1st Council of the Northwest Territories

1st Council of the Northwest Territories
Type
Type Unicameral
Timeline
Established 1876
Disbanded 1888
Members ?
Election
Last election 1885 Northwest Territories election
Meeting place
Fort Livingstone
Battleford
Regina

This is a list of appointed and elected members of the 1st Council of the Northwest Territories in Canada from November 7, 1876 to 1888. Prior to 1876, members were appointed to the Temporary North-West Council.

The first members of the new council were appointed under the Northwest Territories Act. An elected member could join the council if an area of 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2) had 1000 people, and an electoral district could be setup. This created a patchwork of represented and unrepresented areas, and there was no official or independent boundaries commission. The first district was Lorne in 1881.

When the first council formed under the new appointed government in 1876, the council consisted of the lieutenant governor, the chairman (speaker), and two appointed members. Because a quorum could not be maintained, the council had to be adjourned if one member went to the washroom. In 1888 during the first election, the council was 22 members and three appointed legal adviser members.

Contents

By-election dates and summaries

Twelve elections took place during the period of 1876–1888. The biggest was the election of 1885 that took place on September 15, 1885. The election saw 11 members in 9 districts returned to the council, due to high population growth in the Northwest Territories at the time. After the 1885 election, elected members gained control over the council, and it became a full assembly. These are not considered general elections, as there was no dissolution of the assembly. However, after four years from the first election, a district had to have another election, and the incumbent had to run for re-election.

For list of elected candidates please see below.

March 23, 1881 Lorne by-election #1

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
# %
Elected candidates 1 250 63.61%
Defeated candidates 1 143 36.39%
Total 2 393 100%

May 29, 1883 Edmonton by-election

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
# %
Elected candidates 1 155 59.62%
Defeated candidates 2 105 40.38%
Total 3 260 100%

June 5, 1883 Lorne by-election #2

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
# %
Elected candidates 1 279 69.92%
Defeated candidates 1 120 30.08%
Total 2 399 100%

August 13, 1883 Moose Jaw, Regina, Qu'Appelle sub-election

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
# %
Elected candidates 3 517 72.82%
Defeated candidates 5 193 27.18%
Total 8 710 100%

August 31, 1883 Broadview by-election

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
# %
Elected candidates 1 91 55.83%
Defeated candidates 1 72 44.17%
Total 2 163 100%

June 28, 1884 Calgary, Moose Mountain by-election

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
# %
Elected candidates 2 198 58.41%
Defeated candidates 2 141 41.59%
Total 4 339 100%

July 8, 1886 Moose Mountain by-election #2

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
Incumbent New # %
Acclaimed candidates 1 - - -
Total 1 - -

July 14, 1886 Calgary, by-election #2

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
# %
Elected candidates 2 427 61.88%
Defeated candidates 2 263 38.12%
Total 4 690 100%

October 14, 1886 Qu'Appelle by-election #2

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
# %
Elected candidates 1 332 53.37%
Defeated candidates 1 290 46.62%
Total 2 622 100%

May 24, 1887 Qu'Appelle by-election #3

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
# %
Elected candidates 2 427 61.88%
Defeated candidates 2 263 38.12%
Total 4 690 100%

September 5, 1887 Macleod by-election

Election summary # of candidates Popular vote
# %
Elected candidates 1 301 65.86%
Defeated candidates 1 156 34.14%
Total 2 457 100%

Legislative session dates

Elected members of the 1st Council of the Northwest Territories

For complete electoral history, see individual districts

District Member Date Elected Date Left Office Reason for leaving office
Broadview John Claude Hamilton August 31, 1883 September 14, 1887 Retirement?
Broadview Charles Marshallsay September 16, 1885 November 5, 1887 Death
Calgary James Davidson Geddes June 28, 1884 1886
Calgary John D. Lauder July 14, 1886 June 30, 1888 Retirement
Calgary Hugh Cayley July 14, 1886 June 30, 1888 Re-elected 1888 election
Edmonton Frank Oliver May 29, 1883
 September 15, 1885 Defeated
Edmonton Herbert Charles Wilson September 15, 1885 June 30, 1888 Re-elected 1888 election
Lorne Lawrence Clarke March 23, 1881 June 4, 1883 Retirement
Lorne Day Hort MacDowall June 5, 1883 September 14, 1885 Retirement
Lorne Owen Hughes September 15, 1885 June 30, 1888 Retirement
Macleod Richard Henry Boyle September 15, 1885 August, 1887 Resignation
Macleod Frederick Haultain September 5, 1887 June 30, 1888 Re-elected 1888 election
Moose Jaw James Hamilton Ross August 13, 1883 June 30, 1888 Re-elected 1888 election
Moose Mountain John Gillanders Turriff June 29, 1884 June 30, 1888 Re-elected 1888 election
Moosomin Spencer Bedford September 15, 1885 June 30, 1888 Retirement
Qu'Appelle Thomas Wesley Jackson August 13, 1883 September, 1886 Resignation
Qu'Appelle William Dell Perley September 15, 1885 February 22, 1887 Elected in 1887 Federal Election
Qu'Appelle Robert Crawford October 14, 1886 June 30, 1888 Retirement
Qu'Appelle William Sutherland May 24, 1887 June 30, 1888 Re-elected 1888 election
Regina William White August 13, 1883 August 12, 1885 Retirement
Regina David Jelly September 15, 1885 June 30, 1888 Re-elected 1888 election
Regina John Secord September 15, 1885 June 30, 1888 Re-elected 1888 election
St. Albert Samuel Cunningham September 15, 1885 June 30, 1888 Defeated 1888 election

Appointed members of the 1st Council of the Northwest Territories

Member Date Joined Council Date Left Office Reason for leaving office
Matthew Ryan January 1, 1876 1883 Retirement?
Hugh Richardson January 1, 1876 June 30, 1888 Re-appointed after the Election of 1888
James Macleod January 1, 1876 June 30, 1888 Re-appointed after the Election of 1888
Patrice Breland July 10, 1878 June 30, 1888 Lost appointment when Legislature dissolved
Acheson Gosford Irvine August 20, 1883 June 30, 1888 Lost appointment when Legislature dissolved
Hayter Reed August 20, 1883 June 30, 1888 Lost appointment when Legislature dissolved
Charles Rouleau July 3, 1883 June 30, 1888 Re-appointed after the Election of 1888
Jeremiah Travis 1885? ? ?

See also

References

External links

Early Councils: Temporary • 1st Council
North-West Assemblies: 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th
Legislative Councils: 2nd Council • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th
Northwest Territories Assemblies: 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th