It was in his province that John Diefenbaker's team - backed by Premier Leslie Frost - took their deepest bite into Liberal ranks.
In the same general rout of the Liberal Party here, four of the six Ontario members of the St. Laurent ministry went to defeat.
The Progressive Conservatives re-elected all their sitting members and wrested 19 provincial seats from the Liberals. In Toronto and York they retained nine seats and one took seven from the Liberals and one from the CCF.
The CCF took the two northern seats of Timmins and Temiskaming from the Liberals.
Party standing for Ontario's 84 seats where polling took place yesterday (one riding was deferred) was:
PC
.60
Liberal
...20
CCF
3
Lib-Lab
1
The dimensions of the PC victory in Ontario can be seen from previous party standing: Lib 51, PC 33, CCF 1.
The most outstanding upsets were those of the three cabinet ministers. Finance Minister Harris succumbed to Eric Winkler, PC candidate in Grey-Bruce and mayor of Hanover. Revenue Minister McCann was ousted by RCAF veteran James Baskin in Renfrew South, a newcomer to politics. The minister had held the seat for 22 years.
The newest member of the St. Laurent cabinet, Associate Defense Minister Hellyer, received a crushing defeat in Toronto-Davenport from D.M. Morton, former chairman of the Toronto School Board.
Probably the worst blow to Liberal prestige was in Port Arthur. There Trade Minister Howe, 71-year-old veteran and second in command in the Liberal party, went down to defeat at the hands of Douglas Fisher, CCF.
Only two Ontario ministers were returned, External Affairs Minister Pearson in Algoma East and Health Minister Martin in Essex East.
Going down with his party in Ontario was Robert McCubbin, parliamentary assistant to the minister of agriculture in Middlesex West. He was defeated by PC William Thomas.
One of the most surprising upsets was scored by Arnold Peters, CCF, against Mrs. Ann Shipley, only Liberal woman member the last parliament.
Another was the defeat of Russell Reinke in Hamilton South by PC Bobby McDonald, ex-football star and polio victim.
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