William Lyon Mackenzie King (pictured here in 1945) was Prime Minister during the first three years of the 20th Canadian Parliament.
Louis St. Laurent (pictured here in 1948) was Prime Minister during the final year of the 20th Canadian Parliament.

The 20th Canadian Parliament was in session from 6 September 1945, until 30 April 1949. The membership was set by the 1945 federal election on 11 June 1945, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 1949 election.

It was controlled by a Liberal Party minority first under Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and the 16th Canadian Ministry, and later a majority under Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent and the 17th Canadian Ministry. The Official Opposition was the newly named Progressive Conservative Party, led first by John Bracken and later by George Drew.

The Speaker was Gaspard Fauteux. See also List of Canadian electoral districts 1933-1947 for a list of the ridings in this parliament.

In this parliament, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, led by M. J. Coldwell, overtook the Social Credit as third largest party.

There were five sessions of the 20th Parliament.

Party Standings

Number of members per partyParty leaderGeneral Election
June 11, 1945
LiberalWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King118
Progressive ConservativeJohn Bracken66
Co-operative CommonwealthM.J. Coldwell28
Social CreditSolon Low13
Other20
Total Seats245

List of members

Following is a full list of members of the twentieth Parliament listed first by province, then by electoral district.

Key:

  • Party leaders are italicized.
  • Parliamentary assistants is indicated by "‡".
  • Cabinet ministers are in boldface.
  • The Prime Minister is both.
  • The Speaker is indicated by "(†)".

Electoral districts denoted by an asterisk (*) indicates that district was represented by two members.

Alberta

Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of terms
AcadiaVictor QuelchSocial Credit19353rd term
AthabaskaJoseph Miville DecheneLiberal19402nd term
Battle RiverRobert FairSocial Credit19353rd term
Bow RiverCharles Edward JohnstonSocial Credit19353rd term
Calgary EastDouglas HarknessProgressive Conservative19451st term
Calgary WestArthur LeRoy SmithProgressive Conservative19451st term
CamroseJames Alexander MarshallSocial Credit19353rd term
Edmonton EastPatrick Harvey AshbySocial Credit19451st term
Edmonton WestJames Angus MacKinnonLiberal19353rd term
Jasper—EdsonWalter Frederick KuhlSocial Credit19353rd term
LethbridgeJohn Horne BlackmoreSocial Credit19353rd term
MacleodErnest George HansellSocial Credit19353rd term
Medicine HatWilliam Duncan WylieSocial Credit19451st term
Peace RiverSolon Earl LowSocial Credit19451st term
Red DeerFrederick Davis ShawSocial Credit19402nd term
VegrevilleAnthony HlynkaSocial Credit19402nd term
WetaskiwinNorman JaquesSocial Credit19353rd term

British Columbia

Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of terms
CaribooWilliam IrvineCCF1921, 1926, 19454th term*
Comox—AlberniJohn Lambert GibsonIndependent Liberal19451st term
Fraser ValleyGeorge CruickshankLiberal19402nd term
KamloopsDavie FultonProgressive Conservative19451st term
Kootenay EastJames Herbert MatthewsCCF19451st term
Kootenay WestHerbert Wilfred HerridgeIndependent CCF19451st term
CCF
NanaimoGeorge PearkesProgressive Conservative19451st term
New WestminsterThomas ReidLiberal19304th term
SkeenaHarry ArchibaldCCF19451st term
Vancouver—BurrardCharles MerrittProgressive Conservative19451st term
Vancouver CentreIan Alistair Mackenzie (until 19 January 1948 Senate appointment)Liberal19304th term
Rodney Young (by-election of 8 June 1948)CCF19481st term
Vancouver EastAngus MacInnisCCF19304th term
Vancouver NorthJames SinclairLiberal19402nd term
Vancouver SouthHoward Charles GreenProgressive Conservative19353rd term
VictoriaRobert MayhewLiberal19373rd term
YaleGrote Stirling (resigned 21 October 1947)Progressive Conservative19247th term
Owen Jones (by-election of 31 May 1948)CCF19481st term

