Northwest Territories general election, 1888
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The Northwest Territories general election of 1888, held on June 30, 1888. This was the first general election in the history of the Northwest Territories, Canada.
Prior to 1888, members of the 1st Council of the Northwest Territories were elected in by-elections to supplement members appointed by the Government of Canada. In order to have an elected member, a constituency needed to be setup in an area 1000 square miles with 1000 people. Others members were appointed. This created a patch-work of represented and unrepresented areas across the sprawling and sparse territory.
Twenty-two members were elected in this election. Robert Brett was appointed government leader by Lieutenant Governor Joseph Royal. His official title was Chairman of the Lt. Governor's Advisory Council.
Three judges were appointed to the legislative assembly to provide legal advice, but they were not able to vote. They represented the territory at large.
Voters in this election cast their votes by telling the returning officer who they want to vote for. This system lasted until 1894 when a secret ballot was first used in a by-election in the Whitewood district.
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[edit] Election results
Three members were acclaimed, but the turnout cannot be established as no voters lists were in use. Candidates were all elected as part of a consensus government.
| Election summary | # of candidates | Popular vote | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incumbent | New | # | % | |
| Elected candidates | 8 | 11 | 5,081 | 62.53% |
| Acclaimed candidates | 1 | 2 | - | - |
| Defeated candidates | - | 19 | 3,045 | 37.47% |
| Total | 41 | 8,126 | 100% | |
[edit] Members of the Legislative Assembly appointed
| 1st North-West Legislative Assembly appointed | |||
| Position | Member | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Advisor | James Macleod | ||
| Legal Advisor | Hugh Richardson | ||
| Legal Advisor | Charles Rouleau | ||
[edit] Members of the Legislative Assembly elected
For complete electoral history, see individual districts
| 1st North-West Legislative Assembly elected | |||
| District | Member | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Batoche | Hillyard Mitchell | ||
| Battleford | Jason Clinkskill | ||
| Calgary #1 | John Lineham | ||
| Calgary #2 | Hugh Cayley | ||
| Edmonton #1 | Herbert Charles Wilson | ||
| Edmonton #2 | Frank Oliver | ||
| Kinistino | James Hoey | ||
| Macleod | Frederick Haultain | ||
| Medicine Hat | Thomas Tweed | ||
| Moose Jaw | Jason Ross | ||
| Moosomin | John Neff | ||
| North Qu'Appelle | William Sutherland | ||
| North Regina | David Jelly | ||
| Prince Albert #1 | William Plaxton | ||
| Prince Albert #2 | John Betts | ||
| Red Deer | Robert Brett | ||
| Souris | J.G. Turriff | ||
| South Qu'Appelle | George Davidson | ||
| South Regina | John Secord | ||
| Wallace | Joel Reaman | ||
| Whitewood | Alexander Thorburn | ||
| Wolseley | Benjamin Parkyn Richardson | ||
[edit] External links
- Personnel of the Northwest Territories Assembly 1888 - 1905
- History of Northwest Territories Assembly 1876 - 1905
| Preceded by: 1885 Northwest Territories election |
Northwest Territories elections | Succeeded by: 1891 Northwest Territories election |
