Comox (electoral district)

Comox was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was one of the first twelve ridings representing that province upon its joining Confederation, and was a one-member constituency. The core of this once-vast riding, which at its inception stretched to the Yukon border, is now named Comox Valley.

Demographics

Population, 1986
Population change, 1903–1986
Area (km²)
Population density (people per km²)

Political geography

Nominally this riding included most of the Central Coast as well as all of northern Vancouver Island, but in practicality there were very few eligible voters as the vast majority of the area's population was from one of the many First Nations in the district.

Notable elections

First Nations

MLAs

Comox
Assembly Years Member Party
1st 1871–1875     John Ash Independent
2nd 1875–1878     Government
3rd 1878–1882
4th 1882–1886 William Munro Dingwall
5th 1886–1890     Anthony Maitland Stenhouse Opposition
6th 1890–1894     Joseph Hunter Government
7th 1894–1898
8th 1898–1900 James Dunsmuir
9th 1900–1903     Lewis Alfred Mounce Opposition
11th 1903–1907     Robert Grant Conservative
12th 1907–1909
12th 1909–1912 Michael Manson
13th 1912–1916
14th 1916–1920     Hugh Stewart Liberal
15th 1920–1924     Thomas Menzies Farmer–Labour
16th 1924–1928     Paul Phillips Harrison Independent Liberal
17th 1928–1933     George Kerr McNaughton Conservative
18th 1933–1937     Laurence Arnold Hanna Liberal
19th 1937–1941     Colin Cameron Co-operative Commonwealth
20th 1941–1945
21st 1945–1949     Herbert John Welch Coalition
22nd 1949–1952
23rd 1952–1952     William Campbell Moore Co-operative Commonwealth
24th 1953–1956
25th 1956–1960     Daniel Robert John Campbell Social Credit
26th 1960–1963
27th 1963–1966
28th 1966–1969
29th 1969–1972
30th 1972–1975     Karen Sanford New Democratic
31st 1975–1979
32nd 1979–1983
33rd 1983–1986
34th 1986–1991     Stan Hagen Social Credit
Riding dissolved into Comox Valley, North Island and Parksville-Qualicum

Electoral history

Note: Winners in each election are in bold.

