Vancouver Centre (provincial electoral district)

Vancouver Centre was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It was created before the general election of 1933. It and the other new Vancouver ridings that came into existence that year – Vancouver-Burrard, Vancouver-Point Grey and Vancouver East – were created from the old Vancouver City riding, which was a six-member seat. Vancouver Centre was a two-member seat throughout its existence.

A redistribution before the 1991 election dramatically changed Vancouver's long-standing electoral map by the abandonment of the century-old tradition of multiple member districts. Vancouver Centre was abolished. The riding was redistributed into Vancouver-Burrard and Vancouver-Mount Pleasant with a small part going to Vancouver-Kingsway.

For a full listing of Vancouver ridings (historical and current), see Vancouver (electoral districts).

Demographics

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Population, 2001 55,510
Population change, 1931–2001 8.2%
Area (km2) 23.77
Population density 2,335

Notable MLAs

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Notable candidates

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Electoral history 1933–1986

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18th British Columbia election, 1933
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Liberal Gordon McGregor Sloan 6,925 24.45
  Liberal Gordon Sylvester Wismer 6,723 23.74
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Wallis Walter LeFeaux 5,352 18.90
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. James Samuel Taylor 5,102 18.01
  Independent Conservative Daryl Herbert Kent 1,437 5.07
  Independent Conservative Albert DeBurgo McPhillips 1,304 4.60
  Independent CCF Gerald Vincent Pelton 407 1.44
United Front (Workers and Farmers) Fred Grange 325 1.15
United Front (Workers and Farmers) Charles James McKendrick 321 1.13
  Independent CCF Henry Edward Lyon 293 1.03
Socialist Sydney Earp 71 0.25
Socialist Rodney J. Young 63 0.22
Total valid votes 28,323 100.00
Total rejected ballots 138
19th British Columbia election, 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  Liberal Gordon Sylvester Wismer 6,444 18.63
  Liberal Fred Crone 6,377 18.44
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Matthew Glenday 5,771 16.68
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Frank Roberts 5,690 16.45
  Conservative Montague Gregory Caple 4,214 12.18
  Conservative Adam Smith Johnston 4,047 11.70
Social Credit League Paul McDowell Kerr 922 2.67
Social Constructive John Towers Burnett 476 1.38
Social Constructive Alfred Molineux Lester 415 1.20
Socialist James King 234 0.68
Total valid votes 34,590 100.00
Total rejected ballots 400


1941 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Co-operative Commonwealth Laura Emma Marshall Jamieson 7,434 17.85  Y
Co-operative Commonwealth Wallis Walter LeFeaux 7,371 17.70  Y
Liberal Gordon Sylvester Wismer 6,865 16.48
Liberal Edward Allan Jamieson 6,858 16.46
Conservative Montague Gregory Caple 6,325 15.18
Conservative Albert DeBurgo McPhillips 6,198 14.88
Socialist Labour Eric Thomas Reaville 393 0.94
Victory Without Debt Mary Louise Bollert 209 0.50
Total valid votes 41,653 100.00
Total rejected ballots 445
1945 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Coalition Allan James McDonell 10,976 26.01  Y
Coalition Gordon Sylvester Wismer 10,878 25.77  Y
Co-operative Commonwealth Laura Emma Marshall Jamieson 7,549 17.89
Co-operative Commonwealth Wallis Walter LeFeaux 7,451 17.65
Labor–Progressive Nigel Morgan 2,101 4.98
Labor–Progressive Maurice Rush 1,866 4.42
Social Credit Alliance Eric Charles Fitzgerald Martin 511 1.21
Social Credit Alliance Carl J. Julson 448 1.06
Independent Liberal William Raymond McKay 199 0.47
Socialist Labour Horace Warner 122 0.29
Socialist Raymond Harold MacLeod 105 0.25
Total valid votes 42,206 100.00
Total rejected ballots 154
Source: http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf
1949 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Coalition Gordon Sylvester Wismer 14,595 30.25  Y
Coalition Allan James McDonell 14,576 30.22  Y
Co-operative Commonwealth James Campbell Bury 9,430 19.55
Co-operative Commonwealth Wallis Walter LeFeaux 8,539 17.70
Social Credit League John Chmelyk 465 0.96
Social Credit League Ernest Ruble 349 0.72
Socialist Labour John Alexander Fedoruk 286 0.59
Total valid votes 48,240 100.00
Total rejected ballots 996

For the elimination-ballot elections of 1952 and 1953 the riding's voters were presented with two ballots, one for each seat, with two separate candidate-races:

