Comox (electoral district)

Comox was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was one of the first twelve ridings representing that province upon its joining Confederation, and was a one-member constituency. The core of this once-vast riding, which at its inception stretched to the Yukon border, is now named Comox Valley.

Demographics

Population, 1986
Population change, 1903–1986
Area (km²)
Population density (people per km²)

Political geography

Nominally this riding included most of the Central Coast as well as all of northern Vancouver Island, but in practicality there were very few eligible voters as the vast majority of the area's population was from one of the many First Nations in the district.

Electoral history

Note: Winners in each election are in bold.

1st British Columbia election, 1871
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Independent John Ash 16 66.67% unknown
     Independent Robert Cameron Coleman 8 33.33% unknown
Total valid votes 24 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
British Columbia Byelection: Comox January 11, 18731
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Independent John Ash Acclaimed -.- % unknown
Total valid votes n/a -.- %
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
1 The byelection was called due to J. Ash's resignation upon appointment to the Executive Council (cabinet) on December 23, 1872. This byelection was one of a series held to confirm appointments to the Executive Council, which was the old parliamentary convention. As this byelection writ was filled by acclamation, no polling day was required and the seat was filled within two weeks. The stated date is the date the return of writs was received by the Chief Electoral Officer.
2nd British Columbia general election, 1875
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentJohn Ash 36 78.26% – unknown
GovernmentRobb James 10 21.74% – unknown
Total valid votes 46 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
3rd British Columbia general election, 1878
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
OppositionJohn Ash 31 59.62% – unknown
GovernmentReginald Terry Carwithen 21 40.38% – unknown
Total valid votes 52 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
4th British Columbia general election, 1882
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
OppositionAndrew Byron Crawford 14 16.87% – unknown
GovernmentWilliam Munro Dingwall 67 80.72% – unknown
     Unknown affiliation Thomas Robson2 2 2.41% unknown
Total valid votes 83 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
2 Withdrew before polling day.
5th British Columbia general election, 1886
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentWilliam Munro Dingwall 40 31.25% – unknown
GovernmentStafford McKelvey 10 7.81% – unknown
OppositionRobb James 33 25.78% – unknown
OppositionAnthony Maitland Stenhouse 45 35.16% – unknown
Total valid votes 128 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
6th British Columbia general election, 1890
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentJoseph Hunter 115 61.17% – unknown
OppositionJoseph McPhee 73 38.83% – unknown
Total valid votes 108 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
7th British Columbia general election, 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentJoseph Hunter 239 64.95% – unknown
OppositionPercy Fremlin Scharschmidt 129 35.05% – unknown
Total valid votes 368 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
8th British Columbia general election, 1898
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentJames Dunsmuir3 297 64.71% – unknown
OppositionWilliam James McAllan 162 35.29% – unknown
Total valid votes 459 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
3 Later 14th Premier of British Columbia 1900-1902
9th British Columbia general election, 1900
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentJoseph McPhee4 279 45.22% – unknown
OppositionLewis Alfred Mounce 338 54.78% – unknown
Total valid votes 188 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
4 3. McPhee was nominated as a Liberal candidate in opposition to Mounce who campaigned as a Conservative Party supporter. According to the Nanaimo Herald both were anti-Martin but the Vancouver Province and Victoria Times listed both as Government.
10th British Columbia general election, 1903
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Conservative Robert Grant 361 53.24% unknown
     Liberal Frederick McBain Young 317 46.76% unknown
Total valid votes 678 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
