Esquimalt (electoral district)

Esquimalt was a provincial electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was one of the province's first twelve ridings upon its entry into Confederation. It was originally a two-member riding. Its successor riding today is Esquimalt-Metchosin.

Demographics

Population, 2001
Population change 1996-2001 %
Area (km²)
Population density (people per km²)

Election results

Note: Winners of each election are in bold.

1st British Columbia general election, 1871
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Independent Charles Berry Brown 5 2.75% unknown
     Independent David Cameron 31 17.03% unknown
     Independent Henry S. Caulier 9 4.95% unknown
     Independent Henry Cogan 34 18.68% unknown
     Independent William Fisher 29 15.93% unknown
     Independent Alexander Rocke Robertson 74 40.66% unknown
Total valid votes 182 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
British Columbia byelection: Esquimalt, November 27, 1871 1
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Independent Alexander Rocke Robinson Acclaimed -.- % unknown
Total valid votes n/a -.- %
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
1 The byelection was called due to the resignation of A.R. Robertson upon appointment to Executive Council 14 November 1871. 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.
British Columbia general election, 1875
Party Candidate Votes%Elected
IndependentWilliam Fisher 58 32.58% Green tick
Reform caucusFrederick W. Williams 52 29.21% Green tick
GovernmentRobert Weir 43 24.16%
GovernmentNinian Frederick Foster 25 14.05%
Total valid votes 178 100.00%
3rd British Columbia general election, 1878
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentWilliam Fisher 45 15.41% – unknown
OppositionHans Lars Helgesen 70 37.43% – unknown
OppositionFrederick W. Williams 78 41.00% – unknown
Total valid votes 187 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
4th British Columbia general election, 1882
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
OppositionFrancis Thomas Child 61 21.71% – unknown
GovernmentHans Lars Helgesen 77 27.40% – unknown
GovernmentJohn Roland Hett2 71 25.27% – unknown
OppositionCharles Edward Pooley2 72 25.62% – unknown
Total valid votes 281 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
2 The official returns gave Hett 74 votes and Pooley 73, but a B.C. Supreme Court decision altered the results and declared Pooley elected.
5th British Columbia general election, 1886
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
OppositionHans Lars Helgesen 70 16.87% – unknown
OppositionJohn Roland Hett 72 17.35% – unknown
GovernmentDavid Williams Higgins 123 29.64% – unknown
GovernmentCharles Edward Pooley 150 36.14% – unknown
Total valid votes 415 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
6th British Columbia general election, 1890
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
OppositionHans Lars Helgesen 89 22.20% – unknown
GovernmentDavid Williams Higgins 155 38.65% – unknown
GovernmentCharles Edward Pooley 157 39.15% – unknown
Total valid votes 401 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
7th British Columbia general election, 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentDavid Williams Higgins Accl. --% – unknown
GovernmentCharles Edward Pooley Accl. --% – unknown
Total valid votes -- --%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
8th British Columbia general election, 1898
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentWilliam Fitzherbert T. Bullen3 208 23.94% – unknown
OppositionDeenis Reginald Harris 53 6.10% – unknown
OppositionWilliam Henry Hayward 189 21.75% – unknown
GovernmentDavid Williams Higgins3 206 23.70% – unknown
OppositionCharles Edward Pooley 213 24.51% – unknown
Total valid votes 869 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
3 Results taken from the Victoria Colonist 12 July 1898. Although Bullen received more votes than Higgins, the B.C. Supreme Court controverted his election and declared Higgins elected instead.
9th British Columbia election, 1900
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
GovernmentGeorge Bizantson 50 6.77% – unknown
GovernmentDonald Fraser 75 10.16% – unknown
     Independent Opposition William Henry Hayward 272 36.86% unknown
     Independent Opposition David Williams Higgins 111 15.04% unknown
OppositionCharles Edward Pooley 230 31.17% – unknown
Total valid votes 738 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
10th British Columbia general election, 1903 4
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal John Jardine 212 47.01% unknown
     Conservative Charles Edward Pooley 239 52.99% unknown
Total valid votes 451 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
4Seat was reduced from two members to one.
11th British Columbia general election, 1907
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal John Jardine 297 58.58% unknown
     Conservative Charles Edward Pooley 210 41.42% unknown
Total valid votes 507 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
12th British Columbia general election, 1909
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Conservative Henry Dallas Helmcken 362 45.36% unknown
     Liberal John Jardine 436 54.64% unknown
Total valid votes 798 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
13th British Columbia general election, 1912
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Independent ConservativeHenry Dallas Helmcken 186 21.73%
     Liberal Malcolm Bruce Jackson 151 17.64%
Independent ConservativeJohn Jardine 96 11.21%
SocialistGeorge Oliver 25 2.92% – unknown
     Conservative Robert Henry Pooley 398 46.50% unknown
Total valid votes 856 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
14th British Columbia general election, 1916
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal Arthur William McCurdy 653 49.92% unknown
     Conservative Robert Henry Pooley 655 50.08% unknown
Total valid votes 1,308 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
15th British Columbia general election, 1920
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Socialist Labour Burges James Gadsden 479 20.63% unknown
     Liberal Henry Charles Helgesen 685 29.50% unknown
     Conservative Robert Henry Pooley 1,158 49.87% unknown
Total valid votes 2,322 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
16th British Columbia general election, 1924
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal Frank Robert Carlow 625 22.64%