1st British Columbia election, 1871
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Independent John Ash 16 66.67% unknown
  Independent Robert Cameron Coleman 8 33.33% unknown
Total valid votes 24 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
British Columbia Byelection: Comox January 11, 18731
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Independent John Ash Acclaimed -.- % unknown
Total valid votes n/a -.- %
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
1 The byelection was called due to J. Ash's resignation upon appointment to the Executive Council (cabinet) on December 23, 1872. This byelection was one of a series held to confirm appointments to the Executive Council, which was the old parliamentary convention. As this byelection writ was filled by acclamation, no polling day was required and the seat was filled within two weeks. The stated date is the date the return of writs was received by the Chief Electoral Officer.
2nd 1875 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Government John Ash 36 78.26% – unknown
Government Robb James 10 21.74% – unknown
Total valid votes 46 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
3rd 1878 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Opposition John Ash 31 59.62% – unknown
Government Reginald Terry Carwithen 21 40.38% – unknown
Total valid votes 52 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
4th 1882 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Opposition Andrew Byron Crawford 14 16.87%
Government William Munro Dingwall 67 80.72%
Unknown Thomas Robson2 2 2.41%
Total valid votes 83
2 Withdrew before polling day.
5th 1886 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Government William Munro Dingwall 40 31.25% – unknown
Government Stafford McKelvey 10 7.81% – unknown
Opposition Robb James 33 25.78% – unknown
Opposition Anthony Maitland Stenhouse 45 35.16% – unknown
Total valid votes 128 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
6th 1890 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Government Joseph Hunter 115 61.17% – unknown
Opposition Joseph McPhee 73 38.83% – unknown
Total valid votes 188 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
7th 1894 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Government Joseph Hunter 239 64.95% – unknown
Opposition Percy Fremlin Scharschmidt 129 35.05% – unknown
Total valid votes 368 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
8th 1898 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Government James Dunsmuir3 297 64.71% – unknown
Opposition William James McAllan 162 35.29% – unknown
Total valid votes 459 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
3 Later 14th Premier of British Columbia 1900-1902
9th 1900 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Government Joseph McPhee4 279 45.22% – unknown
Opposition Lewis Alfred Mounce 338 54.78% – unknown
Total valid votes 617 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
4 3. McPhee was nominated as a Liberal candidate in opposition to Mounce who campaigned as a Conservative Party supporter. According to the Nanaimo Herald both were anti-Martin but the Vancouver Province and Victoria Times listed both as Government.
10th 1903 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Conservative Robert Grant 361 53.24% unknown
  Liberal Frederick McBain Young 317 46.76% unknown
Total valid votes 678 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
11th British Columbia election, 1907
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Liberal John Bertram Bennett 292 43.98% unknown
Conservative Robert Grant 372 56.02% unknown
Total valid votes 664 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
12th British Columbia election, 1909
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Socialist James Cartwright 206 20.96%
Independent Conservative William Duncan 154 15.67%
  Liberal James McKelvey Forrest 172 17.50% unknown
Conservative Michael Manson 451 45.88% unknown
Total valid votes 983 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
13th British Columbia election, 1912
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Socialist Wallis Walter Lefeaux 355 33.84% – unknown
Conservative Michael Manson 694 66.16% unknown
Total valid votes 1,049 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
14th British Columbia election, 1916
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Conservative Michael Manson 882 41.47% unknown
Socialist William Arthur Pritchard 246 11.57% – unknown
  Liberal Hugh Stewart 916 43.07% unknown
Social Democratic George Edgar Winkler 83 3.90%
Total valid votes 812 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
15th British Columbia election, 1920
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Conservative William Edward Anderson 1,233 29.90% unknown
Independent Liberal William Wallace Burns McInnes 731 17.73%
  Peoples Party (Farmer-Labour) Thomas Menzies 1,354 32.83% unknown
  Liberal Patrick Daly 806 19.54% unknown
Total valid votes 4,124 100.00%
Total rejected ballots
Turnout %
16th British Columbia election, 1924
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Conservative William Duncan 815 28.41% unknown
Provincial George Every-Clayton 793 27.64% – unknown
Independent Liberal Paul Phillips Harrison 1,261 43.95%
Total valid votes 2,869 100.00%
1928 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative George Kerr McNaughton 2,058 53.85
Liberal John William McKenzie 1,497 39.17
Independent Labour William Law 267 6.99
Total valid votes 3,822 100.00
Total rejected ballots 70
18th British Columbia election, 1933
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Harold Tuttle Allen 1,590 36.03% unknown
Independent Co-operative Commonwealth George Robert Bates 276 6.25% unknown
  Liberal Laurence Arnold Hanna 2,204 49.94% unknown
United Front (Workers and Farmers) Hugh Gray Russell 259 5.87%
  Independent Ernest Richard Tarling 84 1.90% unknown
Total valid votes 4,413 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 34
Turnout %
19th British Columbia election, 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Colin Cameron 2,336 44.83% unknown
