# Renfrew North (federal electoral district)

Renfrew North (also known as Renfrew North—Nipissing East) was a federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1979. It was located in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867. The riding existed until 1972, when the name was changed to "Renfrew North—Nipissing East".
The North Riding of Renfrew initially consisted of the Townships of Ross, Bromley, Westmeath, Stafford, Pembroke, Wilberforce, Alice, Petawawa, Buchanan, South Algona, North Algona, Fraser, McKay, Wylie, Rolph, Head, Maria, Clara, Haggerty, Sherwood, Burns, Richards, and any other surveyed Townships lying northwesterly of the said North Riding.
In 1892, "North Renfrew" was redefined to consist of the town of Pembroke, that part of the village of Eganville north of the River Bonnechère, and the townships of Ross, Bromley, Westmeath, Stafford, Pembroke, Wilberforce, Alice, Petawawa, Buchanan, South Algona, North Algona, Fraser, McKay, Wylie and Rolph.
In 1903, it was redefined to consist of the townships of Algona North, Algona South, Alice, Bromley, Buchanan, Fraser, McKay, Pembroke, Petawawa, Rolph, Ross, Stafford, Westmeath, Wilberforce and Wylie, the town of Pembroke, the village of Cobden, and the part of the village of Eganville lying within the township of Wilberforce.
In 1924, "Renfrew North" was defined to consist of that part of the county of Renfrew lying north and east and including the townships of Ross, Bromley, Wilberforce, Algona (North and South), and Fraser, and including the part of the territorial district of Nipissing lying east of and including the townships of Cameron, Deacon, Anglin, Dickson, Preston, and Airy.
It was redefined several times following that, but generally included most of Renfrew County and the eastern part of Nipissing.
The electoral district was abolished in 1976 when it was redistributed between Nipissing, Parry Sound-Muskoka and Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke ridings.

## Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following members of Parliament:
| Parliament | Years | Member | Party |
| North riding of Renfrew |||||
| 1st | 1867–1869 | John Rankin | Conservative |
| 1st | 1869–1872 | Francis Hincks | Liberal–Conservative |
| 2nd | 1872–1874 | James Findlay | Liberal |
| 3rd | 1874–1874 | Peter White | Conservative |
| 3rd | 1874–1875 | William Murray | Liberal |
| 3rd | 1876–1878 | Peter White | Conservative |
| 4th | 1878–1882 | Peter White | Conservative |
| 5th | 1882–1887 | Peter White | Conservative |
| 6th | 1887–1891 | Peter White | Conservative |
| 7th | 1891–1896 | Peter White | Conservative |
| 8th | 1896–1900 | Thomas Mackie | Liberal |
| 9th | 1900–1904 | Thomas Mackie | Liberal |
| 10th | 1904–1906† | Peter White | Conservative |
| 10th | 1906–1908 | Gerald Verner White | Conservative |
| 11th | 1908–1911 | Gerald Verner White | Conservative |
| 12th | 1911–1917 | Gerald Verner White | Conservative |
| 13th | 1917–1921 | Herbert John Mackie | Government (Unionist) |
| 14th | 1921–1925 | Matthew McKay | Liberal |
| Renfrew North |||||
| 15th | 1925–1926 | Ira Delbert Cotnam | Conservative |
| 16th | 1926–1930 | Ira Delbert Cotnam | Conservative |
| 17th | 1930–1935 | Ira Delbert Cotnam | Conservative |
| 18th | 1935–1937† | Matthew McKay | Liberal |
| 18th | 1937–1940 | Ralph Warren | Liberal |
| 19th | 1940–1945 | Ralph Warren | Liberal |
| 20th | 1945–1949 | Ralph Warren | Liberal |
| 21st | 1949–1953 | Ralph Warren | Liberal |
| 22nd | 1953–1957 | James Forgie | Liberal |
| 23rd | 1957–1958 | James Forgie | Liberal |
| 24th | 1958–1962 | James Forgie | Liberal |
| 25th | 1962–1963 | James Forgie | Liberal |
| 26th | 1963–1965 | James Forgie | Liberal |
| 27th | 1965–1968 | Len Hopkins | Liberal |
| 28th | 1968–1972 | Len Hopkins | Liberal |
| Renfrew North—Nipissing East |||||
| 29th | 1972–1974 | Len Hopkins | Liberal |
| 30th | 1974–1979 | Len Hopkins | Liberal |
| Riding dissolved into Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, Nipissing and Parry Sound-Muskoka |||||

## Election results

1867 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | John Rankin | 613 |
| | Unknown | Thomas Murray | 527 |

