John K. Downes
Encyclopedia
John K. Downes was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1922 to 1927, as an independent member.
Downes's election to the Manitoba legislature occurred during a period of provincial controversy over the prohibition
of alcohol
. Although Downes was listed on the ballot as an independent candidate, he campaigned as a representative of the province's "Moderation League", supporting restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages. He called for beer to be sold only "by the glass" in licensed establishments for on-premise consumption, and opposed efforts to permit sales "by the bottle" for home consumption. It is not clear what views Downes held on other political issues.
He was elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1922 provincial election
for the constituency of Winnipeg, which elected ten members by a single transferable ballot. Downes finished third on the first ballot, and was declared elected on the eleventh count. After serving as an opposition member for the next five years, Downes again ran as a "Moderation League" candidate in the 1927 provincial election
. He narrowly missed re-election, finishing in eleventh place on the final count.
Downes sought a return to the legislature in the 1941 provincial election
, running as an independent opposing the province's coalition government
. He was a marginal political force by this time, and finished next-to-last in a field of twenty-seven candidates.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1922 to 1927, as an independent member.
Downes's election to the Manitoba legislature occurred during a period of provincial controversy over the prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. Although Downes was listed on the ballot as an independent candidate, he campaigned as a representative of the province's "Moderation League", supporting restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages. He called for beer to be sold only "by the glass" in licensed establishments for on-premise consumption, and opposed efforts to permit sales "by the bottle" for home consumption. It is not clear what views Downes held on other political issues.
He was elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1922 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1922
Manitoba's general election of July 18, 1922 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.As in the previous election of 1920, the city of Winnipeg elected ten members by the single transferable ballot...
for the constituency of Winnipeg, which elected ten members by a single transferable ballot. Downes finished third on the first ballot, and was declared elected on the eleventh count. After serving as an opposition member for the next five years, Downes again ran as a "Moderation League" candidate in the 1927 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1927
Manitoba's general election of 28 June 1927 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This was the first election in Manitoba history to elect members through a single transferable ballot in all constituencies...
. He narrowly missed re-election, finishing in eleventh place on the final count.
Downes sought a return to the legislature in the 1941 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1941
Manitoba's general election of April 22, 1941 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was held shortly after the formation of a coalition government in December 1940...
, running as an independent opposing the province's coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
. He was a marginal political force by this time, and finished next-to-last in a field of twenty-seven candidates.