23rd British Columbia election, 1952 - Vancouver Centre Ballot A 1
Party Candidate Votes
1st count
% Votes
final count
% ±%
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. James Campbell Bury 6,912 31.02 9,363 54.06 unknown
  Liberal Anna Ethel Sprott 5,234 23.49 7,956 45.94 unknown
BC Social Credit League George Churchill Moxham 4,694 21.07
  Progressive Conservative Allan James McDonell 4,120 18.49 unknown
Christian Democratic Ferdinand Theodor Peters 667 2.99
  Labour Representation Committee Orville Garfield Braaten 654 2.94 unknown
Total valid votes 22,281 100.00 17,319 %
Total rejected ballots 2,119
Turnout %
1 Preferential ballot; first and final of five (5) counts only shown.
23rd British Columbia election, 1952 - Vancouver Centre Ballot B 2
Party Candidate Votes
1st count
% Votes
final count
% ±%
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Laura Emma Marshall Jamieson 7,350 33.17 9,893 53.80
  Liberal Gordon Sylvester Wismer 5,394 24.34 8,496 46.20
Social Credit League Emil Peter Schafer 4,497 20.29
  Progressive Conservative Frederick Wellington Taylor 3,951 17.83
Christian Democratic James Byrne Reardon 691 3.12
Socialist William Harold Holtby 276 1.25
Total valid votes 22,159 100.00 18,389
Total rejected ballots 1,901
2 Preferential ballot; first and final of five (5) counts only shown.
24th British Columbia election, 1953 Vancouver Centre Ballot A 3
Party Candidate Votes
1st count
% Votes
final count
% ±%
Social Credit Alexander Small Matthew 7,066 36.37 9,016 53.75
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. James Campbell Bury 6,238 32.10 7,757 46.25 unknown
  Liberal Anna Ethel Sprott 4,079 20.99 unknown
  Progressive Conservative Glenholme Ferguson McMaster 971 5.00 unknown
Labor-Progressive Mary Chomyn 572 2.94
Christian Democratic Ferdinand Theodor Peters 505 2.60
Total valid votes 19,431 100.00 16,773 %
Total rejected ballots 1,638
Total Registered Voters
Turnout %
3 Preferential ballot; first and final of five (5) counts only shown.
24th British Columbia election, 1953 Vancouver Centre Ballot B 4
Party Candidate Votes
1st count
% Votes
final count
% ±%
Social Credit George Churchill Moxham 6,782 35.48 8,679 52.97
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Laura Emma Marshall Jamieson 6,283 32.87 7,707 47.03 unknown
  Liberal Michael Leo Sweeney 3,985 20.85 unknown
  Progressive Conservative Frederick Wellington Taylor 1,007 5.27 unknown
Labor-Progressive William Angus Stewart 580 3.03
Christian Democratic James Byrne Reardon 480 2.50
Total valid votes 19,117 100.00 16,386 %
Total rejected ballots 1,727
Total Registered Voters
Turnout %
4 Preferential ballot; first and final of five (5) counts only shown.
25th British Columbia election, 1956
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Leslie Raymond Peterson 9,112 25.10 unknown
Social Credit Alexander Small Matthew 8,614 23.73 unknown
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Charles Patrick (Paddy) Neale 4,561 12.56 unknown
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. William Giesbrecht 4,393 12.10 unknown
  Liberal James Allen Macdonald 3,996 11.01 unknown
  Liberal Ralph Goodman 3,727 10.27 unknown
  Progressive Conservative Reginald Atherton 969 2.67 unknown
Labor-Progressive Nigel Morgan 485 1.34 unknown
Labor-Progressive Jack Gillett 445 1.23 unknown
Total valid votes 36,302 100.00
Total rejected ballots 168
Turnout %
26th British Columbia election, 1960
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Leslie Raymond Peterson 8,516 20.91 unknown
Social Credit Alexander Small Matthew 8,227 20.20 unknown
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. Thomas Henry Berger 6,530 16.03 unknown
  Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. William James Dennison 6,378 15.66 unknown
  Liberal Charles Jordan-Knox 3,726 9.15 unknown
  Liberal Henry Greer Castillou 3,724 9.14 unknown
  Progressive Conservative Patrick Lockhart Reid 1,421 3.49 unknown
  Progressive Conservative Lawrence Smith Eckhardt 1,411 3.46 unknown
Labor-Progressive Maurice Rush 420 1.03 unknown
Communist Sonia Rutka 380 0.93 unknown
Total valid votes 40,733 100.00
Total rejected ballots 504
Turnout %
27th British Columbia election, 1963
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Leslie Raymond Peterson 8,060 20.26 unknown
Social Credit Alexander Small Matthew 7,594 19.09 unknown
New Democratic John M. Norris 5,806 14.60 unknown
