The Quebec referendum on the prohibition of alcohol, held on April 10, 1919, considered the legalization of the sale of beer

Beer

Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...

, cider

Cider

Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...

 and wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

 in the territory of Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, 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...

. The 'yes' side won with 78.62% of the votes.

The question asked

The question asked in English on the ballot paper was: "Should sale of light beer, cider and wines be allowed?"

In French, the question was: "Êtes-vous d'opinion que la vente des bières, cidres et vins légers, tels que définis par la loi, devrait être permise?"

The results of the vote

178 112 persons (78.62%) voted in favour of the proposal, while 48 433 (21.38%) voted against; proposal was therefore passed with a majority of 129 679 votes. The analysis of the vote by riding

Electoral district (Canada)

An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...

 reveals that all voted in favour except for seven: Pontiac

Pontiac (provincial electoral district)

Pontiac is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec.The provincial electoral district existed over two distinct periods The first period began with its creation in 1854 and ended in 1973, when Pontiac was merged with Témiscamingue to...

, Compton

Compton (provincial electoral district)

Compton was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Quebec. Located in the Estrie region, the riding existed from 1867 to 1972 before it was merged with Mégantic to form the Mégantic-Compton riding.-Members of Legislative Assembly:...

, Dorchester

Dorchester (provincial electoral district)

Dorchester was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, the district was created in 1867...

, Huntingdon, Brome

Brome (provincial electoral district)

Brome was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Estrie region, the riding was created in 1867. In 1973, it became part of the riding of Brome-Missisquoi.-Members of Legislative Assembly:...

, Stanstead

Stanstead (provincial electoral district)

Stanstead was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Estrie region, the district was formed in 1867. After the 1970 elections, it became part of Orford.-Members of Legislative Assembly:...

 and Richmond

Richmond (Quebec provincial electoral district)

Richmond is a provincial electoral riding in Quebec, Canada. Located in the Estrie region, the district was created in 1890. Between 1867 and 1890, it was part of the riding of Richmond et Wolfe...

.

The result of the vote was that the subsequent prohibition law which became effective on May 1, 1919 only applied to spirits

Distilled beverage

A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...

. The victory of the "moderate" prohibitionists over the "radicals" did not have immediate repercussion on the legal sale of alcohol for in 1919, 90% of Quebec municipalities were prohibiting its sale locally. Indeed, Trois-Rivières

Trois-Rivières

Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...

, Lévis

Levis

-People:*François de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis , French soldier best known for his command in Canada in 1760*George Levis , American college basketball player and coach*Georges Lévis , French adult comic artist-Places:Canada...

, Lachine

Lachine, Quebec

Lachine was a city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is now a borough within the city of Montreal.-History:...

, Sainte-Agathe

Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec

Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts is a town in the province of Quebec in the regional county municipality of Les Laurentides, in the administrative region of Laurentides, also known as the "Laurentians" or the Laurentian Mountains...

, Louiseville, Sainte-Rose

Sainte-Rose, Quebec

Sainte-Rose is a neighbourhood in Laval, Quebec. It was incorporated as a village in 1850, and was a separate town until the municipal mergers on August 6, 1965 which amalgamated all the municipalities on Île Jésus into a single City of Laval....

 and Terrebonne

Terrebonne, Quebec

Terrebonne is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shores of the Rivière des Mille-Îles and of the Rivière des Prairies, North of Montreal and Laval....

 had voted for local prohibition in 1915, while Quebec City

Quebec City

Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...

 had done the same on October 4, 1917. All these regulations had to be rescinded, one municipality at a time.

Prohibition was finally abolished on May 1, 1921 when the Alcoholic Beverages Act creating the Commission des liqueurs de Québec

Société des alcools du Québec

The Société des alcools du Québec , often abbreviated and referred to as SAQ, is a provincial Crown corporation in Quebec.-Organization:...

entered into force.