Manitoba

Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of terms
BrandonJames Ewen MatthewsLiberal19383rd term
ChurchillRonald Stewart MooreCCF19451st term
DauphinFred ZaplitnyCCF19451st term
LisgarHoward WinklerLiberal19353rd term
MacdonaldWilliam Gilbert WeirLiberal-Progressive19304th term
MarquetteJames Allison Glen (resigned 4 November 1948)Liberal1926, 19354th term*
Stuart Garson (by-election of 20 December 1948)Liberal19481st term
NeepawaJohn BrackenProgressive Conservative19451st term
Portage la PrairieHarry Leader (died 9 May 1946)Liberal1921, 19354th term*
Calvert Charlton Miller (by-election of 21 October 1946)Progressive Conservative19461st term
ProvencherRené JutrasLiberal19402nd term
SelkirkWilliam BryceCCF19432nd term
SourisJ. Arthur RossProgressive Conservative19402nd term
SpringfieldJohn SinnottLiberal19451st term
St. BonifaceFernand ViauLiberal19451st term
Winnipeg NorthAlistair StewartCCF19402nd term
Winnipeg North CentreStanley KnowlesCCF19422nd term
Winnipeg SouthLeslie MutchLiberal19353rd term
Winnipeg South CentreRalph MaybankLiberal19353rd term

New Brunswick

Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of terms
CharlotteA. Wesley StuartLiberal19451st term
GloucesterClovis-Thomas RichardLiberal19451st term
KentAurel LégerLiberal19402nd term
NorthumberlandJohn William MaloneyLiberal19451st term
Restigouche—MadawaskaBenoît MichaudLiberal19451st term
RoyalAlfred Johnson BrooksProgressive Conservative19353rd term
St. John—AlbertKing HazenProgressive Conservative19402nd term
Victoria—CarletonHeber Harold HatfieldProgressive Conservative19402nd term
WestmorlandHenry Read EmmersonLiberal19353rd term
York—SunburyHedley Francis Gregory Bridges (died in office)Liberal19451st term
Milton Fowler Gregg (by-election of 20 October 1947)Liberal19471st term

Nova Scotia

Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of terms
Antigonish—GuysboroughJ. Ralph KirkLiberal19363rd term
Cape Breton North and VictoriaMatthew MacLeanLiberal19373rd term
Cape Breton SouthClarence GillisCCF19402nd term
Colchester—HantsFrank Thomas StanfieldProgressive Conservative19451st term
CumberlandPercy Chapman BlackProgressive Conservative19402nd term
Digby—Annapolis—KingsJames Lorimer Ilsley (resigned 27 October 1948)Liberal19265th term
George Nowlan (by-election of 13 December 1948)Progressive Conservative19481st term
Halifax*Gordon Benjamin IsnorLiberal19353rd term
William Chisholm Macdonald ‡ (died 19 November 1946)Liberal19402nd term
John Dickey (by-election of 14 July 1947, replaces Macdonald)Liberal19471st term
Inverness—RichmondMoses Elijah McGarryLiberal19402nd term
PictouHenry Byron McCullochLiberal19353rd term
Queens—LunenburgRobert WintersLiberal19451st term
Shelburne—Yarmouth—ClareLoran Ellis BakerLiberal19451st term

