With voting now closed in eight provinces, we’re ready to crown a handful of winners in the Best Premier Contest.

Ontario featured the most exciting race. After leading for most of the contest, Harris fell behind in the three way duel, setting up John Robarts and Oliver Mowatt in the final. Alas, we were denied the opportunity to see a 19th century Premier in this contest and John Roberts eeked it out by a 2,745 to 2,700 vote.

In BC, Dave Barrett got a late last day surge, to overtake the man who probably should have won, WAC Bennet, 657-579 on the eight ballot.

While BC had vote stuffing from the left, in Saskatchewan, Grant Devine held off a late surge by Greatest Canadian Tommy Douglas, to take the crown. I’m not sure why the Tories felt Devine was their man to knock off Tommy but, to each his own.

Barrett will be joined by fellow Dipper Ed Schreyer, who emerged from a series of knock-out matches to take the Manitoba crown.

In Alberta, it’s Peter Lougheed, famous for his fights with Trudeau and the creation of the Heritage fund, who will be representing Wild Rose country in the national competition.

Despite low voter turn-out, Alex Campbell emerged as the PEI champion.

Another Liberal Premier from the 60s will be representing New Brunswick after Louis Robichaud’s win there.

In fact, Atlantic Canada has been painted red, with Angus Macdonald taking the Nova Scotia crown.

In Newfoundland, Clyde Wells leads, with voting set to close Wednesday.

That just leaves the Quebecois nation…I’m giving the host until tomorrow to set up the poll, or else I’ll get someone else to host. This should leave us on track for the main event to begin early next week.

If anyone knows of a good site for free polls that’s relatively secure, let me know (or if anyone with some internet skills would like to volunteer to create the polls themselves, that’d be even sweller!).