Lorne (N.W.T. electoral district)
Encyclopedia
Lorne was an electoral district that existed in the District of Saskatchewan
, Northwest Territories
from 1880 until 1888. The district was one of the first three created by Royal Proclamation in 1880. Of the first three electoral districts proclaimed, it was the only one to actually have an election held in it.
Under the Northwest Territories Act 1880 the district was mandated at its inception to return a single member to the Northwest Territories Legislature under the First Past the Post electoral system. The district was named in the honour of former Governor General
, the Marquess of Lorne
. Lorne would tour the through the Northwest Territories just after the electoral district was created in 1881.
The electoral district ceased to exist at the drop of the writ for the 1888 Northwest Territories general election
. This was due to a population boom in the area caused by an influx of settlers. The electoral district was redistributed and split between the electoral districts of Batoche
and the Prince Albert electoral district. During the nine years the district existed, it returned three members through three elections who served roughly three year terms.
David Laird on November 13, 1880 The other two electoral districts were Salisbury, named after the Marquess of Salisbury
and Kimberley name after the Lord of Kimberley. Kimberley's contribution to the Northwest Territories was transferring the Canadian Arctic Archipelago
to Canada on September 1, 1880.
The electoral district was created with the provision to cover an area of 1000 square miles (2,590 km²) and have a population of 1000 electors. The major population centres in the electoral district at the time of creation were Prince Albert
, and Fort Carlton
. The land around the district boomed due to a high rate of settlement in that period. The cause of this was due to the possibility of the Canadian Pacific
transcontinental railway line being built through the area.
The Northwest Territories political system used at this time was run by an early form of consensus government
. Candidates stood for election independent of the political parties that exist in other provinces and territories and the federal level within Canada. The government had not yet developed to the point of being a Responsible government
as the majority of members were appointed and not elected. The district was served by three representatives during its eight year history.
being attained in the Northwest Territories
. The election marked the first time the provision of the North-West Territories Act 1880 that allowed for an electoral district to be proclaimed if an area the size of 1000 square miles (2,590 km²) had 1000 residents had been activated.
The election was conducted by voice vote, a qualified elector would tell the returning officer at a polling station who he was going to vote for and the results would be tallied. Under the terms of the Act eligible electors were males who had reached the age of majority, which was 21 years of age at that time. The act specified that electors must be bona fide males who were not aliens and unenfranchised Indians. Electors must also have resided in the territory for at least 12 months to the day of the writ being dropped.
The election commenced when Lieutenant-Governor
David Laird dropped the writ on 1881. The election was contested by two candidates, Lawrence Clarke who was a fur trader and Chief Factor of the District of Saskatchewan
for the Hudson's Bay Company
. Clarke's opponent was Henry Stewart Moore a local French speaking businessman from Prince Albert
who had been operating a flower mill since 1875.
Clarke held a big advantage in the campaign as he was supported by the Métis
who had been looking for someone to locally represent them in the Legislature since the territory was formed in 1870. Clarke had also built his popularity and name recognition as a prominent fur trader. On election day Clarke carried the district winning a solid victory. He defeated Moore winning nearly 64% of popular vote. His resounding win would make him the first elected member to sit on the Northwest Territories council.
. The electorate suspected him of working under the influence of his office to locate important government offices on the land owned by the company. Two completely new candidates ran in the 1883 election, Captain Day Hort MacDowall and Dr. Andrew Everett Porter.
Andrew Porter was famous for being the first registered private practicing medical doctor in the history of the Northwest Territories. He originally settled in Prince Albert in 1878.
MacDowall campaigned by appealing to the concerns of the Métis who comprised the largest demographic in the district. He promised them that he would go to the Federal Government with their demands for better representation. He also helped win support by donating $1,100 out of pocket towards the construction of a new church for the community of Batoche. MacDowall's campaign efforts and donation proved to be very popular.
MacDowall's appeal for representation translated into a landslide victory on election day. On June 5, 1883 he defeated Andrew Porter capturing nearly 70% of the popular vote. His win was the largest majority of the three elections held in the electoral district.