Ontario

Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of terms
Algoma EastThomas Farquhar (until 10 September 1948 Senate appointment)Liberal19353rd term
Lester B. Pearson (by-election of 25 October 1948)Liberal19481st term
Algoma WestGeorge E. NixonLiberal19402nd term
Brantford CityWilliam Ross MacdonaldLiberal19353rd term
BrantJohn A. CharltonProgressive Conservative19451st term
BroadviewThomas Langton ChurchProgressive Conservative1921, 19347th term*
BruceAndrew Ernest RobinsonProgressive Conservative19451st term
CarletonGeorge Russell Boucher (resigned 1 November 1948)Progressive Conservative19402nd term
George Drew (by-election of 20 December 1948)Progressive Conservative19481st term
CochraneJoseph-Arthur BradetteLiberal19265th term
DanforthJoseph Henry HarrisProgressive Conservative19217th term
DavenportJohn Ritchie MacNicolProgressive Conservative19304th term
Dufferin—SimcoeWilliam Earl RoweProgressive Conservative19256th term
DurhamCharles Elwood StephensonProgressive Conservative19451st term
EglintonDonald FlemingProgressive Conservative19451st term
ElginCharles Delmer CoyleProgressive Conservative19451st term
Essex EastPaul Martin Sr.Liberal19353rd term
Essex SouthMurray ClarkLiberal19353rd term
Essex WestDonald Ferguson BrownLiberal19451st term
Fort WilliamDan McIvorLiberal19353rd term
Frontenac—AddingtonWilbert Ross AylesworthProgressive Conservative19402nd term
GlengarryWilliam MacDiarmid (resigned 22 June 1945)Liberal19402nd term
William Lyon Mackenzie King (by-election of 6 August 1945)Liberal1908, 1919, 1926, 19459th term*
GreenwoodDenton MasseyProgressive Conservative19353rd term
Grenville—DundasArza Clair CasselmanProgressive Conservative1921, 19257th term*
Grey—BruceWalter HarrisLiberal19402nd term
Grey NorthW. Garfield CaseProgressive Conservative19452nd term
HaldimandMark SennProgressive Conservative19217th term
HaltonHughes CleaverLiberal19353rd term
Hamilton EastThomas Hambly RossLiberal19402nd term
Hamilton WestColin GibsonLiberal19402nd term
Hastings—PeterboroughGeorge Stanley WhiteProgressive Conservative19402nd term
Hastings SouthGeorge Henry StokesProgressive Conservative19402nd term
High ParkWilliam Alexander McMasterProgressive Conservative19451st term
Huron NorthElston CardiffProgressive Conservative19402nd term
Huron—PerthWilliam Henry GoldingLiberal19324th term
Kenora—Rainy RiverWilliam Moore BenidicksonLiberal19451st term
KentEarl DesmondProgressive Conservative19402nd term
Kingston CityThomas KiddProgressive Conservative19451st term
Lambton—KentRobert James HendersonProgressive Conservative19451st term
Lambton WestJoseph Warner MurphyProgressive Conservative19451st term
LanarkWilliam Gourlay BlairProgressive Conservative19451st term
LeedsGeorge WebbProgressive Conservative19451st term
LincolnNorman LockhartProgressive Conservative19353rd term
LondonPark ManrossProgressive Conservative19451st term
Middlesex EastHarry Oliver WhiteProgressive Conservative19451st term
Middlesex WestRobert McCubbinLiberal19402nd term
Muskoka—OntarioJames MacdonnellProgressive Conservative19451st term
NipissingLéo GauthierLiberal19451st term
NorfolkTheobald Butler BarrettProgressive Conservative19451st term
NorthumberlandEarle DropeProgressive Conservative19451st term
OntarioW. E. N. Sinclair (died in office)Liberal19451st term
Arthur Henry Williams (by-election of 8 June 1948)CCF19481st term
Ottawa EastJean-Thomas RichardLiberal19451st term
Ottawa WestGeorge McIlraithLiberal19402nd term
OxfordKenneth DanielProgressive Conservative19451st term
ParkdaleHerbert Alexander Bruce (until resignation)Progressive Conservative19402nd term
Harold Timmins (by-election of 21 October 1946)Progressive Conservative19461st term
Parry SoundWilfred McDonaldLiberal19451st term
PeelGordon GraydonProgressive Conservative19353rd term
PerthAlbert BradshawProgressive Conservative19451st term
Peterborough WestGordon FraserProgressive Conservative19402nd term
Port ArthurClarence Decatur HoweLiberal19353rd term
PrescottÉlie-Oscar BertrandLiberal19295th term
Prince Edward—LennoxGeorge TustinProgressive Conservative19353rd term
Renfrew NorthRalph WarrenLiberal19373rd term
Renfrew SouthJames Joseph McCannLiberal19353rd term
RosedaleHarry JackmanProgressive Conservative19402nd term
RussellJoseph-Omer GourLiberal19451st term
St. Paul'sDouglas RossProgressive Conservative19353rd term
Simcoe EastWilliam Alfred RobinsonLiberal19451st term
Simcoe NorthJulian FergusonProgressive Conservative19451st term
SpadinaDavid CrollLiberal19451st term
StormontLionel ChevrierLiberal19353rd term
TimiskamingWalter LittleLiberal19353rd term
TrinityLarry SkeyProgressive Conservative19451st term
VictoriaClayton HodgsonProgressive Conservative19451st term
Waterloo NorthLouis Orville BreithauptLiberal19402nd term
Waterloo SouthKarl Kenneth HomuthProgressive Conservative19383rd term
WellandHumphrey MitchellLiberal1931, 19423rd term*
Wellington NorthLewis MenaryProgressive Conservative19451st term
Wellington SouthRobert GladstoneLiberal19353rd term
WentworthFrank LennardProgressive Conservative1935, 19452nd term*
York EastRobert Henry McGregorProgressive Conservative19265th term
York NorthJack SmithLiberal19451st term
York SouthAlan CockeramProgressive Conservative1940, 19452nd term*
York WestAgar Rodney AdamsonProgressive Conservative19402nd term

