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 ...

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ontario Prohibition Plebiscite, 1894 1894 in Ontario 1894 referendums Ontario prohibition referendums 1894 elections in Canada January 1894 events

Plebiscite question

Results

Analysis

See also

References

Bibliography