1916 British Columbia general election
Canadian provincial election
1916 British Columbia general election
The 1916 British Columbia general election was the fourteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia , Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia . The election was called on July 5, 1916, and held on September 14, 1916. The new legislature met for the first time on March 1, 1917.
A 1916 Act of the Legislature[ 1] provided for the life of the Assembly to be extended to five years,[ 2] and members of the clergy were no longer disqualified from being elected as MLAs.[ 3]
The Liberal Party defeated the governing Conservative Party , winning 50% of the vote, almost double its share from the previous election . The Liberals won 36 of the 47 seats in the legislature.
The Conservatives' popular vote fell from almost 60% to just over 40%, and took nine seats, forming the Official Opposition .
Two other seats were won by independents.
Soldiers serving overseas were able to vote in the election,[ 4] and their votes were cast between August 5 and Election Day.
Two referendums were also held on Election Day (concerning Prohibition and women's suffrage ), but their results were not announced until later in the year.
1915 redistribution of ridings
An Act was passed in 1915, providing for an increase in the seats in the Assembly from 42 to 47 upon the next election. [ 7] The following changes were made:
Abolished ridings
New ridings
Abolition of multi-member district
Merger of districts
Division of districts
Renaming of districts
Results
Elections to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (1916)
Political party
Party leader
MLAs
Votes
Candidates
1912
1916
±
#
±
%
± (pp)
Liberal
Harlan Brewster
45
–
36
36
89,892
68,459
50.00
24.63
Conservative
William Bowser
46
39
9
30
72,842
22,419
40.52
19.13
Independent
7
–
1
1
4,926
3,413
2.74
0.95
Independent Socialist
3
–
1
1
1,321
1,321
0.74
New
Independent Conservative
4
1
–
1
3,014
1,851
1.68
0.31
Socialist
4
1
–
1
2,106
7,260
1.17
9.91
Social Democratic
3
1
–
1
1,012
391
0.56
0.18
Independent Labour
2
–
–
–
2,985
2,985
1.66
New
Independent Liberal
1
–
–
–
1,518
1,518
0.84
New
Independent Progressive
1
–
–
–
158
158
0.09
New
Total
116
42
47
179,774
100.00%
Seats and popular vote by party
Party
Seats
Votes
Change (pp)
█ Liberal
24.63
24.63
█ Conservative
-19.13
█ Socialist
-9.91
█ Other
4.41
4.41
Results by riding
The following MLAs were elected:
Synopsis of results
Results by riding - 1912 British Columbia general election (single-member districts)
Riding
Winning party
Votes
Name
1912
Party
Votes
Share
Margin #
Margin %
Lib
Con
Soc
I-Con
I-Soc
SD
Ind
Oth
Total
Alberni
Con
Lib
393
39.26%
38
3.80%
393
355
–
–
–
–
253
–
1,001
Atlin
Con
Lib
329
54.29%
52
8.58%
329
277
–
–
–
–
–
–
606
Cariboo
New
Lib
453
68.64%
246
37.28%
453
207
–
–
–
–
–
–
660
Chilliwhack
Con
Lib
987
55.64%
200
11.28%
987
787
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,774
Columbia
I-Con
Lib
541
66.63%
270
33.26%
541
271
–
–
–
–
–
–
812
Comox
Con
Lib
916
43.07%
34
1.60%
916
882
246
–
–
83
–
–
2,127
Cowichan
Con
Ind
539
56.92%
131
13.84%
408
–
–
–
–
–
539
–
947
Cranbrook
Con
Lib
727
59.06%
223
18.12%
727
504
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,231
Delta
Con
Con
964
51.55%
58
3.10%
906
964
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,870
Dewdney
Con
Lib
927
54.08%
140
8.16%
927
787
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,714
Esquimalt
Con
Con
655
50.08%
