1971 Ontario general election explained

The 1971 Ontario general election was held on October 21, 1971, to elect the 117 members of the 29th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario.^[1]

The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by Bill Davis, who had replaced John Robarts as PC leader and premier earlier in the year, won a ninth consecutive term in office, and maintained its majority in the legislature, increasing its caucus in the legislature by eight seats from its result in the previous election.

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Robert Nixon, lost seven seats, but continued in the role of official opposition.

The social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party, led by Stephen Lewis, lost one seat.

This election marked the first time that the provincial election was held on a Thursday. Subsequently, every provincial election has also been held on a Thursday, with the exception of the 2007 Ontario general election, which was held on a Wednesday.

The electoral franchise was significantly expanded upon the reduction of the voting age from 21 to 18.^[2]

Results

Summary

^[3] |-! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party! rowspan=2 | Party leader! colspan=4 | MPPs! colspan=4 | Votes|-! Candidates!1967!1971!±!#! ±!%! ± (pp)|style="text-align:left;"|Bill Davis| 117 || 69 || 78 || 9 || 1,465,313 || 446,558 || 44.50% || 2.40^[4] |style="text-align:left;"|Robert Nixon| 117 || 28 || 20 || 8 || 913,742 || 146,351 || 27.75% || 3.97|style="text-align:left;"|Stephen Lewis| 117 || 20 || 19 || 1 || 893,879 || 265,482 || 27.15% || 1.18| || 23 ||  - ||  - ||  - || 16,959 || 14,577 || 0.52% || 0.42|style="text-align:left;"|William Stewart| 5 ||  - ||  - ||  - || 1,620 || 558 || 0.05% || 0.03| || 5 ||  - ||  - ||  - || 1,204 || 702 || 0.04% || 0.04|-! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Total|384||117! " colspan="2"|117! " colspan="2"|3,292,717! " colspan="2"| 100.00%|-| colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Rejected ballots| 18,059| 1,469| colspan="2"||-| colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Voter turnout| 3,310,776| 871,538| 73.52| 7.34|-| colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Registered electors| 4,503,142| 817,387| colspan="2"||}

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1971 Ontario general election