New Democratic Fred Vulliamy 5,538 13.92 unknown
  Liberal Thomas Warnett Kennedy 3,477 8.74 unknown
  Liberal Alexander Forst 3,467 8.72 unknown
  Progressive Conservative Harold G. Haggart 2,741 6.89 unknown
  Progressive Conservative Arthur L. Johnson 2,588 6.51 unknown
Communist Ronald J. Forkin 266 0.67 unknown
Communist William E. Stewart 240 0.60 unknown
Total valid votes 39,777 100.00
Total rejected ballots 419
Turnout %
28th British Columbia election, 1966
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
Social Credit Harold Peter (Herb) Capozzi 8,157 21.15 unknown
Social Credit Evan Maurice Wolfe 7,938 20.58 unknown
New Democratic Paul A. Phillips 7,257 18.82 unknown
New Democratic F.C. Christopher Huddlestan 6,871 17.81 unknown
  Liberal William Griffiths Black 4,147 10.75 unknown
  Liberal Phillip James Lipp 3,803 9.86 unknown
Communist James William (Jim) Beynon 253 .66 unknown
  Independent Gerard A. Goeujon 144 0.37 unknown
Total valid votes 38,570 100.00
Total rejected ballots 432
Turnout %
1969 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Social Credit Harold Peter (Herb) Capozzi 10,751 21.78  Y
Social Credit Evan Maurice Wolfe 10,711 21.70  Y
New Democratic Emery Oakland Barnes 9,446 19.14
New Democratic William Herbert Deverell 9,441 19.13
Liberal Daniel Terence Devlin 4,551 9.22
Liberal Robert Gary Miller 4,454 9.02
Total valid votes 49,354 98.84
Total rejected ballots 528 1.06
Total votes 49,882
Registered voters 46,362
1972 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
New Democratic Emery Oakland Barnes 12,120 22.68  Y
New Democratic Gary Vernon Lauk 11,749 21.99  Y
Social Credit Harold Peter (Herb) Capozzi 10,037 18.78
Social Credit Evan Maurice Wolfe 9,908 18.54
Liberal Thomas Alexander Kennedy 4,869 9.11
Liberal Henry Greer Castillou 4,751 8.89
Total valid votes 53,434 99.00
Total rejected ballots 539 1.00
Total votes 53,973
Registered voters 47,982
1975 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
New Democratic Gary Vernon Lauk 12,846 24.73  Y
New Democratic Emery Oakland Barnes 12,252 23.59  Y
Social Credit Harold Peter (Herb) Capozzi 11,253 21.67
Social Credit Tin Chao Alan Lau 7,214 13.89
Independent (Social Credit)[a] Thomas Warnett Kennedy 2,545 4.90
Liberal Thomas Smith Hammond 1,949 3.75
Liberal Jack Say Yee 1,870 3.60
Progressive Conservative Malcolm Caldwell Wright 1,513 2.91
Independent David John Bader 191 0.37
Communist Michael Christopher Gidora 164 0.32
Communist Nicholas Podovinnikoff 140 0.27
Total valid votes 51,937 98.73
Total rejected ballots 669 1.27
Total votes 52,606
Registered voters 49,500
  1. ^ Campaigned as Ind.SC but listed as Independent in Statement of Votes since the Election Act prohibits the use of a recognized party name by Independent candidates.
1979 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
New Democratic Gary Vernon Lauk 17,464 28.07  Y
New Democratic Emery Oakland Barnes 17,361 27.91  Y
Social Credit Thomas Warnett Kennedy 12,233 19.66
Social Credit Richmond Desmond Fitzgerald Kimmitt 11,649 18.73
Progressive Conservative Douglas David Henderson 1,511 2.43
Progressive Conservative Keith Donald Eady 1,475 2.37
Communist Maurice Rush 277 0.45
Communist Miguel Figueroa 237 0.38
Total valid votes 62,207 97.94
Total rejected ballots 1,310 2.06
Total votes 63,517
Registered voters 62,920


1983 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
New Democratic Emery Oakland Barnes 18,960 28.70  Y
New Democratic Gary Vernon Lauk 18,743 28.37  Y
Social Credit Avril Kim Campbell 12,740 19.28
Social Credit Philip W. Owen 12,415 18.79
Liberal Shirley McLoughlin 2,084 3.15
Progressive Conservative Kevin Baden Bruce 880 1.33
Communist Maurice Rush 244 0.37
Total valid votes 66,066 99.87
Total rejected ballots 84 0.13
Total votes 66,150
Registered voters 53,512
1986 British Columbia general election
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
New Democratic Michael Franklin Harcourt 22,301 31.71  Y
New Democratic Emery Oakland Barnes 20,885 29.69  Y
Social Credit Robert Gardner 10,965 15.59
Social Credit John Archibald Murchie 10,679 15.18
Liberal Steven R. Bourne 2,564 3.65
Liberal Vito Palmieri 2,036 2.89
Green Gavin L. Ross 446 0.63
Green Murray Gudmundson 317 0.45
People's Front Brian Keith Sproule 144 0.20
Total valid votes 70,337 97.85
Total rejected ballots 1,548 2.15
Total votes 71,885
Registered voters 53,858
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