Prince Edward Island

Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of terms
King'sThomas Vincent GrantLiberal19353rd term
PrinceJohn Watson MacNaughtLiberal19451st term
Queen's*James Lester DouglasLiberal19402nd term
Chester McLureProgressive Conservative1930, 19452nd term*

Quebec

Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of terms
ArgenteuilGeorges HéonIndependent Progressive Conservative1938, 19452nd term*
BeauceLudger DionneLiberal19451st term
Beauharnois—LaprairieMaxime RaymondBloc populaire canadien19256th term
BellechasseLouis-Philippe PicardLiberal19402nd term
Berthier—MaskinongéAldéric LaurendeauLiberal19451st term
BonaventureBona ArsenaultIndependent19451st term
Brome—MissisquoiMaurice HalléLiberal19402nd term
CartierFred Rose (seat declared vacant 30 January 1947, by House of Commons)Labor-Progressive19432nd term
Maurice Hartt (by-election of 31 March 1947)Liberal19471st term
Chambly—RouvilleRoch PinardLiberal19451st term
ChamplainHervé-Edgar BrunelleLiberal19353rd term
ChapleauDavid GourdLiberal19451st term
Charlevoix—SaguenayFrédéric DorionIndependent19422nd term
Châteauguay—HuntingdonDonald Elmer BlackLiberal19353rd term
ChicoutimiPaul-Edmond GagnonIndependent19451st term
ComptonJoseph-Adéodat BlanchetteLiberal19353rd term
DorchesterLéonard TremblayLiberal19353rd term
Drummond—ArthabaskaArmand CloutierLiberal19402nd term
GaspéLéopold LangloisLiberal19451st term
HochelagaRaymond EudesLiberal19402nd term
HullAlphonse FournierLiberal19304th term
Jacques CartierElphège MarierLiberal19393rd term
Joliette—l'Assomption—MontcalmGeorges-Émile LapalmeLiberal19451st term
KamouraskaEugène MarquisLiberal19451st term
LabelleMaurice LalondeLiberal19353rd term
Lake St-John—RobervalJoseph-Alfred DionIndependent Liberal19451st term
LaurierErnest BertrandLiberal19353rd term
Laval—Two MountainsLiguori Lacombe (resigned 12 July 1948)Independent1925, 19355th term*
Léopold Demers (by-election of 20 December 1948)Liberal19481st term
LévisMaurice BourgetIndependent Liberal19402nd term
LotbinièreHugues LapointeLiberal19402nd term
Maisonneuve—RosemontSarto FournierLiberal19353rd term
Matapédia—MatanePhiléas CôtéIndependent Liberal19451st term
Mégantic—FrontenacJoseph LafontaineLiberal19402nd term
MercierJoseph JeanLiberal19324th term
Montmagny—L'IsletJean LesageLiberal19451st term
Mount RoyalFred WhitmanLiberal19402nd term
Nicolet—YamaskaLucien Dubois (died 8 November 1948)Independent Liberal19304th term
Renaud Chapdelaine (by-election of 7 February 1949)Progressive Conservative19491st term
OutremontÉdouard RinfretLiberal19451st term
PontiacWallace McDonald (died 2 May 1946)Liberal19353rd term
