Alberni (electoral district)

Alberni was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originally appeared in the British Columbia general election, 1890 and then, after being merged into Cowichan-Alberni for the 1894 election, was renamed Alberni riding in the election of 1898. The riding lasted by that name until 1933 and 1937, when the name Alberni-Nanaimo was used. In 1941 the Alberni riding name was restored. The area is now represented by Alberni-Qualicum.

Demographics

Population, 1891
Population Change, 1891–1926
Area (km²)
Pop. Density (people per km²)

Electoral history

Note: Winners in each election are in bold.

6th British Columbia general election, 1890
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentThomas Fletcher 29 70.73% – unknown
GovernmentJohn C. Mollett 12 29.27% – unknown
Total valid votes 41 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %

In the seventh general election of 1894, the Alberni riding was merged with the Cowichan riding to form Cowichan-Alberni. The separate riding names were restored for the 1898 election.

8th British Columbia general election, 1898
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentGeorge Albert Huff 70 39.33% – unknown
OppositionAlan Webster Neill 108 60.67% – unknown
Total valid votes 178 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
9th British Columbia general election, 1900
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Progressive Alan Webster Neill 108 54.55%
GovernmentJames Redford 57 28.79%
Conservative-OppositionJames Bain Thomson 33 16.67%
Total valid votes 198 100.00%
10th British Columbia general election, 1903
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Conservative Robert Hume F. Hickey 102 24.17% unknown
     Liberal William Wallace Burns McInnes 320 75.83% unknown
Total valid votes 422 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
11th British Columbia election, 1907
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal Harlan Carey Brewster 236 48.86% unknown
SocialistJames Cartwright 43 8.90% – unknown
     Conservative William Manson 204 42.24% unknown
Total valid votes 483 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
12th British Columbia election, 1909
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal Harlan Carey Brewster 293 53.37% unknown
     Conservative Arthur David Morgan 256 46.63% unknown
Total valid votes 549 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
13th British Columbia election, 1912
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Conservative John George Corry Wood Accl. - % unknown
Total valid votes n/a - %
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
14th British Columbia election, 1916
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal Harlan Carey Brewster 393 39.26% unknown
     Independent Alan Webster Neill 253 25.27% unknown
     Conservative John George Corry Wood 355 35.46% unknown
Total valid votes 1,001 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
British Columbia general election, 1920
Party Candidate Votes%
IndependentRichard John Burde 841 43.94%
Soldier–FarmerNoel Ernest Money 675 35.27%
LiberalHenri Evariste Langis 398 20.79%
Total valid votes 1,914 100.00%
16th British Columbia election, 1924
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Independent LiberalRichard John Burde 828 42.48%
     Conservative James Cameron Johnstone 339 17.39% unknown
ProvincialCharles Arthur McNaughton 782 40.13%
Total valid votes 1,949 100.00%
British Columbia general election, 1928
Party Candidate Votes%
LiberalLaurence Arnold Hanna 1,208 48.71%
ConservativePercy Rushton 1,022 41.21%
Independent LabourThomas Albert Bernard 250 10.08%
Total valid votes 2,480 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 34

Alberni riding disappeared with redistribution following the 1928 election. Its successor in the 1933 and 1937 elections was Alberni-Nanaimo. For the 1941 election the Alberni riding name was restored:

British Columbia general election, 1941
Party Candidate Votes%
LiberalJames Mowat 2,067 49.17%
Co-operative CommonwealthThomas Albert Bernard 1,903 45.27%
Independent LabourAlex Harvey Rowan 234 5.57%
Total valid votes 4,204 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 56
21st British Columbia election, 1945
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Thomas Speakman Barnett 1,258 31.83% unknown
     Labour Progressive Party Alfred Dewhurst 559 14.14% unknown
CoalitionJames Mowat 2,135 54.02% – unknown
Total valid votes 3,952 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 74
Turnout %
22nd British Columbia election, 1949
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
CoalitionThomas Wellington Christie 1,638 21.33% – unknown
     Labour Progressive Party Nigel Morgan 622 8.10% unknown
     Independent James Mowat 3,290 42.84 % unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Jack Whittall 2,129 27.72% unknown
Total valid votes 7,679 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 200
Turnout %
23rd British Columbia election, 1952
Party Candidate Votes
1st count		 % Votes
final count		 % ±%
     Conservative Pitt Clayton 1,204 15.03% - - % unknown
     Labour Progressive Party Alfred Dewhurst 196 2.45% - -.- % unknown
     Liberal James Mowat 2,176 27.17 % 3,030 42.77% unknown
Social Credit LeagueJack Shulz 1,366 17.06%
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Stanley John Squire 3,067 38.29% 4,054 57.23% unknown
Total valid votes 8,009 100.00% 7,084
Total rejected ballots 246
Turnout %
1 Preferential ballot. First and final of four counts shown only.
24thd British Columbia election, 1953
Party Candidate Votes
1st count		 % Votes
final count		 % ±%
     Labour Progressive Party Frank Wendell Bottner 139 1.92% - -.- % unknown
     Liberal Loran Kendall Jordon 2,022 27.95% 2,811 43.07% unknown
Social CreditThorwald Melanchton Peterson 1,637 22.63%
     Conservative Oliver James Ruttan 320 4.42% - - % unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Stanley John Squire 3,116 43.07% 3,715 56.93% unknown
Total valid votes 7,234 100.00% 6,526
Total rejected ballots 336
Turnout %
1 Preferential ballot. First and final of four counts shown only.
25th British Columbia election, 1956
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditWilliam James Carr 1,894 28.51% – unknown
     Liberal Norman Leslie McKinnon 1,388 20.89% unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Stanley John Squire 3,362 50.60% unknown
Total valid votes 6,644 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 80
Turnout %
26th British Columbia election, 1960
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditEric Frederick Duncan 2,966 32.65% – unknown
     Conservative Ronald George Lyon 514 5.66% unknown
     Liberal John Alexander McKenzie 1,305 14.36% unknown
     Communist Mark Fullmore Mosher 207 2.28% unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Stanley John Squire 4,093 45.05% unknown
Total valid votes 9,085 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 315
Turnout %
27th British Columbia election, 1963
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditEric Frederick Duncan 3,506 39.72% – unknown
     Liberal Edward John (Jack) Luckhurst 1,071 12.13% unknown
     New Democrat Stanley John Squire 4,249 48.14% unknown
Total valid votes 8,826 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 68
Turnout %
28th British Columbia election, 1966
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditHoward Richmond McDiarmid 6,039 55.55% – unknown
     Liberal George McLean 511 4.70% unknown
     New Democrat Stanley John Squire 4,321 39.75% unknown
Total valid votes 10,871 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 95
Turnout %
29th British Columbia election, 1969
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditHoward Richmond McDiarmid 7,209 47.08% – unknown
     Liberal Eugene Edward Romaniuk 1,424 9.30% unknown
     New Democrat Stanley John Squire 6,680 43.62% unknown
Total valid votes 15,313 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 131
Turnout %
30th British Columbia election, 1972
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal Wayne Albert Ramsey Cathers 2,272 12.92% unknown
Social CreditThomas Johnstone 4,985 28.36% – unknown
     New Democrat Robert Evans Skelly 9,439 53.69% unknown
     Conservative Edna Delthene Souther 883 5.02% unknown
Total valid votes 17,579 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 251
Turnout %
31st British Columbia election, 1975
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditCharles Ormond Haggard 7,988 40.01% – unknown
     Communist Charles Ormond Haggard 84 0.42% unknown
     Liberal Cecile Marie T. McKinnon 1,018 5.10% unknown
     Conservative Allan Arthur Schroeder 1,278 6.40% unknown
     New Democrat Robert Evans Skelly 9,599 48.07% unknown
Total valid votes 19,967 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 226
Turnout %
32nd British Columbia election, 1979
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     New Democrat Robert Evans Skelly 7,935 57.63% unknown
     Communist Gary William Swann 97 0.71% unknown
Social CreditJoseph Van Bergen 5,736 41.66% – unknown
Total valid votes 13,768 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 201
Turnout %
33rd British Columbia election, 1983
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditAlice Chiko 5,496 37.34% – unknown
     Western Canada Concept Michael Thomas Gaughan 291 1.98% unknown
     Liberal Susan Patricia Hutchinson 183 1.24% unknown
     New Democrat Robert Evans Skelly 8,656 58.81% unknown
     Communist Gary William Swann 92 0.63% unknown
Total valid votes 14,718 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 244
Turnout %
British Columbia general election, 1986
Party Candidate Votes%
GreenRonald Daniel Craigie Aspinall 87 0.56%
LiberalWilliam F. Mosdell 377 2.43%
New DemocraticRobert Evans Skelly 8,597 55.29%
Social CreditGillian Trumper 6,487 41.72%
Total valid votes 15,548100.00%
Total rejected ballots 304
35th British Columbia election, 1991
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Western Canada Concept Alan W. Banford 206 1.54% unknown
     New Democrat Gerard A. Janssen 7,136 53.39% unknown
     Liberal Peter J. Tanner 2,358 17.64% unknown
Social CreditGillian R. Trumper 3,665 27.43% – unknown
Total valid votes 13,365 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 372
Turnout %
36th British Columbia election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Karl Angus 72 0.31% unknown
     BC Reform Karl Angus 72 0.31% unknown
     New Democrat Gerard A. M. Janssen 7,398 52.01% unknown
     Natural Law Kathleen Lapeyrouse 58 0.41% unknown
Progressive DemocratIngrid Helen Rebar 578 4.06% – unknown
GreenAndre Sperling 195 1.373% – unknown
     Liberal Gillian Trumper 5,099 35.85% unknown
Total valid votes 14,223 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 86
Turnout %

The riding was redistributed after the 1996 election. The main successor riding is Alberni-Qualicum.

Sources

Elections BC historical returns