Riding	Winning party								Turnout [5]	Votes
Name[6]	1967		Party		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %		PC	Lib	NDP				Total
Algoma		PC		PC	5,222	42.20%	1,397	11.29%	73.88%	5,222	3,326	3,825	–	–	–	12,373
Algoma—Manitoulin		Lib		PC	5,147	40.32%	1,298	10.17%	72.06%	5,147	3,768	3,849	–	–	–	12,764
Brant		Lib		Lib	8,846	50.98%	3,699	21.32%	73.31%	5,147	8,846	3,359	–	–	–	17,352
Brantford		NDP		PC	16,632	45.04%	4,524	12.25%	80.80%	16,632	8,188	12,108	–	–	–	36,928
Carleton		PC		PC	18,538	49.95%	7,622	20.54%	73.78%	18,538	10,916	7,656	–	–	–	37,110
Carleton East		PC		PC	13,190	46.56%	4,123	14.56%	65.97%	13,190	9,067	6,069	–	–	–	28,326
Chatham—Kent		PC		PC	10,827	48.54%	2,208	9.90%	65.09%	10,827	8,619	2,859	–	–	–	22,305
Cochrane North		PC		PC	11,212	64.02%	5,454	31.14%	76.21%	11,212	543	5,758	–	–	–	17,513
Cochrane South		NDP		NDP	11,383	48.43%	655	2.79%	74.68%	10,728	1,270	11,383	122	–	–	23,503
Dufferin—Simcoe		PC		PC	12,063	51.97%	4,454	19.19%	68.28%	12,063	7,609	3,540	–	–	–	23,212
Durham		PC		PC	10,628	48.22%	3,454	15.67%	76.47%	10,628	4,239	7,174	–	–	–	22,041
Elgin		PC		PC	14,742	45.08%	4,325	13.23%	78.98%	14,742	10,417	7,329	215	–	–	32,703
Essex—Kent		Lib		Lib	7,087	40.30%	1,035	5.89%	75.52%	4,446	7,087	6,052	–	–	–	17,585
Essex South		Lib		Lib	12,217	51.75%	5,696	24.13%	74.77%	4,872	12,217	6,521	–	–	–	23,610
Fort William		PC		PC	13,428	49.05%	3,777	13.80%	75.91%	13,428	4,296	9,651	–	–	–	27,375
Frontenac—Addington		PC		PC	7,539	38.05%	1,706	8.61%	71.67%	7,539	5,833	2,081	4,363	–	–	19,816
Glengarry		PC		PC	7,496	55.72%	3,211	23.87%	75.27%	7,496	4,285	1,672	–	–	–	13,453
Grenville—Dundas		PC		PC	11,635	63.06%	6,988	37.87%	70.55%	11,635	4,647	1,927	242	–	–	18,451
Grey—Bruce		Lib		Lib	13,657	46.17%	2,638	8.92%	79.70%	11,019	13,657	4,905	–	–	–	29,581
Grey South		PC		PC	10,285	54.91%	4,870	26.00%	77.15%	10,285	5,415	3,029	–	–	–	18,729
Haldimand—Norfolk		PC		PC	16,197	57.67%	8,981	31.98%	74.48%	16,197	7,216	4,673	–	–	–	28,086
Halton East		PC		PC	21,359	55.43%	11,622	30.16%	75.07%	21,359	9,737	7,154	284	–	–	38,534
Halton West		PC		PC	25,136	59.53%	16,353	38.73%	76.20%	25,136	8,783	8,306	–	–	–	42,225
Hamilton Centre		NDP		NDP	8,018	38.32%	1,422	6.80%	61.61%	6,596	6,310	8,018	–	–	–	20,924
Hamilton East		NDP		NDP	11,073	40.64%	2,846	10.45%	71.11%	8,227	7,947	11,073	–	–	–	27,247
Hamilton Mountain		PC		PC	17,979	50.28%	7,254	20.29%	78.13%	17,979	7,053	10,725	–	–	–	35,757
Hamilton West		PC		PC	12,807	43.51%	4,565	15.51%	73.86%	12,807	8,150	8,242	–	233	–	29,432
Hastings		PC		PC	9,195	59.79%	4,636	30.14%	70.12%	9,195	4,559	1,626	–	–	–	15,380
Huron		PC		PC	9,793	57.81%	6,155	36.34%	78.11%	9,793	3,638	3,414	94	–	–	16,939
Huron—Bruce		Lib		Lib	12,374	67.60%	8,616	47.07%	79.13%	3,758	12,374	2,172	–	–	–	18,304
Kenora		PC		PC	11,226	61.44%	6,331	34.65%	73.05%	11,226	2,150	4,895	–	–	–	18,271
Kent		Lib		Lib	8,768	49.83%	1,992	11.32%	80.37%	6,776	8,768	2,051	–	–	–	17,595
Kingston and the Islands		PC		PC	12,285	43.92%	187	0.67%	68.30%	12,285	12,098	3,587	–	–	–	27,970
Kitchener		Lib		Lib	19,168	42.30%	5,633	12.43%	72.62%	13,535	19,168	12,237	379	–	–	45,319
Lambton		PC		PC	9,983	50.70%	3,697	18.78%	75.69%	9,983	6,286	2,915	507	–	–	19,691
Lanark		PC		PC	10,670	58.97%	5,695	31.47%	69.20%	10,670	4,975	2,450	–	–	–	18,095
Leeds		PC		PC	15,477	65.45%	10,754	45.48%	75.26%	15,477	3,447	4,723	–	–	–	23,647
Lincoln		PC		PC	19,513	62.54%	13,289	42.59%	72.38%	19,513	6,224	4,556	572	336	–	31,201
