Westminster (electoral district)

Westminster
British Columbia electoral district
Defunct provincial electoral district
LegislatureLegislative Assembly of British Columbia
District created1890
District abolished1894
First contested1890
Last contested1890

Westminster was a provincial electoral district of British Columbia, Canada. It appeared in the 1890 election only.[1] In 1894 it was succeeded by Westminster-Chilliwhack, Westminster-Delta, Westminster-Dewdney, and Westminster-Richmond, which were in the 1898 election succeeded by ridings named similarly, but without the "Westminster".

Note that this provincial riding should not be confused with the federal Westminster District riding which appeared only in the 1917 election, and which was succeeded by the Fraser Valley riding.

Geography and history

In the early 1880s, the Lower Fraser Valley south and east of the city of New Westminster was largely unpopulated, with voters there voting in one of the two New Westminster ridings (New Westminster or New Westminster City). With the opening of the Canadian Pacific Railway settlement of the lush Fraser Valley lands was rapid, and a new more rural riding — Westminster — was created spanning the entire lower Fraser from Richmond to Chilliwack. Increasing growth led to the riding's further subdivision for the 1894 election into four sub-ridings, Westminster-Chilliwhack, Westminster-Delta, Westminster-Dewdney, and Westminster-Richmond. The successor ridings dropped the Westminster-prefix for the 1903 election.

The name Westminster in the riding's name derives not so much from these areas being dependent on the city of New Westminster, but because it and all its successor ridings are all in the New Westminster Land District (beyond Chilliwack is the Yale Land District).

Electoral history

1890 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes%Elected
GovernmentJohn Robson50617.66Green tickY
OppositionThomas Edwin Kitchen50317.55Green tickY
IndependentJames Punch48416.89Green tickY
IndependentColin Buchanan Sword46116.08
GovernmentJohn A. Kirkland42014.65
GovernmentJohn Calvin Henderson34912.18
IndependentArthur Herring812.83
OppositionMarshall Sinclair622.16
Total valid votes 2,866100.00
Source: Elections BC[2]
Note: Robson also won the seat of Cariboo in the 1890 general election, and resigned his Westminster seat prior to the first session of the new legislature. Sword won the subsequent by-election on November 7, 1890.
British Columbia provincial by-election, November 7, 1890
Resignation of John Robson
Party Candidate Votes%Elected
IndependentColin Buchanan Sword47249.68Green tickY
IndependentWilliam Henry Ladner28630.11
IndependentLivingston Thompson13414.11
IndependentSamuel Greer586.11
Total valid votes 950100.00
Source: Elections BC[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Elections BC (1988). Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871–1986 (PDF). Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: Elections BC. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Electoral History of British Columbia 1871-1986" (PDF). Elections BC. 1988. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Electoral History of British Columbia 1871-1986" (PDF). Elections BC. 1988. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
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