Vancouver City (provincial electoral district)

Vancouver City was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was a multiple member riding based in the newly created city of Vancouver.

It did not appear on the hustings until the 1890 election – the city only having been chartered and named in the year of the previous election when the locality was a small polling area of the New Westminster (provincial electoral district) riding. It is a sign of Vancouver's rapid growth that by 1890 there were over 300 electors, by 1900 there were 15,000, by 1903 over 25,000 votes cast; prior to 1885 the population of the waterside village of Granville, B.I. (Burrard Inlet, a postal address shared by Moodyville, New Brighton and Barnet) had been in the range of 300. When the riding was created it was a two-member riding but because of population increase was made a three-member riding in 1890 and in 1903 a five-member seat. Under the Block Voting system in use, each voter had right to cast as many votes as there were seats to fill.

By 1920 Vancouver having grown to 200,000 inhabitants, the district became a six-member seat with about 40,000 voting, and over 200,000 votes cast.

When it was broken up after the 1928 election, it was redistributed into four ridings, three with two members (Vancouver-Burrard, Vancouver Centre and Vancouver East) and one with three members (Vancouver-Point Grey).

Demographics

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Population, 1961
Population change, 1871–1961
Area (km2)
Population density (people per km2)

Political geography and history

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Vancouver City was a multi seat district, electing from two to six MLAs, before being dismantled in 1928.

Each voter could cast as many votes as there were seats to fill in the district.[1]

In most of the elections from 1903, when party labels were first used formally, to 1920, the Block Voting system in use meant that one party took all of the city's seats. But in most cases, that one party took less than half the votes.

From 1903 to 1912, the Conservative party took all of the Vancouver City seats each time, with the most popular Conservative candidate taking less than 11 percent of votes cast.

In 1916 and 1920, the Liberal party took five of Vancouver City's six seats, with a Conservatives taking one seat.

In 1924, the Liberal party took five of Vancouver City's six seats, with a "Provincial Party" candidate taking one seat.

In 1928, the Conservative party took all six of Vancouver City's seats.

Following the 1928 election, Vancouver City was converted into four new districts, electing a total of 9 MLAs.

Notable elections

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Notable MLAs

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Electoral history

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Note: winners in each election in bold.

6th British Columbia election, 1890
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Opposition Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton[a] 1,123 36.07% unknown
Government James M. Fox 33 1.06% unknown
Opposition Samuel Greer[b] 649 20.85% unknown
  Independent James Welton Horne[c] 695 22.33% unknown
Opposition James Orr 135 4.34% unknown
  Independent Robert Garnett Tatlow 478 15.35% unknown
Total valid votes 3,113 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
7th British Columbia election, 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Government Robert Alexander Anderson 920 11.32% unknown
Opposition Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton 1,736 21.36% unknown
  Independents Samuel Greer 208 2.56% unknown
Opposition Robert Macpherson 1,766 21.73% unknown
Government Edward Odlum 607 7.47% unknown
Government Robert Garnett Tatlow 979 12.05% unknown
Opposition Adolphus Williams 1,911 23.51% unknown
Total valid votes 8,127 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
8th British Columbia election, 1898
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Government William John Bowser 879 8.26% unknown
Government John T. Carroll 954 8.97% unknown
Opposition Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton 1,667 15.67% unknown
Government James Ford Garden 1,157 10.88% unknown
Government William Seaman McDonald 735 6.91% unknown
Opposition Robert Macpherson 1,795 16.88% unknown
Opposition Joseph Martin 1,651 15.52% unknown
Opposition Charles Edward Tisdall 1,798 16.91% unknown
Total valid votes 10,636 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %


1900 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Conservative James Ford Garden 1,787 11.67  Y
Government Joseph Martin[d] 1,737 11.34  Y
Opposition Robert Garnett Tatlow 1,645 10.74  Y
Conservative Hugh Bowie Gilmour 1,465 9.57  Y
Conservative Charles Wilson 1,457 9.51
Independent Government Robert Macpherson 1,435 9.37
Government James McQueen 1,391 9.08
Conservative William Henry Wood 1,344 8.78
Independent Labour Joseph Dixon 853 5.57
Progressive Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton 802 5.24
Labour Francis Williams 716 4.67
Independent Labour William MacClain 683 4.46
Total valid votes 15,315 100.00
1903 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Conservative Robert Garnett Tatlow 2,660 10.64  Y
Conservative James Ford Garden 2,464 9.86  Y
Conservative Charles Wilson 2,416 9.66  Y
Conservative William John Bowser 2,304 9.2  Y
Conservative Alexander Henry Boswell MacGowan 2,300 9.20  Y
Liberal Joseph Martin 1,546 6.18
Liberal William Disbrow Brydone-Jack 1,461 5.84
Liberal Truman Smith Baxter 1,411 5.64
Vancouver (Independent) Labour Francis Williams 1,357 5.43
Socialist John Thomas Mortimer 1,328 5.31
Vancouver (Independent) Labour Albert George Perry 1,248 4.99
Liberal James Douglas Turnbull 1,193 4.77
Vancouver (Independent) Labour John McLaren 1,164 4.66
Socialist Albion Rovert Stebbings 956 3.82
Liberal Clarence Monck 910 3.64
Socialist Labour[e] William Griffiths 284 1.14
Total valid votes 25,002 100.00
Source: http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf
11th 1907 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Conservative William John Bowser 3,152 10.45% unknown
Socialist John Edward Dubberley 599 1.99% unknown
  Liberal John Wallace deBeque Farris 2,096 6.95% unknown
  Conservative James Ford Garden 3,080 10.21% unknown
  Liberal Alexander Henderson 2,248 7.45% unknown
Socialist Eugene Thornton Kingsley 617 2.04% unknown
  Conservative Alexander Henry Boswell MacGowan 3,141 10.41% unknown
  Conservative George Albert McGuire 2,994 9.92% unknown
  Liberal William Wallace Burns McInnes 2,233 7.40% unknown
  Liberal Robert Purvis McLennan 2,316 7.68% unknown
Socialist James Hackett McVety 616 2.04% unknown
  Liberal] Thomas Fletcher Neelands 2,063 6.84% unknown
  Canadian Labour Party of BC Albert George Perry 281 0.93% unknown
Socialist Richard Parmater Pettipiece 602 1.99% unknown
Socialist Albion Robert Stebbings 598 1.98% unknown
  Conservative Robert Garnet Tatlow[f] 3,136 10.39% unknown
  Canadian Labour Party of BC Francis Williams 401 1.33% unknown
Total valid votes 30,173 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %

1909 election

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12th 1909 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Conservative William John Bowser 5,441 10.60% unknown
  Liberal John Bell Campbell 3,227 6.29% unknown
Socialist Peter Garvie 1,227 2.39% unknown
Socialist Eugene Thornton Kingsley 1,883 3.67% unknown
  Liberal George Ernest MacDonald 3,984 7.76% unknown
  Conservative Alexander Henry Boswell MacGowan 3,141 10.41% unknown
Socialist Moses McGregor 1,218 2.37% unknown
  Conservative George Albert McGuire 4,826 9.41% unknown
Socialist William Murray MacKenzie 1,231 2.40% unknown
Socialist Richard Parmater Pettipiece 1,428 2.78% unknown
  Liberal John Harold Senkler 4,110 8.01% unknown
  Liberal James Stables 3,356 6.54% unknown
  Conservative Charles Edward Tisdall 2,063 6.84% unknown
  Liberal Frederick Coate Wade 3,942 7.68% unknown
  Conservative Henry Holgate Watson 5,202 10.14% unknown
Total valid votes 51,316 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
13th 1912 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Socialist William Bennett 1,134 2.45% unknown
  Conservative William John Bowser 5,101 11.02% unknown
  Liberal Cameron William Smith 2,716 5.87% unknown
  Liberal Joseph Nealon Ellis 2,619 5.66% unknown
  Liberal Charles William Enright 2,947 6.37% unknown
  Independent Samuel Greer 897 1.94% unknown
Socialist Joseph Patrick Lord 1,133 2.45% unknown
Socialist John Amos MacDonald 1,263 2.73% unknown
  Conservative Alexander Henry Boswell MacGowan 5,061 10.93% unknown
  Conservative George Albert McGuire 5,114 11.05% unknown
Socialist WilliamArthur Pritchard 1,081 2.34% unknown
Socialist John Reid 1,156 2.50% unknown
  Liberal Ralph Smith 3,257 7.04% unknown
  Liberal William Maxwell Smith 2,744 5.93% unknown
  Conservative Charles Edward Tisdall 5,085 10.97% unknown
  Conservative Henry Holgate Watson 4,977 10.75% unknown
Total valid votes 46,285 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %


1916 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Liberal Malcolm Archibald Macdonald 9,119 9.53  Y
Liberal Ralph Smith 8,106 8.47  Y
Liberal John William MacIntosh 8,096 8.46  Y
Liberal John Wallace deBeque Farris 7,881 8.23  Y
Conservative William John Bowser 7,421 7.75  Y
Liberal John Sedgwick Cowper 7,056 7.37  Y
Liberal Patrick Donnelly 7,005 7.32
Conservative Charles Edward Tisdall 6,922 7.23
Conservative Thomas Duke 6,395 6.68
Conservative George Albert McGuire 6,270 6.55
Conservative Walter Leek 6,136 6.41
Conservative Alexander Henry Boswell MacGowan 5,906 6.17
Independent Labour Charles Edward Tisdall 2,487 2.60
Independent Conservative Robert Cassidy 2,451 2.56
Independent Harold George White 1,416 1.48
Socialist John David Harrington 1,380 1.44
Independent Edwin Clarke Appleby 743 0.78
Independent Arthur Freeman Fawcett 665 0.69
Independent Conservative Thomas Owen Townley 250 0.26
Total valid votes 95,705 100.00
1920 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Liberal Mary Ellen Smith 17,510 8.66  Y
Liberal Ian Alistair MacKenzie 13,840 6.84  Y
Liberal John Wallace deBeque Farris 12,550 6.21  Y
Liberal James Ramsay 12,279 6.07  Y
Liberal Malcolm Archibald Macdonald 12,222 6.04  Y
Conservative William John Bowser 11,617 5.75  Y
Conservative George Black 10,379 5.13
Liberal John Patrick Dougherty 10,388 5.14
Conservative John Weightman Warden 10,278 5.08
Conservative Samuel Lyness Howe 9,913 4.90
Conservative Edith Louise Paterson 9,573 4.73
Independent Joseph Martin 9,123 4.51
Conservative John Wesley Mahan 8,810 4.36
Federated Labour William Robert Trotter 7,481 3.70
Federated Labour James Shaver Woodsworth 7,444 3.68
Federated Labour Thomas Richardson 7,192 3.56
Independent Moses Brewins Cotworth 5,511 2.73
Women's Freedom Esther Margaret Crosfield 4,166 2.06
Vancouver Rentpayers George Johnson Ashworth 3,291 1.63
Socialist John David Harrington 2,956 1.46
United Veterans John Livingstone Millar 2,808 1.39
United Veterans Percival Horace North 2,633 1.30
Socialist James Ferguson Smith 2,267 1.12
Socialist Christopher Stephenson 1,818 0.90
Socialist Sidney Earp 1,694 0.84
Socialist William McQuoid 1,524 0.75
Independent Thomas Turberville 1,487 0.74
Socialist John Dennis 1,451 0.72
Total valid votes 202,205 100.00
16th British Columbia election, 1924
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Conservative William John Bowser 7,818 4.12%
Independent Conservative Robert Cassidy 276 0.15%
  Canadian Labour Party Wilfred Harry Cottrell 6,314 3.33%
Provincial Andrew McCreight Creery 9,071 4.78%
  Canadian Labour Party William Dunn 5,752 3.03% unknown
  Liberal John Wallace deBeque Farris 8,427 4.44% unknown
Provincial Jessie Columbia Hall 8,749 4.61% unknown
Socialist John David Harrington 3,281 1.73% unknown
  Conservative Samuel Lyness Howe 7,250 3.82% unknown
  Conservative Thomas Henry Kirk 7,686 4.05% unknown
