A referendum on the legality of alcoholic beverages was held in Ontario, Canada on December 4, 1902. Though 65 per cent of voters indicated support for prohibition, a majority of half of the number of voters in the 1898 election did not support the motion, and prohibition was not introduced.
Referendum question Are you in favour of bringing into force Part II of The Liquor Act, 1902?
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council had previously ruled in 1896 that provinces do not have the authority to prohibit the importation of alcohol. Part II of the Liquor Act would authorize prohibition to the extent that Ontario would be allowed to enact, specifically a ban on the sale of alcohol in bars and retail establishments and the placement of restrictions on the sale of alcohol in restaurants.
The act provided that passage in the referendum was contingent on several conditions being met:
Results
+ 1902 Ontario referendum - analysis of resultsChoiceAll ridingsYesNoVotes % Ridings Votes % Ridings Votes %Yes199,749 65.86 85 176,684 71.12 12 23,065 42.03No103,548 34.14 71,736 28.88 31,812 57.97Total303,297 100.00 248,420 100.00 54,877 100.00Majority96,201 31.72 104,948 42.24 8,747 15.94Turnout 50.57%49.70%54.87%
The Yes vote was less than the required threshold of 212,723, so prohibition was not adopted.
Only 12 of the 97 ridings voted No:
Essex North Hamilton West Kingston London
Nipissing West Ottawa Prescott Russell
Toronto East Toronto South Waterloo North Welland
See also Prohibition in Canada Canada Temperance Act 1894 Ontario prohibition plebiscite 1919 Ontario prohibition referendum 1921 Ontario prohibition referendum 1924 Ontario prohibition referendum
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