Independent ConservativeAlexander Lockley 341 12.35%
ProvincialRobert Pope Matheson 515 18.65%
     Conservative Robert Henry Pooley 1,280 46.36%
Total valid votes 2,761 100.00%
16th British Columbia general election, 1924
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Independent LiberalFrank Robert Carlow5 25 0.86%
     Conservative Robert Henry Pooley 1,806 62.10% unknown
     Liberal Mary Ellen Smith 6 1,077 18.65% unknown
Total valid votes 2,908 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 92
Turnout %
5 Independent in Summary of Votes.
6Mary Ellen Smith was the first female candidate to the BC Legislature.
British Columbia general election, 1933
Party Candidate Votes%
UnionistRobert Henry Pooley 1,466 39.03%
LiberalCharles Eustatius Whitney-Griffiths 1,407 37.46%
Co-operative CommonwealthArthur Norman Brown 525 13.98%
Non-Partisan Independent GroupJames Elrick 358 9.53%
Total valid votes 3,756 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 104
19th British Columbia general election, 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Independent John William Archer 67 1.70% unknown
Social Credit LeagueArabella Cicily Boydell 57 1.44% – unknown
     Conservative Elmer Victor Finland 1,462 41.60% unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. William Donaldson Smith 765 19.38% unknown
     Liberal Charles Eustatius Whitney-Griffiths 1,416 35.88% unknown
Total valid votes 3,947 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 28
Turnout %
20th British Columbia general election, 1941
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal Charles Taschereau Beard 1,348 35.06% unknown
     Conservative Elmer Victor Finland 1,554 40.42% unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Henry George Webber 943 24.53% unknown
Total valid votes 3,845 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 134
Turnout %
21st British Columbia general election, 1945
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
CoalitionCharles Taschereau Beard 2,568 56.35% – unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. George Henry Webber 1,989 43.65% unknown
Total valid votes 4,557 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 114
Turnout %
22nd British Columbia general election, 1949
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
CoalitionCharles Taschereau Beard 4,219 51.26% – unknown
     Independent George Edward Bonner 1,554 40.42% unknown
     Independent Conservative Elmer Victor Finland 943 24.53% unknown
     Union of Electors Ellen Hart 92 1.12% unknown
     Independent Conservative Henry George Webber 2,488 30.23% unknown
Total valid votes 8,231 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 173
Turnout %
23rd British Columbia election, 19527
Party Candidate Votes
1st count		 % Votes
final count		 % ±%
Social Credit LeagueWilliam Neelands Chant 1,606 17.73%
     Liberal Geoffrey Indnes Edgelow 2,294 25.33% 3,597 43.14% unknown
     Progressive Conservative Robert Hamilton Fort 1,550 17.11% - - % unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Frank Mitchell 3,607 39.83% 4,741 56.86% unknown
Total valid votes 9,057 % 8,338 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 366
Turnout %
7 Final count is between top two candidates from previous count; intermediary counts (of 3) not shown
24th British Columbia election, 1953 8
Party Candidate Votes
1st count		 % Votes
final count		 % ±%
Social Credit LeagueHerbert Joseph Bruch 3,264 36.96% 4,147 51.87%
     Liberal Geofrey Innes Edgelow 1,998 22.62% - - % unknown
     Progressive Conservative Norman L. Goodwin 480 5.44 - - % unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Frank Mitchell 3,089 34.98% 3,848 48.13% unknown
Total valid votes 8,831 100.00% 7,995 %
Total rejected ballots 445
Total Registered Voters
Turnout %
8 Preferential ballot; final count is between top two candidates from first count; intermediary counts (of 3) not shown
25th British Columbia general election, 1956
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditHerbert Joseph Bruch 3,530 43.70
     Progressive Conservative George Brock Chisholm 821 10.16% unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Elvan Walters 2,013 24.92% unknown
     Liberal George Wilfrid Whittaker 1,714 21.22% unknown
Total valid votes 8,078 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 110
Turnout %
26th British Columbia general election, 1960
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditHerbert Joseph Bruch 4,429 40.38%
     Progressive Conservative James Bryant 991 9.04% unknown
     Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Geoffrey Harris Mitchell 3.383 30.84% unknown
     Liberal George Wilfrid Whittaker 2,165 19.74% unknown
Total valid votes 10,968 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 126
Turnout %
28th British Columbia general election, 1966
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     New Democrat John E. Bartanus 3,445 30.25% unknown
Social CreditHerbert Joseph Bruch 6,075 53.35%
     Liberal David Alexander Elrix 1,867 16.40% unknown
Total valid votes 11,387 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 285
Turnout %
29th British Columbia general election, 1969
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditHerbert Joseph Bruch 8,532 52.60%
     New Democrat James Henry Gorst 5,718 35.25% unknown
     Liberal Frederick Henry Phillips 1,971 12.15% unknown
Total valid votes 16,221 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 415
Turnout %
30th British Columbia general election, 1972
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Social CreditHerbert Joseph Bruch 5,320 27.46%
     New Democrat James Henry Gorst 6,568 33.90% unknown
     Liberal Henry Donovan Joy 3,884 20.05% unknown
     Progressive Conservative John Sedgwick Williams 3,601 18.59% unknown
Total valid votes 19,373 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 453
Turnout %
31st British Columbia general election, 1975
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Independent John Strong Craggs 132 0.54% unknown
     Progressive Conservative Thelma Dawson 2,033 8.37% unknown
Social CreditLyle Benjamin James Kahl 10,637 43.78%
     New Democrat Franklin John Trehern Mitchell 10,516 43.28% unknown
     Liberal Leonard J. Stephenson 977 4.02% unknown
Total valid votes 24,295 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 417
Turnout %

Subsequent elections

After the 32nd general election in 1979, the riding of Esquimalt was incorporated into the new riding of Esquimalt-Port Renfrew.

Sources