Westminster (electoral district)
Encyclopedia
Westminster was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province
of British Columbia
. It appeared in the 1890 election only. In 1894 it was succeeded by Westminster-Chilliwhack
, Westminster-Delta
, Westminster-Dewdney
, and Westminster-Richmond
, which were in the 1898 election succeeded by ridings named similarly, but without the "Westminster".
NB This provincial riding is not to be confused with the federal Westminster District
riding which appeared only in the 1917 election (it was succeeded by the Fraser Valley
riding.
). With the opening of the Canadian Pacific Railway
settlement of the lush Fraser Valley lands was rapid, and a new more rural riding - Westminster - was created spanning the entire lower Fraser from Richmond
to Chilliwack
. Increasing growth led to the riding's further subdivision for the 1894 election into four sub-ridings, Westminster-Chilliwhack
, Westminster-Delta
, Westminster-Dewdney
and Westminster-Richmond
. The successor ridings dropped the Westminster-prefix for the 1903 election.
The name Westminster in the riding's name derives not so much from these areas being dependent on the city of New Westminster, but because it and all its successor ridings are all in the New Westminster Land District
(beyond Chilliwack
is the Yale Land District).
|Government
|John Calvin Henderson
|align="right"|349
|align="right"|12.18%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Independent
|Arthur Herring
|align="right"|81
|align="right"|2.83%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Government
|John A. Kirkland
|align="right"|420
|align="right"|14.65%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Opposition
|Thomas Edwin Kitchen
|align="right"|503
|align="right"|17.55%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Independent
|James Punch
|align="right"|484
|align="right"|16.89%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Government
|John Robson
1
|align="right"|506
|align="right"|17.66%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Opposition
|Marshall Sinclair
|align="right"|62
|align="right"|2.16%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Independent
|Colin Buchanan Sword
|align="right"|461
|align="right"|16.08%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total valid votes
!align="right"|2,866
!align="right"|100.00%
!align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total rejected ballots
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|%
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|}
1 Incumbent Premier of BC
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. It appeared in the 1890 election only. In 1894 it was succeeded by Westminster-Chilliwhack
Westminster-Chilliwhack
Westminster-Chilliwhack was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1894 to 1898. It and its sister ridings Westminster-Delta, Westminster-Dewdney and Westminster-Richmond were successors to the old four-member Westminster riding, which appeared in 1890...
, Westminster-Delta
Westminster-Delta
Westminster-Delta was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1894 to 1898. It and its sister ridings Westminster-Chilliwhack, Westminster-Dewdney and Westminster-Richmond were successors to the four-member Westminster riding, which appeared in 1890 only...
, Westminster-Dewdney
Westminster-Dewdney
Westminster-Dewdney was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1894 to 1898. It and its sister ridings Westminster-Delta, Westminster-Chilliwhack and Westminster-Richmond were successors to the old four-member Westminster riding, which appeared in 1890...
, and Westminster-Richmond
Westminster-Richmond
Westminster-Richmond was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1894 to 1898. It and its sister ridings Westminster-Delta, Westminster-Dewdney and Westminster-Chilliwhack were successors to the old four-member Westminster riding, which appeared in 1890...
, which were in the 1898 election succeeded by ridings named similarly, but without the "Westminster".
NB This provincial riding is not to be confused with the federal Westminster District
Westminster District
Westminster District was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1921....
riding which appeared only in the 1917 election (it was succeeded by the Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley (electoral district)
Fraser Valley was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968 and from 1997 to 2004....
riding.
Demographics
| Population, 1961 | |
| Population change, 1871–1961 | |
| Area (km²) | |
| Population density (people per km²) |
Political Geography and History
In the early 1880s the Lower Fraser Valley south and east of the city of New Westminster was largely unpopulated, with voters there voting in one of the two New Westminster ridings (New Westminster or New Westminster CityNew Westminster City
New Westminster City was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1871 to 1912. For other electoral districts in New Westminster, please see New Westminster .- Demographics :- Electoral history :...
). With the opening of the Canadian Pacific Railway
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...
settlement of the lush Fraser Valley lands was rapid, and a new more rural riding - Westminster - was created spanning the entire lower Fraser from Richmond
Richmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
to Chilliwack
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
. Increasing growth led to the riding's further subdivision for the 1894 election into four sub-ridings, Westminster-Chilliwhack
Westminster-Chilliwhack
Westminster-Chilliwhack was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1894 to 1898. It and its sister ridings Westminster-Delta, Westminster-Dewdney and Westminster-Richmond were successors to the old four-member Westminster riding, which appeared in 1890...
, Westminster-Delta
Westminster-Delta
Westminster-Delta was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1894 to 1898. It and its sister ridings Westminster-Chilliwhack, Westminster-Dewdney and Westminster-Richmond were successors to the four-member Westminster riding, which appeared in 1890 only...
, Westminster-Dewdney
Westminster-Dewdney
Westminster-Dewdney was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1894 to 1898. It and its sister ridings Westminster-Delta, Westminster-Chilliwhack and Westminster-Richmond were successors to the old four-member Westminster riding, which appeared in 1890...
and Westminster-Richmond
Westminster-Richmond
Westminster-Richmond was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1894 to 1898. It and its sister ridings Westminster-Delta, Westminster-Dewdney and Westminster-Chilliwhack were successors to the old four-member Westminster riding, which appeared in 1890...
. The successor ridings dropped the Westminster-prefix for the 1903 election.
The name Westminster in the riding's name derives not so much from these areas being dependent on the city of New Westminster, but because it and all its successor ridings are all in the New Westminster Land District
New Westminster Land District
New Westminster Land District is one of 59 Land Districts of British Columbia, Canada, which are the underlying cadastral divisions of that province....
(beyond Chilliwack
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
is the Yale Land District).
Electoral history
Note: winners in each election in bold.|Government
|John Calvin Henderson
|align="right"|349
|align="right"|12.18%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Independent
|Arthur Herring
|align="right"|81
|align="right"|2.83%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Government
|John A. Kirkland
|align="right"|420
|align="right"|14.65%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Opposition
|Thomas Edwin Kitchen
Thomas Edwin Kitchen
Thomas Edwin Kitchen was an English-born farmer and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Westminster from 1890 to 1894 and Westminster-Chilliwhack from 1894 to 1897 in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.He was born near Lakeside, Lancashire, the son of Thomas Kitchen, and...
|align="right"|503
|align="right"|17.55%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Independent
|James Punch
|align="right"|484
|align="right"|16.89%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Government
|John Robson
John Robson
John Robson was a Canadian journalist and politician, who served as the ninth Premier of the Province of British Columbia.-Journalist and activist:...
1
|align="right"|506
|align="right"|17.66%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Opposition
|Marshall Sinclair
|align="right"|62
|align="right"|2.16%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|Independent
|Colin Buchanan Sword
|align="right"|461
|align="right"|16.08%
|align="right"|
|align="right"|unknown
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total valid votes
!align="right"|2,866
!align="right"|100.00%
!align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total rejected ballots
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|%
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|}
1 Incumbent Premier of BC