London North		PC		PC	17,266	41.90%	5,426	13.17%	73.09%	17,266	11,198	11,840	902	–	–	41,206
London South		PC		PC	24,064	50.54%	11,363	23.87%	77.88%	24,064	12,701	10,845	–	–	–	47,610
Middlesex North		PC		PC	8,633	52.49%	4,155	25.26%	78.65%	8,633	3,337	4,478	–	–	–	16,448
Middlesex South		PC		PC	12,253	42.85%	3,053	10.68%	77.14%	12,253	7,140	9,200	–	–	–	28,593
Muskoka		PC		PC	7,240	50.01%	3,119	21.54%	73.68%	7,240	3,116	4,121	–	–	–	14,477
Niagara Falls		Lib		PC	12,221	42.25%	1,833	6.34%	73.46%	12,221	10,388	6,319	–	–	–	28,928
Nickel Belt		PC		NDP	9,003	49.37%	1,964	10.77%	79.34%	7,039	2,195	9,003	–	–	–	18,237
Nipissing		Lib		Lib	12,166	41.95%	28	0.10%	74.61%	12,138	12,166	4,698	–	–	–	29,002
Northumberland		PC		PC	12,277	54.43%	5,560	24.65%	75.74%	12,277	6,717	3,563	–	–	–	22,557
Ontario		PC		PC	10,970	52.26%	5,306	25.28%	76.40%	10,970	5,664	4,356	–	–	–	20,990
Ontario South		PC		PC	16,561	51.14%	5,614	17.34%	78.42%	16,561	4,876	10,947	–	–	–	32,384
Oshawa		NDP		PC	19,207	46.73%	2,726	6.63%	74.99%	19,207	5,413	16,481	–	–	–	41,101
Ottawa Centre		Lib		NDP	8,075	35.46%	182	0.80%	62.36%	7,893	6,804	8,075	–	–	–	22,772
Ottawa East		PC		Lib	10,827	52.52%	5,127	24.87%	57.10%	5,700	10,827	3,590	499	–	–	20,616
Ottawa South		PC		PC	22,392	51.67%	11,754	27.12%	72.89%	22,392	10,307	10,638	–	–	–	43,337
Ottawa West		PC		PC	18,349	45.54%	6,712	16.66%	74.85%	18,349	10,308	11,637	–	–	–	40,294
Oxford		Lib		PC	16,322	46.01%	3,024	8.52%	77.52%	16,322	13,298	5,856	–	–	–	35,476
Parry Sound		PC		PC	6,682	37.35%	2,184	12.21%	74.58%	6,682	3,763	2,947	4,498	–	–	17,890
Peel North		PC		PC	29,851	59.48%	18,592	37.04%	73.38%	29,851	9,080	11,259	–	–	–	50,190
Peel South		PC		PC	29,569	54.63%	17,282	31.93%	73.61%	29,569	12,287	12,266	–	–	–	54,122
Perth		Lib		Lib	16,265	54.31%	6,815	22.76%	74.35%	9,450	16,265	4,231	–	–	–	29,946
Peterborough		NDP		PC	18,632	42.69%	590	1.35%	77.67%	18,632	6,970	18,042	–	–	–	43,644
Port Arthur		Lib		NDP	11,461	45.06%	1,369	5.38%	75.47%	10,092	3,880	11,461	–	–	–	25,433
Prescott and Russell		PC		PC	10,950	51.84%	5,499	26.03%	75.01%	10,950	5,451	4,723	–	–	–	21,124
Prince Edward—Lennox		PC		PC	9,995	52.78%	3,404	17.98%	74.09%	9,995	6,591	2,350	–	–	–	18,936
Quinte		PC		PC	15,066	57.36%	7,455	28.38%	67.52%	15,066	7,611	3,588	–	–	–	26,265
Rainy River		LL		Lib	6,115	50.00%	2,206	18.04%	72.30%	2,207	6,115	3,909	–	–	–	12,231
Renfrew North		PC		PC	11,980	51.76%	3,517	15.20%	71.42%	11,980	8,463	2,516	185	–	–	23,144
Renfrew South		PC		PC	9,370	53.87%	3,353	19.28%	79.83%	9,370	6,017	2,008	–	–	–	17,395
St. Catharines		PC		PC	16,074	43.92%	5,627	15.37%	68.01%	16,074	10,080	10,447	–	–	–	36,601
Sandwich—Riverside		NDP		NDP	17,944	50.24%	8,592	24.05%	74.86%	9,352	8,424	17,944	–	–	–	35,720
Sarnia		Lib		Lib	14,422	52.44%	6,884	25.03%	67.23%	7,538	14,422	5,544	–	–	–	27,504
Sault Ste. Marie		PC		PC	14,983	43.00%	1,035	2.97%	79.24%	14,983	5,915	13,948	–	–	–	34,846
Simcoe Centre		PC		PC	17,067	55.98%	9,192	30.15%	72.30%	17,067	7,875	5,543	–	–	–	30,485
Simcoe East		PC		PC	12,109	48.41%	5,468	21.86%	73.33%	12,109	6,264	6,641	–	–	–	25,014
Stormont		PC		PC	13,378	58.09%	7,099	30.83%	68.46%	13,378	3,372	6,279	–	–	–	23,029
Sudbury		Lib		NDP	11,905	40.92%	2,770	9.52%	70.16%	8,053	9,135	11,905	–	–	–	29,093
Sudbury East		NDP		NDP	15,522	53.62%	8,457	29.21%	71.69%	6,363	7,065	15,522	–	–	–	28,950
Thunder Bay		NDP		NDP	6,996	55.03%	3,882	30.54%	75.38%	3,114	2,602	6,996	–	–	–	12,712
Temiskaming		NDP		PC	9,695	47.22%	2,154	10.49%	74.88%	9,695	3,297	7,541	–	–	–	20,533
