The 1957 Alberta Liquor Plebiscite was the fourth province-wide plebiscite conducted in Alberta, Canada, and it was held on October 30, 1957. Unlike the other three plebiscites held in Alberta, the 1957 vote was not held in conjunction with a provincial election. At the time, the Alberta Liquor Control Board operated only a few stores from which liquor could be legally purchased. The plebiscite asked voters in every district if they were in favour of adding extra ALCB outlets.
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The province of Alberta decided to hold a plebiscite after divisive debate in the legislature on the need to deal with demands to loosen regulatory restrictions to liquor that had been in place since the prohibition era.
The vote to hold a plebiscite had carried on a recorded division by a single vote after much debate.[1]
In addition to the liquor controversy growing in the province. A decision was also made in the legislature to hold a plebiscite to establish a compulsory egg marketing board. That plebiscite was originally to be held in June 1957, but Leonard Halmrast the Minister of Agriculture decided to hold at a similar date to liquor plebiscite so that Egg producers could be enumerated at the same time as voters for the liquor plebiscite to save costs.[2] That decision later led to controversy when numerous producers were missed after the plan was defeated in a close vote.[3]
In Calgary, and Edmonton, as well as the parts of Gleichen, Banff-Cochrane and Clover Bar, that were within the Calgary and Edmonton city limits, a second question was put on the ballot asking if "mixed drinking" should be permitted in beer parlours. Men and women had not been allowed to drink together in Albertan bars since 1928, four years after Prohibition has been repealed.
The province-wide question on new liquor store locations saw mixed results across the province: the more conservative rural areas voted overwhelmingly against, and urban areas voted overwhelmingly for. After the votes were counted, the "for" side won the plebiscite by a wide margin. The second question regarding mixed drinking in the major cities passed with an almost 4 to 1 margin. This was the second province-wide plebiscite in Alberta's history, and cost the province $355,309.62 to run.
The Alberta government abolished gender-based segregation of bars in the rest of the province (without an additional plebiscite) in 1967.
| October 30, 1957 Alberta liquor plebiscite results[4] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question A: Do you approve additional types of outlets for the sale of beer, wine and spirituous liquor subject to a local vote? | ||||||||||
| Totals | For | % | Against | % | Total Votes | For/Against | Rejected | Eligible | Turn Out | |
| 171,786 | 63.92% | 96,963 | 36.08% | 268,749 | For 33/17 | 2,528 | 580,893 | 46.70% | ||
| Question B1: Should mixed drinking be allowed in beer parlours in Calgary and the surrounding areas? Question B2: Should mixed drinking be allowed in beer parlours in Edmonton and the surrounding areas? |
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| Totals | For | % | Against | % | Total Votes | For/Against | Rejected | Eligible | Turn Out | |
| B1 Total | 49,789 | 81.13% | 11,578 | 18.87% | 61,367 | For 3/0 | 379 | 115,247 | 53.58% | |
| B2 Total | 49,721 | 76.09% | 15,625 | 23.91% | 65,346 | For 2/0 | 657 | 129,599 | 50.93% | |
| B Combined | 99,510 | 78.53% | 27,203 | 21.47% | 126,713 | For 5/0 | 1,036 | 244,846 | 52.18% | |
| Results Breakdown by District | ||||||||||
| District Name | For | % | Against | % | Total Votes | For/Against | Rejected | Eligible | Turn Out | |
| Acadia-Coronation | A | 1,526 | 53.92% | 1,304 | 46.08% | 2,830 | For | 48 | 5,404 | 53.26% |
| Alexandra | A | 908 | 46.60% | 1,083 | 54.40% | 1,991 | Against | 20 | 5,963 | 33.73% |
| Athabasca | A | 1,161 | 64.11% | 650 | 35.89% | 1,811 | For | 62 | 5,774 | 32.44% |
| Banff-Cochrane | A | 2,324 | 78.33% | 643 | 21.67% | 2,967 | For | 37 | 6,237 | 48.16% |
| B1 | 115 | 87.12% | 17 | 12.88% | 132 | For | 0 | 242 | 54.55% | |
| Bonnyville | A | 1,716 | 66.05% | 882 | 33.95% | 2,598 | For | 31 | 6,988 | 37.62% |
| Bow Valley-Empress | A | 1,818 | 54.86% | 1,496 | 45.14% | 3,314 | For | 11 | 6,341 | 52.44% |
