1945 Canadian Federal Election

June 11, 1945 · The King–St. Laurent ascendancy · 245 seats, 123 for a majority

Mackenzie King narrowly survived the war he had managed, winning 118 seats days after V-E Day despite losing his own riding, while the CCF's 28 seats marked the socialist high-water mark that had panicked both old parties into embracing the welfare state.

Prime Minister before

William Lyon Mackenzie King

Liberal

Prime Minister (continued)

William Lyon Mackenzie King

Liberal

Government formed

Liberal

minority government

Turnout

75.3%

The result

Sort by

Liberal

W. L. Mackenzie King · -61 seats · 39.8%

118

seats

Progressive Conservative

John Bracken · +27 seats · 27.6%

seats

CCF

M. J. Coldwell · +20 seats · 15.6%

seats

Social Credit

Solon Earl Low · +3 seats · 4.0%

seats

Bloc populaire

Maxime Raymond · +2 seats · 3.3%

seats

Labor–Progressive

Tim Buck · +1 seats · 2.1%

seats


Liberal	W. L. Mackenzie King	118	-61	2,086,545	39.8%	-11.5
Progressive Conservative	John Bracken	66	+27	1,448,744	27.6%	-2.8
CCF	M. J. Coldwell	28	+20	815,720	15.6%	+7.3
Social Credit	Solon Earl Low	13	+3	212,220	4.0%	+1.5
Bloc populaire	Maxime Raymond	2	+2	172,765	3.3%	—
Labor–Progressive	Tim Buck	1	+1	111,892	2.1%	+1.9

17 further seats went to parties and independents outside the main contenders listed above.

The result by province & territory

Seats won and vote share in each province and territory. Blank cells mean the party did not contest the province; the results table splits allied labels (Liberal-Conservatives, farmers' candidates, independents) that the headline figures group together.

Sort by

Liberal

BC 5 (27.5%)AB 2 (21.8%)SK 2 (33.0%)MB 9 (32.7%)ON 34 (40.8%)QC 47 (46.5%)NB 7 (50.0%)NS 9 (45.7%)PE 3 (48.4%)

118

seats

Progressive Conservative

BC 5 (30.0%)AB 2 (18.7%)SK 1 (18.8%)MB 2 (24.9%)ON 48 (41.4%)QC 1 (9.7%)NB 3 (38.3%)NS 2 (36.8%)PE 1 (47.4%)YT 1 (40.0%)

seats

Co-operative Commonwealth

BC 4 (29.4%)AB 0 (18.4%)SK 18 (44.4%)MB 5 (31.6%)ON 0 (14.3%)QC 0 (2.4%)NB 0 (7.4%)NS 1 (16.7%)PE 0 (4.2%)YT 0 (27.5%)

seats

Social Credit

BC 0 (2.3%)AB 13 (36.6%)SK 0 (3.0%)MB 0 (3.2%)ON 0 (0.2%)QC 0 (4.4%)

seats

Independent Liberal

BC 1 (1.7%)QC 7 (5.9%)NB 0 (1.1%)

seats

Independent

MB 0 (0.8%)ON 0 (0.4%)QC 6 (16.9%)NB 0 (3.2%)NS 0 (0.2%)

seats

Bloc populaire

ON 0 (0.3%)QC 2 (11.9%)

seats

Labor–Progressive

BC 0 (5.9%)AB 0 (4.5%)SK 0 (0.8%)MB 0 (5.0%)ON 0 (2.0%)QC 1 (1.0%)NS 0 (0.6%)YT 0 (32.4%)

seats

Independent PC

ON 0 (<0.1%)QC 1 (1.0%)

seats

Independent CCF

BC 1 (1.4%)QC 0 (<0.1%)

seats

Liberal-Progressive

MB 1 (1.9%)

seats

Total seats

245


Liberal	527.5%	221.8%	233.0%	932.7%	3440.8%	4746.5%	750.0%	945.7%	348.4%		11839.8%
Progressive Conservative	530.0%	218.7%	118.8%	224.9%	4841.4%	19.7%	338.3%	236.8%	147.4%	140.0%	6627.6%
Co-operative Commonwealth	429.4%	018.4%	1844.4%	531.6%	014.3%	02.4%	07.4%	116.7%	04.2%	027.5%	2815.6%
Social Credit	02.3%	1336.6%	03.0%	03.2%	00.2%	04.4%					134.0%
Independent Liberal	11.7%					75.9%	01.1%				81.8%
Independent				00.8%	00.4%	616.9%	03.2%	00.2%			64.9%
Bloc populaire					00.3%	211.9%					23.3%
Labor–Progressive	05.9%	04.5%	00.8%	05.0%	02.0%	11.0%		00.6%		032.4%	12.1%
Independent PC					0<0.1%	11.0%					10.3%
Independent CCF	11.4%					0<0.1%					10.1%
Liberal-Progressive				11.9%							10.1%
Total seats	16	17	21	17	82	65	10	12	4	1	245