  Liberal Laurence Arnold Hanna 1,876 36.00% unknown
Conservative Gordon Noel Money 999 19.17% unknown
Total valid votes 5,211 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 80
Turnout %
20th British Columbia election, 1941
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Colin Cameron 3,126 45.31% unknown
  Liberal William Edward Mantle 2,158 31.28% unknown
Conservative Edward Roger Gibson Richardson 1,615 23.41% unknown
Total valid votes 6,899 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 166
Turnout %
21st British Columbia election, 1945
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Colin Cameron 3,362 44.69% unknown
Labor-Progressive Thomas McEwen 729 9.69% unknown
Coalition Herbert John Welch 3,432 45.62% – unknown
Total valid votes 7,523 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 161
Turnout %
22nd British Columbia election, 1949
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Colin Cameron 5,238 40.81% unknown
Coalition Herbert John Welch 7,596 59.19% – unknown
Total valid votes 12,834 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 435
Turnout %
23rd British Columbia election, 1952 5
Party Candidate Votes
1st count 		% Votes
final count 		% ±%
  Progressive Conservative W. Bruce Gordon 1,868 13.58% -- --.--% unknown
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. William Campbell Moore 5,369 39.03% 7,098 57.67% unknown
Social Credit League Cyril Hugh Poole 2,987 21.71%
  Liberal Herbert John Welch 3,532 25.68% 5,210 42.33% unknown
Total valid votes 13,756 100.00% 12,308 %
Total rejected ballots 446
Turnout 77.94%
5(Preferential ballot: 1st and 3rd counts of three shown only)
24th British Columbia election, 1953 6
Party Candidate Votes
1st count 		% Votes
final count 		% ±%
  Liberal John Wesley Baikie 2,944 21.71% - -.-% unknown
Labor-Progressive John Higgin 357 2.63% - -.-%
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. William Campbell Moore 5,462 40.28% 6,717 53.83% unknown
Social Credit League Cyril Hugh Poole 4,420 32.59% 5,762 46.17%
  Progressive Conservative Nugent Watson Spinks 378 2.79% -- --.--% unknown
Total valid votes 13,561 100.00% 12,479 %
Total rejected ballots 717
Turnout 77.94%
6Preferential ballot: 1st and 4th counts of four shown only)
25th British Columbia election, 1956
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Daniel Robert John Campbell 4,916 41.63% – unknown
  Liberal Robert George McPhee 2,339 19.81% unknown
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Cyril Newman 4,555 38.57% unknown
Total valid votes 11,810 100.00%
Total valid votes 11,810 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 183
Turnout %
26th British Columbia election, 1960
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Liberal William Wallace Baikie 2,759 17.47% unknown
Social Credit Daniel Robert John Campbell 6,100 38.63% – unknown
  Progressive Conservative Alan Gray 653 4.14% unknown
Communist John Higgin 207 1.31% unknown
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Frederick Charles Wood 6,072 38.45% unknown
Total valid votes 15,791 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 248
Turnout %
27th British Columbia election, 1963
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Daniel Robert John Campbell 6,598 42.38% – unknown
  Liberal David Alexander Elrix 1,259 8.09% unknown
  Progressive Conservative Duncan McIntyre Fraser 1,475 9.47% unknown
New Democratic Frederick Sidney Williams 6,238 40.06% unknown
Total valid votes 15,570 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 150
Turnout %
28th British Columbia election, 1966
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Daniel Robert John Campbell 5,449 49.39% – unknown
  Liberal Joseph J. Cvetkovich 1,276 11.57% unknown
New Democratic Neville Shanks 4,308 39.05% unknown
Total valid votes 11,033 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 104
Turnout %
29th British Columbia election, 1969
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Daniel Robert John Campbell 7,910 45.61% – unknown
  Liberal Olga Ruth Henrietta Chown 2,303 13.28% unknown
New Democratic Harry Harris 7,131 41.12% unknown
Total valid votes 17,344 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 194
Turnout %
30th British Columbia election, 1972
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Daniel Robert John Campbell 6,376 29.00% – unknown
  Progressive Conservative Lawrence Foort 1,166 5.30% unknown
New Democratic Karen Sanford 12,540 57.40% unknown
  Liberal Patrick Melvin Thompson 1,903 8.66% unknown
Total valid votes 21,985 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 135
Turnout %
31st British Columbia election, 1975
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Daniel Edgard Hanuse 10,171 38.90% – unknown
  Liberal Norman L. McLaren 1,381 5.28% unknown
New Democratic Karen Sanford 10,650 40.73% unknown
  Progressive Conservative Victor Albert Stephens 3,906 15.09% unknown
Total valid votes 26,148 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 454
Turnout %
32nd British Columbia election, 1979
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Delbert Keith Doll 9,390 42.57% – unknown
  Progressive Conservative Eric Harry Kellow 2,251 10.20% unknown
New Democratic Karen Sanford 10,420 47.23% unknown
Total valid votes 22,061 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 315
Turnout %
33rd British Columbia election, 1983
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Liberal Thomas John Finnie 502 1.71% unknown
Western Canada Concept Allan Wayne Griffiths 1,104 3.75% unknown
New Democratic Karen Sanford 13,719 46.58% unknown
Social Credit George Herbert Parke Smith 13,422 45.57% – unknown
  Independent Victor Albert Stephens 705 2.39% unknown
Total valid votes 29,452 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 258
Turnout %
44th British Columbia election, 1986
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Stan Hagen 15,833 51.15
New Democratic Karen Sanford 13,562 43.82% unknown
  Liberal John G. (Jack) Setter 985 3.18% unknown
  Progressive Conservative Terry Ian 573 1.85% unknown
Total valid votes 30,953 100.00%
Total rejected ballots 276
Turnout %

Sources

Elections BC historical returns