Alberni (electoral district)

Alberni was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originally appeared in the 1890 election and then, after being merged into Cowichan-Alberni for the 1894 election, was renamed Alberni riding in the election of 1898. The riding lasted by that name until 1933 and 1937, when the name Alberni-Nanaimo was used. In 1941 the Alberni riding name was restored. After a redistribution, the area became part of the riding of Alberni-Qualicum.

Electoral history

Note: Winners in each election are in bold.

6th 1890 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Government Thomas Fletcher 29 70.73% – unknown
Government John C. Mollett 12 29.27% – unknown
Total valid votes 41 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %

In the seventh general election of 1894, the Alberni riding was merged with the Cowichan riding to form Cowichan-Alberni. The separate riding names were restored for the 1898 election.

8th 1898 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Government George Albert Huff 70 39.33% – unknown
Opposition Alan Webster Neill 108 60.67% – unknown
Total valid votes 178 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
9th 1900 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Progressive Alan Webster Neill 108 54.55%
Government James Redford 57 28.79%
Conservative-Opposition James Bain Thomson 33 16.67%
Total valid votes 198 100.00%
10th 1903 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Conservative Robert Hume F. Hickey 102 24.17% unknown
Liberal William Wallace Burns McInnes 320 75.83% unknown
Total valid votes 422 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
11th British Columbia election, 1907
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Liberal Harlan Carey Brewster 236 48.86% unknown
Socialist James Cartwright 43 8.90% – unknown
Conservative William Manson 204 42.24% unknown
Total valid votes 483 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
12th British Columbia election, 1909
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Liberal Harlan Carey Brewster 293 53.37% unknown
Conservative Arthur David Morgan 256 46.63% unknown
Total valid votes 549 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
13th British Columbia election, 1912
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Conservative John George Corry Wood Accl. - % unknown
Total valid votes n/a - %
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
14th British Columbia election, 1916
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Liberal Harlan Carey Brewster 393 39.26% unknown
  Independent Alan Webster Neill 253 25.27% unknown
Conservative John George Corry Wood 355 35.46% unknown
Total valid votes 1,001 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %


1920 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Richard John Burde 841 43.94
Soldier–Farmer Noel Ernest Money 675 35.27
Liberal Henri Evariste Langis 398 20.79
Total valid votes 1,914 100.00
16th British Columbia election, 1924
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Independent Liberal Richard John Burde 828 42.48%
Conservative James Cameron Johnstone 339 17.39% unknown
Provincial Charles Arthur McNaughton 782 40.13%
Total valid votes 1,949 100.00%


1928 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Laurence Arnold Hanna 1,208 48.71
Conservative Percy Rushton 1,022 41.21
Independent Labour Thomas Albert Bernard 250 10.08
Total valid votes 2,480 100.00
Total rejected ballots 34

Alberni riding disappeared with redistribution following the 1928 election. Its successor in the 1933 and 1937 elections was Alberni-Nanaimo. For the 1941 election the Alberni riding was restored:


1941 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal James Mowat 2,067 49.17
Co-operative Commonwealth Thomas Albert Bernard 1,903 45.27
Independent Labour Alex Harvey Rowan 234 5.57
Total valid votes 4,204 100.00
Total rejected ballots 56
21st British Columbia election, 1945
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Thomas Speakman Barnett 1,258 31.83% unknown
Labor-Progressive Alfred Dewhurst 559 14.14% unknown
Coalition James Mowat 2,135 54.02% – unknown
Total valid votes 3,952 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 74
Turnout %
22nd British Columbia election, 1949
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Coalition Thomas Wellington Christie 1,638 21.33% – unknown
Labor-Progressive Nigel Morgan 622 8.10% unknown
  Independent James Mowat 3,290 42.84 % unknown
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Jack Whittall 2,129 27.72% unknown
Total valid votes 7,679 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 200
Turnout %
23rd British Columbia election, 1952
Party Candidate Votes
1st count 		% Votes
final count 		% ±%
Conservative Pitt Clayton 1,204 15.03% - - % unknown
Labor-Progressive Alfred Dewhurst 196 2.45% - -.- %
Liberal James Mowat 2,176 27.17 % 3,030 42.77% unknown
Social Credit League Jack Shulz 1,366 17.06%
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Stanley John Squire 3,067 38.29% 4,054 57.23% unknown
Total valid votes 8,009 100.00% 7,084
Total rejected ballots 246
Turnout %
1 Preferential ballot. First and final of four counts shown only.
24thd British Columbia election, 1953
Party Candidate Votes
1st count 		% Votes
final count 		% ±%
Labor-Progressive Frank Wendell Bottner 139 1.92% - -.- %
Liberal Loran Kendall Jordon 2,022 27.95% 2,811 43.07% unknown
Social Credit Thorwald Melanchton Peterson 1,637 22.63%
Conservative Oliver James Ruttan 320 4.42% - - %
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Stanley John Squire 3,116 43.07% 3,715 56.93% unknown
Total valid votes 7,234 100.00% 6,526
Total rejected ballots 336
Turnout %
1 Preferential ballot. First and final of four counts shown only.
25th British Columbia election, 1956
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit William James Carr 1,894 28.51% – unknown
Liberal Norman Leslie McKinnon 1,388 20.89% unknown
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Stanley John Squire 3,362 50.60% unknown
Total valid votes 6,644 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 80
Turnout %
26th British Columbia election, 1960
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Eric Frederick Duncan 2,966 32.65% – unknown
Conservative Ronald George Lyon 514 5.66% unknown
Liberal John Alexander McKenzie 1,305 14.36% unknown
Communist Mark Fullmore Mosher 207 2.28% unknown
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Stanley John Squire 4,093 45.05% unknown
Total valid votes 9,085 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 315
Turnout %


