Vancouver City was a provincial electoral district of British Columbia, Canada. It was a multiple member district based in the newly created city of Vancouver.
It did not appear on the hustings until the 1890 election — the city only having been chartered and named in the year of the previous election when the locality was a small polling area of the New Westminster (provincial electoral district) riding. It is a sign of Vancouver's rapid growth that by 1890 there were over 300 electors, by 1900 there were 15,000, by 1903 over 25,000 votes cast; prior to 1885, the population of the waterside village of Granville, BI (Burrard Inlet, a postal address shared by Moodyville, New Brighton and Barnet) had been in the range of 300.
When the district was created, it had two members, but because of population increase, it was made a three-member district prior to the 1894 election, a four-member district prior to the 1898 election, and a five-member district in 1903. By 1920, with Vancouver having grown to 200,000 inhabitants, the district became a six-member seat with about 40,000 voting and over 200,000 votes cast. Under the block voting system in use, each voter could cast as many votes as there were seats to fill.
After the 1928 election, it was given nine MLAs and redistributed into four districts, three with two members each (Vancouver-Burrard, Vancouver Centre and Vancouver East) and Vancouver-Point Grey with three members.
Demographics Population, 1961Population change, 1871–1961Area (km2)Population density (people per km2)
Political geography and history
Vancouver City was a multi seat district, electing from two to six MLAs, before being dismantled in 1928.
Each voter could cast as many votes as there were seats to fill in the district.Electoral History of BC, 1871–1986, p. 545
In most of the elections from 1903, when party labels were first used formally, to 1920, the Block Voting system in use meant that one party took all of the city's seats. But in most cases, that one party took less than half the votes.
From 1903 to 1912, the Conservative party took all of the Vancouver City seats each time, with the most popular Conservative candidate taking less than 11 percent of votes cast. (This shows the "windshield wiper" effect of block voting.)Farrell and McAllister, Australian Electoral System, p. 41
In 1916 and 1920, the Liberal party took five of Vancouver City's six seats, with a Conservatives taking one seat.
In 1924, the Liberal party took five of Vancouver City's six seats, with a "Provincial Party" candidate taking one seat.
In 1928, the Conservative party took all six of Vancouver City's seats.
Following the 1928 election, Vancouver City was converted into four new districts, electing a total of 9 MLAs.
Notable MLAs Joseph Martin, 13th premier of British Columbia William John Bowser, 17th premier of British Columbia Charles A. Woodward, founder of Woodward's and father of W.C. "Billy" Woodward, later Lieutenant-Governor, and grandfather of Charles N. "Chunky" Woodward.
Electoral history Note: winners in each election in bold.
|Independent |Robert Garnett Tatlow | style="text-align:right;" | 478 | style="text-align:right;" | 15.35% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total valid votes ! style="text-align:right;" | 3,113 ! style="text-align:right;" | 100.00% ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total rejected ballots ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Turnout ! style="text-align:right;" | % ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" |
|- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total valid votes ! style="text-align:right;" | 8,127 ! style="text-align:right;" | 100.00% ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total rejected ballots ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Turnout ! style="text-align:right;" | % ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" |
|- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total valid votes ! style="text-align:right;" | 10,636 ! style="text-align:right;" | 100.00% ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total rejected ballots ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Turnout ! style="text-align:right;" | % ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" |
|Liberal |Robert Purvis McLennan | style="text-align:right;" | 2,316 | style="text-align:right;" | 7.68% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |Alexander Henderson | style="text-align:right;" | 2,248 | style="text-align:right;" | 7.45% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |William Wallace Burns McInnes | style="text-align:right;" | 2,233 | style="text-align:right;" | 7.40% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |John Wallace deBeque Farris | style="text-align:right;" | 2,096 | style="text-align:right;" | 6.95% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |Thomas Fletcher Neelands | style="text-align:right;" | 2,063 | style="text-align:right;" | 6.84% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Canadian Labour Party of BC |Francis Williams | style="text-align:right;" | 401 | style="text-align:right;" | 1.33% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Canadian Labour Party of BC |Albert George Perry | style="text-align:right;" | 281 | style="text-align:right;" | 0.93% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total valid votes ! style="text-align:right;" | 30,173 ! style="text-align:right;" | 100.00% ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total rejected ballots ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Turnout ! style="text-align:right;" | % ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" |