11th British Columbia election, 1907
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal John Bertram Bennett 292 43.98% unknown
     Conservative Robert Grant 372 56.02% unknown
Total valid votes 664 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
12th British Columbia election, 1909
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
SocialistJames Cartwright 206 20.96%
Independent ConservativeHenry Essen Young 154 15.67%
     Liberal James McKelvey Forrest 172 17.50% unknown
     Conservative Michael Manson 451 45.88% unknown
Total valid votes 983 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
13th British Columbia election, 1912
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
SocialistWallis Walter Lefeaux 355 33.84% – unknown
     Conservative Michael Manson 694 66.16% unknown
Total valid votes 1,049 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
14th British Columbia election, 1916
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Conservative Michael Manson 882 41.47% unknown
SocialistWilliam Arthur Pritchard 246 11.57% – unknown
     Liberal Hugh Stewart 916 43.07% unknown
Social DemocraticGeorge Edgar Winkler 83 3.90%
Total valid votes 812 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
15th British Columbia election, 1920
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Conservative William Edward Anderson 1,233 29.90% unknown
Independent LiberalWilliam Wallace Burns McInnes 731 17.73%
     Peoples Party (Farmer-Labour) Thomas Menzies 1,354 32.83% unknown
     Liberal Patrick Daly 806 19.54% unknown
Total valid votes 4,124 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
16th British Columbia election, 1924
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Conservative William Duncan 815 28.41% unknown
ProvincialGeorge Every-Clayton 793 27.64% – unknown
Independent LiberalPaul Phillips Harrison 1,261 43.95%
Total valid votes 2,869 100.00%
British Columbia general election, 1928
Party Candidate Votes%
ConservativeGeorge Kerr McNaughton 2,058 53.85%
LiberalJohn William McKenzie 1,497 39.17%
Independent LabourWilliam Law 267 6.99%
Total valid votes 3,822 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 70
18th British Columbia election, 1933
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Harold Tuttle Allen 1,590 36.03% unknown
Independent Co-operative CommonwealthGeorge Robert Bates 276 6.25% unknown
     Liberal Laurence Arnold Hanna 2,204 49.94% unknown
United Front (Workers and Farmers)Hugh Gray Russell 259 5.87%
     Independent Ernest Richard Tarling 84 1.90% unknown
Total valid votes 4,413 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 34
Turnout %
19th British Columbia election, 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Colin Cameron 2,336 44.83% unknown
     Liberal Laurence Arnold Hanna 1,876 36.00% unknown
     Conservative Gordon Noel Money 999 19.17% unknown
Total valid votes 5,211 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 80
Turnout %
20th British Columbia election, 1941
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Colin Cameron 3,126 45.31% unknown
     Liberal William Edward Mantle 2,158 31.28% unknown
     Conservative Edward Roger Gibson Richardson 1,615 23.41% unknown
Total valid votes 6,899 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 166
Turnout %
21st British Columbia election, 1945
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Colin Cameron 3,362 44.69% unknown
     Labour Progressive Party Thomas McEwen 729 9.69% unknown
CoalitionHerbert John Welch 3,432 45.62% – unknown
Total valid votes 7,523 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 161
Turnout %
22nd British Columbia election, 1949
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Colin Cameron 5,238 40.81% unknown
CoalitionHerbert John Welch 7,596 59.19% – unknown
Total valid votes 12,834 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 435
Turnout %
23rd British Columbia election, 1952 5
Party Candidate Votes
1st count		 % Votes
final count		 % ±%
     Progressive Conservative W. Bruce Gordon 1,868 13.58% -- --.--% unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. William Campbell Moore 5,369 39.03% 7,098 57.67% unknown
Social Credit LeagueCyril Hugh Poole 2,987 21.71%
     Liberal Herbert John Welch 3,532 25.68% 5,210 42.33% unknown
Total valid votes 13,756 100.00% 12,308 %
Total rejected ballots 446
Turnout 77.94%
5(Preferential ballot: 1st and 3rd counts of three shown only)
24th British Columbia election, 1953 6
Party Candidate Votes
1st count		 % Votes
final count		 % ±%