Socialist Henry McEvoy 750 0.40% unknown
  Canadian Labour Party Angus McInnis 5,897 3.11% unknown
  Liberal Ian Alistair MacKenzie 9,476 4.99% unknown
Provincial Alexander Duncan McRae 9,008 4.75% unknown
  Liberal Christopher McRae 9,778 5.15% unknown
Provincial Donald Edgar McTaggart 8,924 4.70 unknown
  Conservative Royal Lethington Maitland 8,417 4.44% unknown
  Canadian Labour Party Edmund Henry Morrison 5,613 2.96% unknown
  Liberal Victor Wentworth Odlum 10,011 5.28% unknown
Independent Liberal Guy Cathcart Pelton 225 0.12%
  Conservative Perry Douglas Roe 7,222 3.81% unknown
Provincial Francis William Rounsefell 8,407 4.43% unknown
  Conservative Emma Wood Scott 7,292 3.84% unknown
Provincial George Gower Birt Showler 7,437 3.92% unknown
  Liberal Mary Ellen Smith 9,251 4.88% unknown
  Canadian Labour Party Priscilla Janet Smith 6,078 3.20% unknown
  Liberal Charles Woodward 11,318 5.97% unknown
Total valid votes 189,728 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
17th British Columbia election, 1928
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Liberal Henry Elston Almond 11,818 6.56% unknown
  Conservative William Dick 15,968 8.86% unknown
  Liberal Dugald Donaghy 13,176 7.31% unknown
  Liberal John Pitcairn Hogg 10,948 6.08% unknown
  Conservative Thomas Henry Kirk 15,943 8.85% unknown
  Independent Labour Party Angus McInnis 6,026 3.34% unknown
  Conservative Royal Lethington Maitland 16,499 9.16% unknown
Independent Liberal Guy Cathcart Pelton 976 0.54%
  Conservative William Curtis Shelly 17,486 9.70% unknown
  Independent Labour Party Robert Skinner 4,223 2.34% unknown
  Liberal Helen Douglas Smith 12,514 6.94% unknown
  Conservative Nelson Spencer 16,717 9.28% unknown
  Liberal Frederick William Sterling 11,045 6.13% unknown
  Liberal Nicholas Thompson 11,101 6.16% unknown
  Conservative George Alexander Walkem 15,769 8.75% unknown
Total valid votes 180,209 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 425
Turnout %

Vancouver City last appeared in the 1928 election. For the 1933 general election, Vancouver City was redistributed into:

Notes

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  1. ^ Vancouver publisher (Vancouver Province newspaper) and mayoral contender
  2. ^ Landowner at "Greer's Beach", now Kitsilano Beach
  3. ^ Promoter of the "Great Land Sale" in 1891 in Mission City
  4. ^ 13th premier of British Columbia
  5. ^ William Griffiths is listed as a member of the Socialist Labour party, but it is unclear whether this is in any way related to the British Columbia Socialist Labour Party of the 1940s.
  6. ^ Spelled Garnet on this ballot, Garnett in other years

References

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  1. ^ Electoral History of BC, 1871–1986, p. 545

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Preceded by Constituency represented by the premier of British Columbia
1900
1915–1916
Succeeded by