1909 election
|Conservative |William John Bowser | style="text-align:right;" | 5,441 | style="text-align:right;" | 10.60% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |John Bell Campbell | style="text-align:right;" | 3,227 | style="text-align:right;" | 6.29% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |George Ernest MacDonald | style="text-align:right;" | 3,984 | style="text-align:right;" | 7.76% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Conservative |Alexander Henry Boswell MacGowan | style="text-align:right;" | 3,141 | style="text-align:right;" | 10.41% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Conservative |George Albert McGuire | style="text-align:right;" | 4,826 | style="text-align:right;" | 9.41% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |John Harold Senkler | style="text-align:right;" | 4,110 | style="text-align:right;" | 8.01% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |James Stables | style="text-align:right;" | 3,356 | style="text-align:right;" | 6.54% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Conservative |Charles Edward Tisdall | style="text-align:right;" | 2,063 | style="text-align:right;" | 6.84% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |Frederick Coate Wade | style="text-align:right;" | 3,942 | style="text-align:right;" | 7.68% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Conservative |Henry Holgate Watson | style="text-align:right;" | 5,202 | style="text-align:right;" | 10.14% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total valid votes ! style="text-align:right;" | 51,316 ! style="text-align:right;" | 100.00% ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total rejected ballots ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Turnout ! style="text-align:right;" | % ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" |
|Conservative |William John Bowser | style="text-align:right;" | 5,101 | style="text-align:right;" | 11.02% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |Cameron William Smith | style="text-align:right;" | 2,716 | style="text-align:right;" | 5.87% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |Joseph Nealon Ellis | style="text-align:right;" | 2,619 | style="text-align:right;" | 5.66% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |Charles William Enright | style="text-align:right;" | 2,947 | style="text-align:right;" | 6.37% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Independent |Samuel Greer | style="text-align:right;" | 897 | style="text-align:right;" | 1.94% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Conservative |Alexander Henry Boswell MacGowan | style="text-align:right;" | 5,061 | style="text-align:right;" | 10.93% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Conservative |George Albert McGuire | style="text-align:right;" | 5,114 | style="text-align:right;" | 11.05% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |Ralph Smith | style="text-align:right;" | 3,257 | style="text-align:right;" | 7.04% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |William Maxwell Smith | style="text-align:right;" | 2,744 | style="text-align:right;" | 5.93% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Conservative |Charles Edward Tisdall | style="text-align:right;" | 5,085 | style="text-align:right;" | 10.97% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Conservative |Henry Holgate Watson | style="text-align:right;" | 4,977 | style="text-align:right;" | 10.75% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total valid votes ! style="text-align:right;" | 46,285 ! style="text-align:right;" | 100.00% ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Total rejected ballots ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" | |- bgcolor="white" ! style="text-align:right;" colspan="3" |Turnout ! style="text-align:right;" | % ! style="text-align:right;" | ! style="text-align:right;" |
|Conservative |William John Bowser | style="text-align:right;" | 7,818 | style="text-align:right;" | 4.12% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Canadian Labour Party |Wilfred Harry Cottrell | style="text-align:right;" | 6,314 | style="text-align:right;" | 3.33% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Canadian Labour Party |William Dunn | style="text-align:right;" | 5,752 | style="text-align:right;" | 3.03% | style="text-align:right;" | | style="text-align:right;" | Unknown
|Liberal |John Wallace deBeque Farris | style="text-align:right;" | 8,427