | Tom Monto | 842 | 10.23 | -0.31 }} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 8,233 | 100.00 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled, and declined| 32 | —| —}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout| 14,612 | 56.56 | +1.81 }} {{CANelec/hold|AB|PC| -10.77 }} {{CANelec/source|hide={{Cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|title=Election results for Olds-Didsbury|author=Heritage Community Foundation|access-date=April 30, 2018|archive-date=December 8, 2010|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208184152/http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|url-status=bot: unknown}}}} {{end}}

===Elections in the 1990s=== {{CANelec/top|AB|1993|Olds-Didsbury|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|AB| PC | Roy Brassard | 8,383 | 61.58 | +1.33 }} {{CANelec|AB| Liberal | Donna Gole | 3,378 | 24.81 | +10.46 }} {{CANelec|AB| Social Credit | Derry H. Macfarlane | 815 | 5.99 | -9.18 }} {{CANelec|AB| Confederation of Regions | Dennis Combs | 683 | 5.02 | —}} {{CANelec|AB| NDP | Ruth Scott | 355 | 2.61 | -7.62 }} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes| 13,614 | 100.00 | —}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled, and declined| 22 | —| —}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / Turnout| 20,413 | 66.80 | +10.24 }} {{CANelec/hold|AB|PC| -4.56 }} {{CANelec/source|hide={{Cite web|url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208184152/http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/year_result.php?Constit=Olds-Didsbury|title=Election results for Olds-Didsbury|author=Heritage Community Foundation|access-date=April 30, 2018}}}} {{end}}

== See also == * List of Alberta provincial electoral districts * Canadian provincial electoral districts * Olds, a town in central Alberta * Didsbury, a town in central Alberta

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== *{{cite book |author1=Office of the Chief Electoral Officer |author2=Legislative Assembly Office |author2-link=Legislative Assembly of Alberta |author-link1=Elections Alberta |title=A Century of Democracy: Elections of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, 1905-2005 |date=2006 |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Alberta |series=The Centennial Series |location=Edmonton, AB |isbn=0-9689217-8-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/centennialseries04perr/mode/2up |access-date=25 May 2020}}

==External links== *[http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/ Elections Alberta] *[http://www.assembly.ab.ca/ The Legislative Assembly of Alberta]

Category:Former provincial electoral districts of Alberta