The official results for the race showed MacDowall won big in most of the polls, winning four out of five. Porter's support was concentrated in The Ridge where he won his only poll. MacDowall swept the south end of the district winning a shut out in the Métis communities of Duck Lake and St. Laurent de Grandin
. Along with the shut out he held strong support in the rest of the riding, with his biggest single vote tally of votes coming form within the town of Prince Albert.
. This was the first major election held in the Northwest Territories. The election grouped together a number of old districts that had been coming up for renewal on their three year cycle and by-elections in new districts that were created by a population boom of settlers moving into the territory.
Incumbent MacDowall, had played a major role in subduing the North-West Rebellion
at the end of his term in office. He would not run for re-election instead choosing to campaign for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
. Dr. Porter attempted to win a seat by running for office a second time. Porter was challenged by Captain Owen E. Hughes, a business man from Duck Lake. Hughes had been the captain of the Prince Albert militia unit that was disbanded by the Federal Government prior to the start of the North-West Resistance. Many of his former unit, including his lieutenant, Gabriel Dumont, were among the Metis
who the drove loyalist forces back at the Battle of Fish Creek
.
On election day, despite increasing his popular share of the vote over the 1883 election even with lower turnout, Porter was defeated by Hughes. The race was very tight and hotly contested nearly ending in a tie vote. Hughes captured the electoral district by a margin of eight votes winning just over 51% of the popular vote.
District of Saskatchewan
The District of Saskatchewan was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories. Much of the area was incorporated into the province of Saskatchewan. The western part became part of Alberta, and the eastern part is now part of Manitoba. Its capital was Prince Albert...
, Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
from 1880 until 1888. The district was one of the first three created by Royal Proclamation in 1880. Of the first three electoral districts proclaimed, it was the only one to actually have an election held in it.
Under the Northwest Territories Act 1880 the district was mandated at its inception to return a single member to the Northwest Territories Legislature under the First Past the Post electoral system. The district was named in the honour of former Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, the Marquess of Lorne
John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll
John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll KG, KT, GCMG, GCVO, VD, PC , usually better known by the courtesy title Marquess of Lorne, by which he was known between 1847 and 1900, was a British nobleman and was the fourth Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883...
. Lorne would tour the through the Northwest Territories just after the electoral district was created in 1881.
The electoral district ceased to exist at the drop of the writ for the 1888 Northwest Territories general election
Northwest Territories general election, 1888
The Northwest Territories general election of 1888 was the first general election in the history of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Elections were held in various districts between 20 June and 30 June 1888...
. This was due to a population boom in the area caused by an influx of settlers. The electoral district was redistributed and split between the electoral districts of Batoche
Batoche (N.W.T. electoral district)
Batoche was a territorial electoral district in the Northwest Territories that existed from 1888 to 1905.- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-1888 election:-1891 election:...
and the Prince Albert electoral district. During the nine years the district existed, it returned three members through three elections who served roughly three year terms.
Overview
The electoral district was one of three royally proclaimed by Lieutenant-GovernorLieutenant-Governors of Northwest Territories
This is a list of historical lieutenant-governors of Northwest Territories, Canada. The position of Lieutenant-Governor lasted from the acquisition of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory in 1869 to the creation of Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905....
David Laird on November 13, 1880 The other two electoral districts were Salisbury, named after the Marquess of Salisbury
Marquess of Salisbury
Marquess of Salisbury is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1789 for the 7th Earl of Salisbury. Most of the holders of the title have been prominent in British political life over the last two centuries, particularly the 3rd Marquess, who served three times as Prime Minister...
and Kimberley name after the Lord of Kimberley. Kimberley's contribution to the Northwest Territories was transferring the Canadian Arctic Archipelago
Canadian Arctic Archipelago
The Canadian Arctic Archipelago, also known as the Arctic Archipelago, is a Canadian archipelago north of the Canadian mainland in the Arctic...
to Canada on September 1, 1880.