27th British Columbia election, 1963
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Eric Frederick Duncan 3,506 39.72% – unknown
Liberal Edward John (Jack) Luckhurst 1,071 12.13% unknown
New Democratic Stanley John Squire 4,249 48.14% unknown
Total valid votes 8,826 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 68
Turnout %
28th British Columbia election, 1966
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Howard Richmond McDiarmid 6,039 55.55% – unknown
Liberal George McLean 511 4.70% unknown
New Democratic Stanley John Squire 4,321 39.75% unknown
Total valid votes 10,871 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 95
Turnout %
29th British Columbia election, 1969
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Howard Richmond McDiarmid 7,209 47.08% – unknown
Liberal Eugene Edward Romaniuk 1,424 9.30% unknown
New Democratic Stanley John Squire 6,680 43.62% unknown
Total valid votes 15,313 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 131
Turnout %
30th British Columbia election, 1972
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Liberal Wayne Albert Ramsey Cathers 2,272 12.92% unknown
Social Credit Thomas Johnstone 4,985 28.36% – unknown
New Democratic Robert Evans Skelly 9,439 53.69% unknown
Conservative Edna Delthene Souther 883 5.02% unknown
Total valid votes 17,579 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 251
Turnout %
31st British Columbia election, 1975
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Charles Ormond Haggard 7,988 40.01% – unknown
Communist Charles Ormond Haggard 84 0.42% unknown
Liberal Cecile Marie T. McKinnon 1,018 5.10% unknown
Conservative Allan Arthur Schroeder 1,278 6.40% unknown
New Democratic Robert Evans Skelly 9,599 48.07% unknown
Total valid votes 19,967 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 226
Turnout %
32nd British Columbia election, 1979
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
New Democratic Robert Evans Skelly 7,935 57.63% unknown
Communist Gary William Swann 97 0.71% unknown
Social Credit Joseph Van Bergen 5,736 41.66% – unknown
Total valid votes 13,768 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 201
Turnout %
33rd British Columbia election, 1983
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Alice Chiko 5,496 37.34% – unknown
Western Canada Concept Michael Thomas Gaughan 291 1.98% unknown
Liberal Susan Patricia Hutchinson 183 1.24% unknown
New Democratic Robert Evans Skelly 8,656 58.81% unknown
Communist Gary William Swann 92 0.63% unknown
Total valid votes 14,718 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 244
Turnout %
1986 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Green Ronald Daniel Craigie Aspinall 87 0.56%
Liberal William F. Mosdell 377 2.43%
New Democratic Robert Evans Skelly 8,597 55.29%
Social Credit Gillian Trumper 6,487 41.72%
Total valid votes 15,548 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 304


British Columbia provincial by-election, November 19, 1988
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Gerard A. Janssen 6,401 57.47 +2.18
Social Credit George S. Dryden 3,096 27.80 −13.92
Liberal Shirley M. Bonfield 1,640 14.73 +12.3
Total valid votes/expense limit 11,137 100.0   –  
Total rejected ballots 136 0.38  
Turnout 11,273    
New Democratic hold Swing +8.05
By-election due to the Resignation of Robert Skelly to run for the Canadian House of Commons.
Source(s)
"November 19, 1988 By-election" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. November 19, 1988. Retrieved January 19, 2017.


1991 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Gerard A. Janssen 7,136 53.39 -4.08
Social Credit Gillian Trumper 3,665 27.43 -0.37
Liberal Peter J. Tanner 2,358 17.64 +2.91
Western Canada Concept Alan W. Banford 206 1.54 –
Total valid votes 13,365 100.00
Total rejected ballots 372 0.27
Turnout 13,737
New Democratic hold Swing -2.23
1996 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Gerard A. Janssen 7,398 52.01 -1.38
Liberal Gillian Trumper 5,099 35.85 +18.21
Reform V. Hansen 823 5.79 –
Progressive Democrat Ingrid Helen Rebar 578 4.06 –
Green Andre Sperling 195 1.37 –
Co-operative Commonwealth Karl Angus 72 0.51 –
Natural Law Kathleen Lapreyrouse 58 0.41 –
Total valid votes 14,223 100.00
Total rejected ballots 86 0.98
Turnout 14,309
New Democratic hold Swing +9.80

The riding was redistributed after the 1996 election. The main successor riding is Alberni-Qualicum.

Sources

Elections BC historical returns

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Preceded by Constituency represented by the Premier of British Columbia
1916–1918 		Succeeded by