Victoria—Haliburton		PC		PC	10,368	48.88%	2,119	9.99%	74.78%	10,368	8,249	2,595	–	–	–	21,212
Waterloo North		Lib		Lib	15,035	39.41%	2,438	6.39%	72.90%	12,597	15,035	10,162	359	–	–	38,153
Waterloo South		PC		PC	15,165	50.40%	4,543	15.10%	76.08%	15,165	4,302	10,622	–	–	–	30,089
Welland		PC		PC	15,044	50.19%	5,157	17.20%	79.87%	15,044	5,046	9,887	–	–	–	29,977
Welland South		Lib		Lib	8,845	36.35%	438	1.80%	74.09%	8,407	8,845	7,082	–	–	–	24,334
Wellington—Dufferin		PC		PC	8,250	51.11%	3,383	20.96%	71.41%	8,250	4,867	2,559	467	–	–	16,143
Wellington South		Lib		Lib	16,606	45.94%	6,856	18.97%	74.54%	9,750	16,606	9,161	630	–	–	36,147
Wentworth		NDP		NDP	14,128	43.82%	3,937	12.21%	70.84%	10,191	7,920	14,128	–	–	–	32,239
Wentworth North		PC		PC	12,489	45.35%	4,279	15.54%	80.74%	12,489	8,210	6,842	–	–	–	27,541
Windsor—Walkerville		Lib		Lib	12,986	44.83%	976	3.37%	74.84%	3,974	12,986	12,010	–	–	–	28,970
Windsor West		NDP		NDP	13,119	42.98%	3,444	11.28%	72.33%	9,675	7,731	13,119	–	–	–	30,525
York Centre		Lib		Lib	14,885	42.28%	212	0.60%	73.79%	14,673	14,885	5,645	–	–	–	35,203
York North		PC		PC	15,557	52.39%	7,514	25.30%	73.16%	15,557	6,094	8,043	–	–	–	29,694
Armourdale		PC		PC	16,055	49.99%	7,511	23.39%	74.05%	16,055	8,544	7,519	–	–	–	32,118
		NDP		PC	13,768	49.25%	2,630	9.41%	73.73%	13,768	2,819	11,138	88	–	145	27,958
Bellwoods		PC		PC	7,443	51.71%	3,839	26.67%	69.73%	7,443	3,347	3,604	–	–	–	14,394
Don Mills		PC		PC	16,102	50.80%	5,986	18.88%	74.18%	16,102	5,481	10,116	–	–	–	31,699
Dovercourt		Lib		PC	6,183	34.60%	39	0.22%	66.65%	6,183	5,116	6,144	–	429	–	17,872
Downsview		Lib		Lib	17,140	52.25%	6,219	18.96%	68.42%	4,740	17,140	10,921	–	–	–	32,801
Eglinton		PC		PC	20,242	57.06%	10,005	28.20%	78.82%	20,242	10,237	4,819	180	–	–	35,478
Etobicoke		Lib		Lib	16,676	39.79%	943	2.25%	75.56%	15,733	16,676	9,072	432	–	–	41,913
High Park		NDP		NDP	16,509	54.58%	7,282	24.07%	74.39%	9,227	4,284	16,509	–	–	229	30,249
Humber		Lib		PC	11,235	41.48%	3,055	11.28%	72.61%	11,235	7,673	8,180	–	–	–	27,088
Lakeshore		NDP		NDP	10,867	42.36%	735	2.87%	75.42%	10,132	4,653	10,867	–	–	–	25,652
Parkdale		Lib		NDP	5,994	36.37%	436	2.65%	66.60%	4,930	5,558	5,994	–	–	–	16,482
Riverdale		NDP		NDP	11,132	49.27%	2,518	11.14%	65.04%	8,614	2,503	11,132	–	–	346	22,595
St. Andrew—St. Patrick		PC		PC	9,588	46.61%	1,137	5.53%	68.33%	9,588	1,860	8,451	275	231	164	20,569
St. David		PC		PC	13,320	50.07%	5,291	19.89%	70.46%	13,320	4,934	8,029	–	–	320	26,603
St. George		PC		PC	16,916	55.44%	9,492	31.11%	67.58%	16,916	7,424	5,801	374	–	–	30,515
Scarborough Centre		NDP		PC	15,781	48.36%	4,873	14.93%	73.04%	15,781	4,962	10,908	984	–	–	32,635
Scarborough East		Lib		PC	13,206	40.94%	670	2.08%	73.51%	13,206	12,536	6,514	–	–	–	32,256
Scarborough North		PC		PC	24,982	56.16%	12,023	27.03%	80.39%	24,982	6,235	12,959	308	–	–	44,484
Scarborough West		NDP		NDP	13,092	38.96%	170	0.51%	73.50%	12,922	7,594	13,092	–	–	–	33,608
York East		PC		PC	17,830	50.69%	7,890	22.43%	74.83%	17,830	9,940	7,402	–	–	–	35,172
York-Forest Hill		PC		Lib	13,870	41.52%	1,300	3.89%	72.89%	12,570	13,870	6,963	–	–	–	33,403
York Mills		PC		PC	41,629	59.12%	23,007	32.68%	73.87%	41,629	18,622	10,159	–	–	–	70,410
York South		NDP		NDP	12,915	48.01%	2,877	10.69%	69.53%	10,038	3,949	12,915	–	–	–	26,902
York West		PC		PC	26,034	59.41%	13,582	30.99%	77.66%	26,034	12,452	5,335	–	–	–	43,821
Yorkview		NDP		NDP	20,660	43.38%	6,630	13.92%	71.37%	12,550	14,030	20,660	–	391	–	47,631

