The 1921 Saskatchewan general election was held on June 9, 1921, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

The Liberal Party of Saskatchewan of Premier William M. Martin was re-elected – although with a diminished share of the popular vote, and a reduced caucus in the legislature.

Donald McLean resigned as leader of the Conservative Party in April 1921, and the party convention decided to only form a committee to make arrangements for the coming election. There were only four candidates who were considered to have a chance of success, of which only two seats were retained. Its share of the popular vote fell from about 36% to less than 4%.

Harris Turner was instrumental in calling a meeting of Conservatives and separate school supporters to form an Independent Movement for the coming election. At a meeting held in Saskatoon in May 1921, it was decided not to establish a party structure, but to organize a central committee to field candidates. John Maharg, president of the Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association and Minister of Agriculture in the Liberal government, would later accuse the movement of being engineered from the office of John Reid, the federal Minister of Railways. It appeared that the movement was effectively led by W.T. Badger, who was ostensibly campaigning as an Independent Conservative in Rosetown. Candidates in the movement included four Conservative, four Labour and four Non-Partisan figures.

The Independent and Independent Conservative candidates won over 29% of the vote, and voters elected a total of eight Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) under these banners.

The Progressive Party of Saskatchewan made its first appearance, winning six of the seven ridings that it contested.

Expansion of Legislative Assembly An Act was passed in 1920 providing for an increase of seats from 59 to 63, upon the next election. Moose Jaw City, Regina City and Saskatoon City now returned two members, using block voting. Previously they had each elected one MLA, who had been elected using the first-past-the-post voting election system. The multi-seat districts were used until the 1960s.

The following other changes were also made:

Abolished ridings New ridingsRenaming of districts Moose Mountain WolseleyDrawn from other ridings Gravelbourg

Results

+Elections to the 5th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan (1921)PartyLeaderCandidatesVotesSeats # ± % Change (pp) 1917 1921 ±William Martin60 92,983 13,569 51.39 51635 46,556 42,116 25.73 167 13,613 13,613 7.52 –64 7,133 61,110 3.94 753 6,295 6,295 3.48 –13 6,034 4,560 3.34 –11 Acclamation –13 3,735 3,532 2.06 1 1,690 1,690 0.93New1 1,510 1,510 0.84New1 1,400 1,400 0.77NewTotal 119180,949 100.00%