The electoral district was created with the provision to cover an area of 1000 square miles (2,590 km²) and have a population of 1000 electors. The major population centres in the electoral district at the time of creation were Prince Albert
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan...
, and Fort Carlton
Fort Carlton
Fort Carlton was a Hudson's Bay Company fur trade post from 1810 until 1885. It was rebuilt by the Saskatchewan government as a provincial historic park and can be visited today...
. The land around the district boomed due to a high rate of settlement in that period. The cause of this was due to the possibility of the Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
transcontinental railway line being built through the area.
The Northwest Territories political system used at this time was run by an early form of consensus government
Consensus government
Consensus government is a form of consensus democracy government in Canada in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, as well as Nunatsiavut, an autonomous area in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
. Candidates stood for election independent of the political parties that exist in other provinces and territories and the federal level within Canada. The government had not yet developed to the point of being a Responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
as the majority of members were appointed and not elected. The district was served by three representatives during its eight year history.
Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)
| Name | Elected | Left Office |
Lawrence Clarke Lawrence Clarke Lawrence Clarke was the Chief Factor of the District of Saskatchewan for the Hudson's Bay Company. He resided at Fort Carlton in Canada. He later became a magistrate... |
1881 | 1883 |
Day Hort MacDowall Day Hort MacDowall Day Hort MacDowall was a politician from old Northwest Territories, Canada.Born in Carruth House, Renfrewshire, Scotland, MacDowall immigrated to Canada in 1879. He was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories in 1883 and served until 1885... |
1883 | 1885 |
Owen Hughes | 1885 | 1888 |
|---|
1881 election
The 1881 by-election held on March 23, 1881 was a pivotal milestone towards Responsible GovernmentResponsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
being attained in the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. The election marked the first time the provision of the North-West Territories Act 1880 that allowed for an electoral district to be proclaimed if an area the size of 1000 square miles (2,590 km²) had 1000 residents had been activated.
| March 23, 1881 by-election | |||||||||
| Name | Vote | % |
Lawrence Clarke Lawrence Clarke Lawrence Clarke was the Chief Factor of the District of Saskatchewan for the Hudson's Bay Company. He resided at Fort Carlton in Canada. He later became a magistrate... |
250 | 63.61% |
Henry Stewart Moore | 143 | 36.39% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Votes | 393 | 100% | |||||||
The election was conducted by voice vote, a qualified elector would tell the returning officer at a polling station who he was going to vote for and the results would be tallied. Under the terms of the Act eligible electors were males who had reached the age of majority, which was 21 years of age at that time. The act specified that electors must be bona fide males who were not aliens and unenfranchised Indians. Electors must also have resided in the territory for at least 12 months to the day of the writ being dropped.
The election commenced when Lieutenant-Governor
Lieutenant-Governors of Northwest Territories
This is a list of historical lieutenant-governors of Northwest Territories, Canada. The position of Lieutenant-Governor lasted from the acquisition of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory in 1869 to the creation of Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905....
David Laird dropped the writ on 1881. The election was contested by two candidates, Lawrence Clarke who was a fur trader and Chief Factor of the District of Saskatchewan
District of Saskatchewan
The District of Saskatchewan was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories. Much of the area was incorporated into the province of Saskatchewan. The western part became part of Alberta, and the eastern part is now part of Manitoba. Its capital was Prince Albert...
for the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. Clarke's opponent was Henry Stewart Moore a local French speaking businessman from Prince Albert
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan...
who had been operating a flower mill since 1875.
Clarke held a big advantage in the campaign as he was supported by the Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
who had been looking for someone to locally represent them in the Legislature since the territory was formed in 1870. Clarke had also built his popularity and name recognition as a prominent fur trader. On election day Clarke carried the district winning a solid victory. He defeated Moore winning nearly 64% of popular vote. His resounding win would make him the first elected member to sit on the Northwest Territories council.