= open seat

= turnout is above provincial average

= winning candidate was in previous Legislature

= not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature

= incumbent had switched allegiance

= incumbency arose from byelection gain

= previously incumbent in another riding

= other incumbents renominated

Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place

Party in 1st place		Party in 2nd place				Total
		PC	Lib	NDP	Ind
	40	37	1	78
15		5		20
15	4			19
Total		30	44	42	1	117

Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party

Parties	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
	78	30	9
	20	44	53
	19	42	54	2
		1	1	20	1
				4
				3	2

Source !!colspan="4"

Party
align="center"	PC	align="center"	Lib	align="center"	NDP	Total
Seats retained	Incumbents returned	50	17	13	80
	Open seats held	15		1	16
	Byelection loss reversed	1			1
Seats changing hands	Incumbents defeated	10	1	2	13
	Open seats gained	2	1	3	6
	Incumbent changed allegiance		1		1
Total		78	20	19	117

Seats changing hands

Of the 117 seats, 22 were open because of MPPs who chose not to stand for reelection, and voters in only 19 seats changed allegiance from the previous election in 2018.

Tom Reid (Rainy River) had previously campaigned on the Liberal-Labour ticket, but sat with the Liberal caucus. In 1971, he opted to stand as a Liberal instead.

Elections to the 29th Legislative Assembly of Ontario – seats won/lost by party, 1967-1971

Party		1967	Gain from (loss to)						1971
			PC		Lib		NDP			69			6	(1)	6	(2)	78	28	2	(6)				(4)	20	20	1	(6)	4				19
Total		117	3	(12)	10	(1)	6	(6)	117

There were 19 seats that changed allegiance in the election:

PC to Liberal

• Ottawa East
• York-Forest Hill

PC to NDP

• Nickel Belt

Liberal to PC

• Algoma—Manitoulin
• Niagara Falls
• Oxford
• Dovercourt
• Humber
• Scarborough East

Liberal to NDP

• Ottawa Centre
• Port Arthur
• Sudbury
• Parkdale

NDP to PC

• Brantford
• Oshawa
• Peterborough
• Temiskaming
• Beaches—Woodbine
• Scarborough Centre

See also

• Politics of Ontario
• List of Ontario political parties
• Premier of Ontario
• Leader of the Opposition (Ontario)

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1971 General Election . Elections Ontario . January 3, 2021.
2. The Age of Majority and Accountability Act, 1971. S.O.. 1971. 98. https://archive.org/details/statutesofprov1971v1onta/page/792/mode/2up.
3. Web site: 1971 general election results. . Elections Ontario. November 1, 2023.
4. includes Liberal-Labour in 1967 totals
5. including spoilt ballots
6. order is as given in EO reports