MLAs elected

Single-member districts

+ Results by riding - 1921 Saskatchewan general election (single-member districts) Riding Winning party VotesName 1917Party Votes Share Margin#Margin% Lib Total   Arm River Lib LibAcclamationBengough Lib Lib1,595 67.67% 833 35.34% 1,595 762 – – – – – – – 2,357Biggar Lib Prog2,293 60.18% 776 20.37% 1,517 – 2,293 – – – – – – 3,810Cannington Lib Lib1,606 64.65% 728 29.31% 1,606 878 – – – – – – – 2,484Canora Lib Lib1,597 43.55% 197 5.37% 1,597 670 – – – – – – 1,400 3,667CumberlandElection day deferred to August 9, 1921 Lib LibAcclamationCut Knife Lib Lib931 57.47% 242 14.94% 931 689 – – – – – – – 1,620Cypress Lib LibAcclamationElrose Lib Lib1,957 52.49% 256 6.87% 1,957 1,771 – – – – – – – 3,728Estevan Lib LibAcclamationFrancis Lib Lib1,456 54.25% 228 8.49% 1,456 1,228 – – – – – – – 2,684Gravelbourg New Ind2,582 52.77% 271 5.54% 2,311 2,582 – – – – – – – 4,893Hanley Lib Lib1,953 68.57% 1,058 37.15% 1,953 895 – – – – – – – 2,848Happyland Lib Lib2,603 77.82% 1,861 55.64% 2,603 742 – – – – – – – 3,345Humboldt Lib LibAcclamationÎle-à-la-Crosse Lib Lib384 57.92% 105 15.84% 384 279 – – – – – – – 663Jack Fish Lake Lib LibAcclamationKerrobert Lib Lib2,468 65.92% 1,192 31.84% 2,468 1,276 – – – – – – – 3,744Kindersley Lib Prog3,054 72.73% 1,909 45.46% 1,145 – 3,054 – – – – – – 4,199Kinistino Lib Lib1,902 52.32% 169 4.65% 1,902 1,733 – – – – – – – 3,635Last Mountain Lib LibAcclamationLloydminster Lib LibAcclamationLumsden Lib Lib1,878 64.07% 825 28.15% 1,878 1,053 – – – – – – – 2,931Maple Creek Lib Lib1,910 59.89% 631 19.79% 1,910 1,279 – – – – – – – 3,189Melfort Lib Lib1,846 61.76% 703 23.52% 1,846 1,143 – – – – – – – 2,989Milestone Lib LibAcclamationMoose Jaw County Lib LibAcclamationMoosomin Con Con1,892 50.96% 71 1.91% 1,821 – – 1,892 – – – – – 3,713Morse Lib IPGAcclamationNorth Qu'Appelle Lib LibAcclamationNotukeu Lib LibAcclamationPelly Lib Lib1,457 33.64% 419 9.67% 1,457 925 – – 911 – 1,038 – – 4,331Pheasant Hills Lib Lib1,590 46.27% 538 15.66% 1,590 1,846 – – – – – – – 3,436Pipestone Lib Lib1,624 47.95% 94 2.78% 1,624 1,763 – – – – – – – 3,387Prince Albert Lib LibAcclamationRedberry Lib Ind1,837 53.65% 250 7.30% 1,587 1,837 – – – – – – – 3,424Rosetown Con Lib2,735 52.65% 275 5.29% 2,735 – – – 2,460 – – – – 5,195Rosthern Lib LibAcclamationSaltcoats Lib LibAcclamationSaskatoon County Lib Prog1,330 52.14% 109 4.27% 1,221 – 1,330 – – – – – – 2,551Shellbrook Lib Lib1,900 59.94% 630 19.87% 1,900 1,270 – – – – – – – 3,170Souris Con Con1,260 50.58% 29 1.16% 1,231 – – 1,260 – – – – – 2,491South Qu'Appelle Con Ind1,883 57.36% 483 14.71% 1,400 1,883 – – – – – – – 3,283Swift Current Ind Ind1,595 44.38% 85 2.37% – 1,595 – – – 489 – 1,510 – 3,594The Battlefords Lib LibAcclamationThunder Creek Con Prog730 51.48% 42 2.96% – – 730 688 – – – – – 1,418Tisdale Lib Lib1,314 54.25% 206 8.51% 1,314 1,108 – – – – – – – 2,422Touchwood Lib Lib1,734 58.50% 504 17.00% 1,734 – – – – – 1,230 – – 2,964Turtleford Lib Lib1,186 52.73% 123 5.47% 1,186 1,063 – – – – – – – 2,249Vonda Lib Lib2,672 78.08% 1,922 56.17% 2,672 750 – – – – – – – 3,422Wadena Lib Prog1,979 61.50% 740 23.00% 1,239 – 1,979 – – – – – – 3,218Weyburn Lib Lib2,368 88.39% 2,057 76.78% 2,368 311 – – – – – – – 2,679Wilkie Lib Prog1,694 51.51% 99 3.01% 1,595 – 1,694 – – – – – – 3,289Willow Bunch Lib Lib3,040 54.55% 507 9.10% 3,040 – 2,533 – – – – – – 5,573Wolseley Lib Ind2,322 54.51% 384 9.01% 1,938 2,322 – – – – – – – 4,260Wynyard Lib Ind2,197 59.03% 672 18.05% 1,525 2,197 – – – – – – – 3,722Yorkton Lib Lib2,116 59.06% 649 18.11% 2,116 – – – – – 1,467 – – 3,583

= Open seat = winning candidate was in previous Legislature = Incumbent had switched allegiance = Previously incumbent in another riding = Not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature = Incumbency arose from by-election gain = other incumbents renominated = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada = Multiple candidates

Multiple-member districts

+ Results by riding - 1921 Saskatchewan general election (multiple-member districts) Riding Winning party VotesNameMLAs 19171921 Lib Total Moose Jaw City2 2,921 733 – – 2,924 3,132 –11,8512,141 – – – – – – Regina City2 7,540 3,500 – – – 2,413 –21,2065,952 1,801 – – – – – Saskatoon City2 4,198 4,672 – 3,293 – – 1,69017,7323,879 – – – – – –

= winning candidate

See also List of political parties in Saskatchewan List of Saskatchewan provincial electoral districts

References

Saskatchewan Archives Board – Election Results By Electoral Division Elections Saskatchewan - Provincial Vote Summaries

Further reading