Réal Caouette (by-election of 16 September 1946)Social Credit19461st term
PortneufPierre GauthierLiberal19363rd term
Québec—MontmorencyWilfrid LacroixIndependent Liberal19353rd term
Quebec EastLouis St. LaurentLiberal19422nd term
Quebec SouthCharles Gavan PowerLiberal19178th term
Quebec West and SouthCharles ParentIndependent Liberal19353rd term
Richelieu—VerchèresArthur Cardin (died 21 October 1946)Independent19119th term
Gérard Cournoyer (by-election of 23 December 1946)Liberal19461st term
Richmond—WolfeJames Patrick MullinsLiberal19353rd term
RimouskiGleason BelzileLiberal19451st term
St. AnnThomas HealyLiberal19402nd term
St. Antoine—WestmountDouglas AbbottLiberal19402nd term
St. DenisAzellus DenisLiberal19353rd term
St. HenryJoseph-Arsène BonnierLiberal19383rd term
St. Hyacinthe—BagotJoseph FontaineLiberal19451st term
St. JamesRoland BeaudryLiberal19451st term
St. Johns—Iberville—NapiervilleAlcide CôtéLiberal19451st term
St. Lawrence—St. GeorgeBrooke ClaxtonLiberal19402nd term
St. MaryGaspard Fauteux (†)Liberal19422nd term
St-Maurice—LaflècheRené HamelBloc populaire canadien19451st term
SheffordMarcel BoivinLiberal19451st term
SherbrookeMaurice GinguesLiberal19402nd term
StansteadJohn Thomas HackettProgressive Conservative1930, 19452nd term*
TémiscouataJean-François PouliotIndependent Liberal19247th term
Liberal
TerrebonneLionel BertrandLiberal19402nd term
Trois-RivièresWilfrid GariépyIndependent1935, 19452nd term*
Vaudreuil—SoulangesLouis-René BeaudoinLiberal19451st term
VerdunPaul-Émile CôtéLiberal19402nd term
WrightLéon RaymondLiberal19451st term

Saskatchewan

Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of terms
AssiniboiaEdward McCulloughCCF19451st term
HumboldtJoseph William BurtonCCF19353rd term
KindersleyFrank JaenickeCCF19451st term
Lake CentreJohn DiefenbakerProgressive Conservative19402nd term
MackenzieAlexander Malcolm NicholsonCCF19402nd term
Maple CreekDuncan John McCuaigCCF19451st term
MelfortPercy WrightCCF19402nd term
MelvilleJames Garfield GardinerLiberal19363rd term
Moose JawRoss ThatcherCCF19451st term
North BattlefordFrederick Townley-SmithCCF19451st term
Prince AlbertEdward LeRoy BowermanCCF19451st term
Qu'AppelleGladys StrumCCF19451st term
Regina CityJohn ProbeCCF19451st term
Rosetown—BiggarMajor James ColdwellCCF19353rd term
RosthernWalter Tucker ‡ (resigned 8 June 1948)Liberal19353rd term
William Albert Boucher (by-election of 25 October 1948)Liberal19481st term
Saskatoon CityRoy KnightCCF19451st term
Swift CurrentThomas John BentleyCCF19451st term
The BattlefordsMax CampbellCCF19451st term
WeyburnEric McKayCCF19451st term
Wood MountainHazen ArgueCCF19451st term
YorktonGeorge Hugh CastledenCCF19402nd term