1883 election
Nearing the end of his term in office Clarke decided not to run for re-election in 1883. He was losing too much support due to his ties with the Hudson's Bay CompanyHudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. The electorate suspected him of working under the influence of his office to locate important government offices on the land owned by the company. Two completely new candidates ran in the 1883 election, Captain Day Hort MacDowall and Dr. Andrew Everett Porter.
| June 5, 1883 by-election | |||||||||
| Name | Vote | % |
Day Hort MacDowall Day Hort MacDowall Day Hort MacDowall was a politician from old Northwest Territories, Canada.Born in Carruth House, Renfrewshire, Scotland, MacDowall immigrated to Canada in 1879. He was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories in 1883 and served until 1885... |
279 | 69.92% |
Andrew Porter | 120 | 30.08% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Votes | 399 | 100% | |||||||
Andrew Porter was famous for being the first registered private practicing medical doctor in the history of the Northwest Territories. He originally settled in Prince Albert in 1878.
MacDowall campaigned by appealing to the concerns of the Métis who comprised the largest demographic in the district. He promised them that he would go to the Federal Government with their demands for better representation. He also helped win support by donating $1,100 out of pocket towards the construction of a new church for the community of Batoche. MacDowall's campaign efforts and donation proved to be very popular.
MacDowall's appeal for representation translated into a landslide victory on election day. On June 5, 1883 he defeated Andrew Porter capturing nearly 70% of the popular vote. His win was the largest majority of the three elections held in the electoral district.
The official results for the race showed MacDowall won big in most of the polls, winning four out of five. Porter's support was concentrated in The Ridge where he won his only poll. MacDowall swept the south end of the district winning a shut out in the Métis communities of Duck Lake and St. Laurent de Grandin
St. Laurent de Grandin, Saskatchewan
St. Laurent de Grandin is an area of Métis settlement along the South Saskatchewan River. It is just east of Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, and at present is the site of the St. Laurent Ferry, as well as the Roman Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes...
. Along with the shut out he held strong support in the rest of the riding, with his biggest single vote tally of votes coming form within the town of Prince Albert.
1885 election
The 1885 election in this district was held on September 17, 1885 as part of the 1885 Northwest Territories electionNorthwest Territories election, 1885
The Northwest Territories election of 1885 was the first major election in the history of the territory. The election took place on 15 September 1885....
. This was the first major election held in the Northwest Territories. The election grouped together a number of old districts that had been coming up for renewal on their three year cycle and by-elections in new districts that were created by a population boom of settlers moving into the territory.
| 1885 Northwest Territories election Northwest Territories election, 1885 The Northwest Territories election of 1885 was the first major election in the history of the territory. The election took place on 15 September 1885.... |
|||||||||
| Name | Vote | % |
Owen Hughes | 141 | 51.46% |
Andrew Porter | 133 | 48.54% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Votes | 274 | 100% | |||||||
Incumbent MacDowall, had played a major role in subduing the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
at the end of his term in office. He would not run for re-election instead choosing to campaign for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. Dr. Porter attempted to win a seat by running for office a second time. Porter was challenged by Captain Owen E. Hughes, a business man from Duck Lake. Hughes had been the captain of the Prince Albert militia unit that was disbanded by the Federal Government prior to the start of the North-West Resistance. Many of his former unit, including his lieutenant, Gabriel Dumont, were among the Metis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
who the drove loyalist forces back at the Battle of Fish Creek
Battle of Fish Creek
The Battle of Fish Creek , fought April 24, 1885 at Fish Creek, Saskatchewan, was a major Métis victory over the Dominion forces attempting to quell Louis Riel's North-West Rebellion...
.
On election day, despite increasing his popular share of the vote over the 1883 election even with lower turnout, Porter was defeated by Hughes. The race was very tight and hotly contested nearly ending in a tie vote. Hughes captured the electoral district by a margin of eight votes winning just over 51% of the popular vote.
See also
- Lorne (electoral district) Manitoba provincial electoral district
- Mount Lorne (electoral district)Mount Lorne (electoral district)Mount Lorne is a former electoral district which returns a member to the Legislative Assembly of the Yukon Territory in Canada....
Yukon territorial electoral district