A
plebiscite
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
on the legality of alcoholic beverages was held in Ontario, Canada on January 1, 1894. Per the terms of the ''Prohibition Plebiscite Act'' passed in 1893, a plebiscite was held on the issue in conjunction with the 1894
municipal elections
In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct vary ...
. Though a majority of voters indicated support for
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
, the results were non-binding and prohibition would not occur in Ontario until 1916.
Plebiscite question
An Act of the Legislature specified the form of the question posed:
''Are you in favour of the immediate prohibition by law, of the importation, manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage.''
Voting only occurred within the various constituted municipalities. Anyone who lived in
unorganized area
An unorganized area or unorganized territory (french: Territoire non organisé) is any geographic region in Canada that does not form part of a municipality or Indian reserve. In these areas, the lowest level of government is provincial or territ ...
s of the Province was unable to participate.
[1891 Act, s. 27]
Results
Unmarried women and widows were permitted to vote in the plebiscite, though they voted in a ballot of a different colour (blue for women, yellow for men). Though the plebiscite passed, the results were non-binding and prohibition would not occur in Ontario until 1916. Provincial prohibition, though having majority support, would face another roadblock in 1896 when the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 Augus ...
determined that provinces do not have the authority to prohibit the importation of alcohol.
Analysis
Only three counties, one city and two separated towns voted No:
;Counties
*
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
*
Prescott and Russell
*
Waterloo
;City
*
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
;Separated towns
*
Prescott
*
Pelee Island Pelee may refer to:
* Île Pelée, an island off Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France
*Pelee, Ontario, an island in Lake Erie, Canada
*Point Pelee National Park, a park in Ontario, Canada
*Mount Pelée, a volcano in Martinique
*Peleus
In Greek mytholo ...
See also
*
Prohibition in Canada
Prohibition in Canada was a ban on alcoholic beverages that arose in various stages, from local municipal bans in the late 19th century (extending to the present in some cases), to provincial bans in the early 20th century, and national prohibi ...
* ''
Canada Temperance Act''
*
1902 Ontario prohibition referendum
A referendum on the legality of alcoholic beverages was held in Ontario, Canada on December 4, 1902. Though 65 percent of voters indicated support for prohibition, a majority of half of the number of voters in the 1898 election did not support th ...
*
1919 Ontario prohibition referendum
A referendum was held in Ontario, Canada on October 20, 1919 (in conjunction with the 15th provincial election) on the legality of alcoholic beverages and the maintaining of prohibition. Prohibition had been passed by the provincial government i ...
*
1921 Ontario prohibition referendum
A referendum was held in Ontario, Canada on April 18, 1921, concerning a ban on the importation of alcoholic beverages into the province. The referendum passed, and an importation ban was implemented.
Referendum question
''Shall the importatio ...
*
1924 Ontario prohibition referendum
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ontario Prohibition Plebiscite, 1894
1894 in Ontario
1894 referendums
Ontario prohibition referendums
1894 elections in Canada
January 1894 events