Yukon

Electoral districtNamePartyFirst elected/previously electedNo. of terms
YukonGeorge BlackProgressive Conservative1921, 19406th term*

By-elections

By-electionDateIncumbentPartyWinnerPartyCauseRetained
Nicolet—YamaskaFebruary 7, 1949Lucien DuboisIndependent LiberalRenaud ChapdelaineProgressive ConservativeDeathNo
CarletonDecember 20, 1948George Russell BoucherProgressive ConservativeGeorge A. DrewProgressive ConservativeResignation to provide a seat for DrewYes
Laval—Two MountainsDecember 20, 1948Liguori LacombeIndependentLéopold DemersLiberalResignationNo
MarquetteDecember 20, 1948James Allison GlenLiberalStuart Sinclair GarsonLiberalResignationYes
Digby—Annapolis—KingsDecember 13, 1948James Lorimer IlsleyLiberalGeorge Clyde NowlanProgressive ConservativeResignationNo
Algoma EastOctober 25, 1948Thomas FarquharLiberalLester B. PearsonLiberalCalled to the SenateYes
RosthernOctober 25, 1948Walter Adam TuckerLiberalWilliam Albert BoucherLiberalResignationYes
OntarioJune 8, 1948W. E. N. SinclairLiberalArthur Henry WilliamsCCFDeathNo
Vancouver CentreJune 8, 1948Ian Alistair MackenzieLiberalRodney YoungCCFCalled to the SenateNo
YaleMay 31, 1948Grote StirlingProgressive ConservativeOwen Lewis JonesCCFResignationNo
York—SunburyOctober 20, 1947H. Francis G. BridgesLiberalMilton GreggLiberalDeathYes
HalifaxJuly 14, 1947William Chisholm MacdonaldLiberalJohn DickeyLiberalDeathYes
CartierMarch 31, 1947Fred RoseLabor-ProgressiveMaurice HarttLiberalSeat declared vacant by resolution of the House of CommonsNo
Richelieu—VerchèresDecember 23, 1946Arthur CardinIndependentGérard CournoyerLiberalDeathNo
ParkdaleOctober 21, 1946Herbert A. BruceProgressive ConservativeHarold TimminsProgressive ConservativeResignationYes
Portage la PrairieOctober 21, 1946Harry LeaderLiberalCalvert Charlton MillerProgressive ConservativeDeathNo
PontiacSeptember 16, 1946Wallace McDonaldLiberalRéal CaouetteSocial CreditDeathNo
GlengarryAugust 6, 1945William B. MacDiarmidLiberalWilliam Lyon Mackenzie KingLiberalResignation to provide a seat for Mackenzie KingYes

Notes

  • Government of Canada. . Guide to Canadian Ministries since Confederation. Privy Council Office. Archived from on 22 February 2005.
  • Government of Canada. . Guide to Canadian Ministries since Confederation. Privy Council Office. Archived from on 28 December 2005.
  • Government of Canada. . Members of the House of Commons: 1867 to Date: By Parliament. Library of Parliament. Archived from on 20 December 2006.
  • Government of Canada. . Library of Parliament. Archived from on 14 November 2007.
  • Government of Canada. . Library of Parliament. Archived from on 4 May 2006.
  • Government of Canada. . Library of Parliament. Archived from on 14 September 2005.
  • Government of Canada. . Library of Parliament. Archived from on 11 March 2007.
  • Government of Canada. . Library of Parliament. Archived from on 27 April 2006.
  • Government of Canada. . Library of Parliament. Archived from on 17 September 2006.