| Bruce | A | 980 | 36.69% | 1,691 | 63.31% | 2,671 | Against | 21 | 6,108 | 44.07% |
| Calgary | A | 47,382 | 77.41% | 13,830 | 22.59% | 61,212 | For | 391 | 114,986 | 53.57% |
| B1 | 49,669 | 81.12% | 11,561 | 18.88% | 61,230 | For | 379 | 114,986 | 53.58% | |
| Camrose | A | 1,378 | 32.84% | 2,818 | 67.16% | 4,196 | Against | 12 | 7,721 | 54.50% |
| Cardston | A | 473 | 20.94% | 1,786 | 79.06% | 2,259 | Against | 13 | 4,296 | 52.89% |
| Clover Bar | A | 3,035 | 67.87% | 1,437 | 32.13% | 4,472 | For | 75 | 9,655 | 47.10% |
| B2 | 1,076 | 88.78% | 136 | 11.22% | 1,212 | For | 35 | 2,320 | 53.75% | |
| Cypress | A | 1,090 | 44.87% | 1,339 | 55.13% | 2,429 | Against | 18 | 5,361 | 46.64% |
| Didsbury | A | 1,356 | 40.88% | 1,961 | 59.12% | 3,317 | Against | 34 | 6,535 | 51.28% |
| Drumheller | A | 1,597 | 62.70% | 950 | 37.30% | 2,547 | For | 14 | 5,377 | 47.63% |
| Edmonton | A | 46,219 | 71.98% | 17,994 | 28.02% | 64,213 | For | 620 | 127,279 | 50.94% |
| B2 | 48,645 | 75.85% | 15,485 | 24.15% | 64,134 | For | 622 | 127,279 | 50.88% | |
| Edson | A | 2,222 | 82.08% | 485 | 17.92% | 2,707 | For | 17 | 7,823 | 34.82% |
| Gleichen | A | 1,440 | 61.02% | 920 | 38.98% | 2,360 | For | 13 | 4,885 | 48.58% |
| B1 | 5 | 100.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 5 | For | 0 | 19 | 26.32% | |
| Grande Prairie | A | 1,462 | 58.57% | 1,034 | 41.43% | 2,496 | For | 9 | 8,907 | 28.12% |
| Grouard | A | 1,388 | 69.99% | 595 | 30.01% | 1,983 | For | 48 | 8,426 | 24.10% |
| Hand Hills | A | 1,669 | 57.87% | 1,215 | 42.13% | 2,884 | For | 19 | 5,504 | 52.74% |
| Lac La Biche | A | 1,059 | 66.15% | 542 | 33.85% | 1,601 | For | 9 | 4,678 | 34.42% |
| Lac Ste. Anne | A | 1,507 | 70.16% | 641 | 29.84% | 2,148 | For | 54 | 6,482 | 33.97% |
| Lacombe | A | 1,205 | 37.47% | 2,011 | 62.53% | 3,216 | Against | 52 | 6,302 | 51.86% |
| Leduc | A | 1,701 | 62.95% | 1,001 | 37.05% | 2,702 | For | 10 | 6,996 | 38.77% |
| Lethbridge | A | 4,012 | 49.34% | 4,119 | 50.66% | 8,131 | Against | 66 | 15,974 | 51.32% |
| Little Bow | A | 1,584 | 51.50% | 1,492 | 48.50% | 3,076 | For | 1 | 5,715 | 53.84% |
| Macleod | A | 1,892 | 49.78% | 1,909 | 50.22% | 3,801 | Against | 46 | 7,476 | 51.46% |
| Medicine Hat | A | 2,728 | 50.04% | 2,724 | 49.96% | 5,452 | For | 98 | 12,586 | 44.10% |
| Okotoks-High River | A | 2,088 | 62.18% | 1,270 | 37.82% | 3,358 | For | 33 | 6,602 | 51.36% |
| Olds | A | 1,164 | 38.24% | 1,880 | 61.76% | 3,044 | Against | 32 | 7,332 | 41.95% |
| Peace River | A | 1,871 | 68.09% | 877 | 31.91% | 2,748 | For | 14 | 10,020 | 27.57% |
| Pembina | A | 1,375 | 52.12% | 1,263 | 47.88% | 2,638 | For | 75 | 7,240 | 37.47% |
| Pincher Creek-Crowsnest | A | 1,656 | 65.87% | 858 | 34.13% | 2,514 | For | 9 | 6,009 | 41.99% |
| Ponoka | A | 1,280 | 46.04% | 1,500 | 53.96% | 2,780 | Against | 53 | 6,317 | 44.88% |
| Red Deer | A | 3,565 | 56.88% | 2,703 | 43.12% | 6,268 | For | 80 | 14,151 | 44.86% |
| Redwater | A | 1,589 | 76.28% | 494 | 23.72% | 2,083 | For | 17 | 5,838 | 35.97% |
| Rocky Mountain House | A | 1,286 | 52.58% | 1,160 | 47.42% | 2,446 | For | 7 | 5,950 | 41.23% |
| Sedgewick | A | 1,362 | 44.39% | 1,706 | 55.61% | 3,068 | Against | 9 | 5,921 | 51.97% |
| Spirit River | A | 762 | 53.81% | 654 | 46.19% | 1,416 | For | 29 | 6,160 | 23.46% |
| St. Albert | A | 2,546 | 70.27% | 1,077 | 29.73% | 3,623 | For | 92 | 8,184 | 45.39% |
| St. Paul | A | 1,321 | 58.40% | 941 | 41.60% | 2,262 | For | 18 | 6,080 | 37.50% |
| Stettler | A | 1,765 | 49.82% | 1,785 | 50.28% | 3,550 | Against | 9 | 6,743 | 52.78% |
| Stony Plain | A | 2,372 | 72.01% | 922 | 27.99% | 3,294 | For | 38 | 8,663 | 38.64% |
| Taber | A | 941 | 32.86% | 1,923 | 67.14% | 2,864 | Against | 35 | 6,627 | 43.75% |
| Vegreville | A | 1,187 | 56.04% | 931 | 43.96% | 2,118 | For | 32 | 5,795 | 37.10% |
| Vermillion | A | 1,258 | 53.92% | 1,075 | 46.08% | 2,333 | For | 15 | 5,758 | 40.79% |
| Wainwright | A | 1,631 | 49.35% | 1,674 | 50.65% | 3,305 | Against | 33 | 6,897 | 48.40% |
| Warner | A | 762 | 35.26% | 1,399 | 64.74% | 2,161 | Against | 21 | 5,197 | 41.99% |
| Wetaskiwin | A | 1,773 | 48.78% | 1,892 | 51.62% | 3,665 | Against | 9 | 7,650 | 48.03% |
| Willingdon | A | 1,400 | 76.63% | 427 | 23.37% | 1,827 | For | 19 | 5,979 | 30.88% |
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