2
0.16%
653
655
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,308
Fernie
Con
Lib
903
46.38%
77
3.96%
903
826
218
–
–
–
–
–
1,947
Fort George
New
Con
499
43.43%
7
0.61%
–
499
–
–
492
–
–
158
1,149
Grand Forks
Con
Lib
584
63.62%
250
27.24%
584
334
–
–
–
–
–
–
918
Greenwood
Con
Lib
491
70.55%
286
41.10%
491
205
–
–
–
–
–
–
696
The Islands
Con
Lib
358
50.28%
4
0.56%
358
354
–
–
–
–
–
–
712
Kamloops
Con
Lib
1,519
61.27%
559
22.54%
1,519
960
–
–
–
–
–
–
2,479
Kaslo
Con
Lib
456
54.94%
82
9.88%
456
374
–
–
–
–
–
–
830
Lillooet
Con
Con
296
52.39%
27
4.78%
269
296
–
–
–
–
–
–
565
Nanaimo
SD
Lib
1,137
57.14%
562
28.25%
1,137
575
–
–
278
–
–
–
1,990
Nelson
New
Con
607
48.99%
100
8.07%
507
607
–
–
–
–
125
–
1,239
Newcastle
Soc
I-Soc
551
56.11%
120
12.22%
–
431
–
–
551
–
–
–
982
New Westminster
Con
Lib
1,369
53.58%
183
7.16%
1,369
1,186
–
–
–
–
–
–
2,555
North Okanagan
New
Lib
1,261
57.08%
313
14.16%
1,261
948
–
–
–
–
–
–
2,209
North Vancouver
New
Lib
980
52.80%
382
20.58%
980
598
–
278
–
–
–
–
1,856
Omineca
New
Lib
473
62.16%
185
24.32%
473
288
–
–
–
–
–
–
761
Prince Rupert
Con
Lib
1,062
52.89%
116
5.78%
1,062
946
–
–
–
–
–
–
2,008
Revelstoke
Con
Lib
802
60.62%
281
21.24%
802
521
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,323
Richmond
Con
Lib
1,441
54.07%
252
9.45%
1,441
1,189
–
35
–
–
–
–
2,665
Rossland
Con
Lib
424
55.79%
88
11.58%
424
336
–
–
–
–
–
–
760
Saanich
Con
Lib
1,033
58.53%
301
17.06%
1,033
732
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,765
Similkameen
Con
Con
650
55.41%
127
10.82%
523
650
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,173
Slocan
Con
Lib
448
50.06%
1
0.12%
448
447
–
–
–
–
–
–
895
South Okanagan
New
Con
845
54.52%
140
9.04%
705
845
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,550
South Vancouver
New
Lib
1,579
45.75%
205
5.94%
1,579
1,374
–
–
–
–
–
498
3,451
Trail
New
Con
626
45.56%
142
10.33%
484
626
262
–
–
–
–
–
1,372
Yale
Con
Lib
809
57.05%
200
14.10%
809
609
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,418
= open seat
= turnout is above provincial average
= winning candidate was in previous Legislature
= incumbent had switched allegiance
= previously incumbent in another riding
= not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
= incumbency arose from byelection gain
= other incumbents renominated
= multiple candidates
Results by riding - 1912 British Columbia general election (multiple-member districts)
Party
Vancouver City
Victoria City
Votes
Share
Change
Votes
Share
Change
Liberal
47,263
49.38%
18.53%
15,772
51.29%
26.17%
Conservative
39,050
40.80%
-13.94%
11,347
36.90%
-30.00%
Independent
2,824
2.95%
1.01%
1,185
3.85%
0.01%
Independent Conservative
2,701
2.82%
New
–
–
–
Independent Labour
2,487
2.60%
New
–
–
–
Socialist
1,380
1.44%
-11.02%
–
–
-4.13%
Independent Liberal
–
–
–
1,518
4.94%
New
Social Democratic
–
–
–
929
3.02%
New
Total
46,285
100.00%
16,034
100.00%
Seats won
5
1
4
Incumbents returned
1
–
See also
Notes and references
Notes
^ a b Brewster was elected as member for both Alberni and Victoria City , and is counted twice.
^ R. McBride (Conservative, Richmond) withdrew before the election but still received 34 overseas votes, which are counted.
References
^ Constitution Act Amendment Act, 1916 , S.B.C. 1916, c. 14
^ S.B.C. 1916, c. 14, s.6
^ S.B.C. 1916, c. 14, s.5
^ Military Forces Voting Act , S.B.C. 1916, c. 41
^ Constitution Act Amendment Act, 1915 , S.B.C. 1915, c. 14
Further reading
General elections Municipal elections Referendums