     Liberal John Wesley Baikie 2,944 21.71% - -.-% unknown
     Labour Progressive Party John Higgin 357 2.63% - -.-% unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. William Campbell Moore 5,462 40.28% 6,717 53.83% unknown
Social Credit LeagueCyril Hugh Poole 4,420 32.59% 5,762 46.17%
     Progressive Conservative Nugent Watson Spinks 378 2.79% -- --.--% unknown
Total valid votes 13,561 100.00% 12,479 %
Total rejected ballots 717
Turnout 77.94%
6Preferential ballot: 1st and 4th counts of four shown only)
25th British Columbia election, 1956
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditDaniel Robert John Campbell 4,916 41.63% – unknown
     Liberal Robert George McPhee 2,339 19.81% unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Cyril Newman 4,555 38.57% unknown
Total valid votes 11,810 100.00%
Total valid votes 11,810 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 183
Turnout %
26th British Columbia election, 1960
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal William Wallace Baikie 2,759 17.47% unknown
Social CreditDaniel Robert John Campbell 6,100 38.63% – unknown
     Progressive Conservative Alan Gray 653 4.14% unknown
     Communist Party of Canada John Higgin 207 1.31% unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Frederick Charles Wood 6,072 38.45% unknown
Total valid votes 15,791 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 248
Turnout %
27th British Columbia election, 1963
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditDaniel Robert John Campbell 6,598 42.38% – unknown
     Liberal David Alexander Elrix 1,259 8.09% unknown
     Progressive Conservative Duncan McIntyre Fraser 1,475 9.47% unknown
     New Democrat Frederick Sidney Williams 6,238 40.06% unknown
Total valid votes 15,570 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 150
Turnout %
28th British Columbia election, 1966
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditDaniel Robert John Campbell 5,449 49.39% – unknown
     Liberal Joseph J. Cvetkovich 1,276 11.57% unknown
     New Democrat Neville Shanks 4,308 39.05% unknown
Total valid votes 11,033 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 104
Turnout %
29th British Columbia election, 1969
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditDaniel Robert John Campbell 7,910 45.61% – unknown
     Liberal Olga Ruth Henrietta Chown 2,303 13.28% unknown
     New Democrat Harry Harris 7,131 41.12% unknown
Total valid votes 17,344 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 194
Turnout %
30th British Columbia election, 1972
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditDaniel Robert John Campbell 6,376 29.00% – unknown
     Progressive Conservative Lawrence Foort 1,166 5.30% unknown
     New Democrat Karen Sanford 12,540 57.40% unknown
     Liberal Patrick Melvin Thompson 1,903 8.66% unknown
Total valid votes 21,985 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 135
Turnout %
31st British Columbia election, 1975
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditDaniel Edgard Hanuse 10,171 38.90% – unknown
     Liberal Norman L. McLaren 1,381 5.28% unknown
     New Democrat Karen Sanford 10,650 40.73% unknown
     Progressive Conservative Victor Albert Stephens 3,906 15.09% unknown
Total valid votes 26,148 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 454
Turnout %
32nd British Columbia election, 1979
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditDelbert Keith Doll 9,390 42.57% – unknown
     Progressive Conservative Eric Harry Kellow 2,251 10.20% unknown
     New Democrat Karen Sanford 10,420 47.23% unknown
Total valid votes 22,061 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 315
Turnout %
33rd British Columbia election, 1983
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal Thomas John Finnie 502 1.71% unknown
     Western Canada Concept Allan Wayne Griffiths 1,104 3.75% unknown
     New Democrat Karen Sanford 13,719 46.58% unknown
Social CreditGeorge Herbert Parke Smith 13,422 45.57% – unknown
     Independent Victor Albert Stephens 705 2.39% unknown
Total valid votes 29,452 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 258
Turnout %
44th British Columbia election, 1986
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditStan Hagen 15,833 51.15
     New Democrat Karen Sanford 13,562 43.82% unknown
     Liberal John G. (Jack) Setter 985 3.18% unknown
     Progressive Conservative Terry Ian 573 1.85% unknown
Total valid votes 30,953 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 276
Turnout %

Sources

Elections BC historical returns