### Result by municipality

| Municipality | Murray | Rankin | Total vote | Eligible voters |
| Alice Township | 25 | 42 | 67 | 76 |
| Bromley Township | 71 | 24 | 95 | 110 |
| Head Township | 18 | 0 | 18 | – |
| Pembroke Township | 31 | 33 | 64 | 87 |
| Ross Township | 49 | 110 | 159 | 188 |
| Petawawa Township | 9 | 8 | 17 | 20 |
| Stafford Township | 26 | 38 | 64 | 72 |
| Westmeath Township | 82 | 154 | 236 | 300 |
| Wilberforce Township | 85 | 147 | 232 | 290 |
| Algona Township (North and South) | 67 | 0 | 67 | 94 |
| Rolph, Buchanan, Wylie and McKay Townships | 5 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Pembroke (village) | 59 | 55 | 114 | 154 |
| Total | 527 | 613 | 1,140 | 1,399 |
By-election: On Mr. Rankin's resignation, 13 November 1869: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal-Conservative | Francis Hincks | 560 |
| | Liberal | James Findlay | 440 |
1872 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | James Findlay | 777 |
| | Conservative | Peter White | 675 |
1874 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | Peter White | 600 |
| Liberal | Thomas Murray | 498 |
| Unknown | W. Moffatt | 328 |
By-election: On Mr. White being unseated on petition, 4 November 1874: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | William Murray | 889 |
| | Conservative | Peter White | 841 |
By-election: On Mr. Murray being unseated on petition, 21 January 1876: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Peter White | 1,192 |
| | Liberal | William Murray | 982 |
1878 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Peter White | 1,273 |
| | Unknown | James Findlay | 920 |
1882 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Peter White | 1,111 |
| | Unknown | Thomas Murray | 968 |
1887 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Peter White | 1,534 |
| | Liberal | James Findlay | 1,286 |
1891 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Peter White | 1,497 |
| | Liberal | Henry Barr | 1,418 |
1896 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | Thomas Mackie | 1,900 |
| | Conservative | Peter White | 1,837 |
1900 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | Thomas Mackie | 2,299 |
| | Conservative | Peter White | 2,167 |
1904 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Peter White | 2,495 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Mackie | 2,275 |
By-election: On Mr. White's death, 9 October 1906: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Gerald Verner White | 2,167 |
| | Unknown | Thomas Murray | 1,166 |
1908 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Gerald Verner White | 2,493 |
| | Liberal | Henry Barr | 1,894 |
1911 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Gerald Verner White | 2,573 |
| | Liberal | James Francis Munro | 1,865 |
1917 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Government (Unionist) | Herbert John Mackie | 3,397 |
| | Opposition (Laurier Liberals) | Norman Reid | 2,873 |
1921 Canadian federal election: North riding of Renfrew :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Matthew McKay | 3,828 |
| Progressive | Arthur Collins | 3,371 |
| Conservative | Ira Delbert Cotnam | 3,015 |
1925 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Ira Delbert Cotnam | 5,303 |
| | Liberal | Matthew McKay | 4,529 |
1926 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | Ira Delbert Cotnam | 4,947 |
| Liberal | Matthew McKay | 4,288 |
| Progressive | William Robert Kirk | 2,220 |
1930 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Ira Delbert Cotnam | 6,125 |
| | Liberal | Matthew McKay | 4,897 |
1935 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Matthew McKay | 6,052 |
| Conservative | Ira Delbert Cotnam | 4,134 |
| Reconstruction | Walter Vernon Kidd | 1,949 |
By-election: On Mr. McKay's death, 5 April 1937: Renfrew North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | Ralph Warren | 5,863 |
| | Conservative | Edgar Troy Wood | 5,459 |
1940 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Ralph Warren | 6,199 |
| National Government | Edgar Troy Wood | 4,536 |
| Co-operative Commonwealth | Delmar Vondette | 709 |
1945 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Ralph Warren | 6,828 |
| Progressive Conservative | William Francis Johnston | 5,882 |
| Co-operative Commonwealth | John Charles Wright | 1,555 |
1949 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Ralph Warren | 8,358 |
| Progressive Conservative | Ira Delbert Cotnam | 6,598 |
| Co-operative Commonwealth | John Charles Wright | 1,530 |
1953 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | James Forgie | 9,360 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Ira Delbert Cotnam | 7,268 |
1957 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | James Forgie | 10,227 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Wallace James Fraser | 9,132 |
1958 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | James Forgie | 10,425 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Stanley J. Hunt | 10,226 |
1962 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | James Forgie | 11,313 |
| Progressive Conservative | Thomas P. Dodd | 9,348 |
| Social Credit | John J. Shannon | 1,344 |
| New Democratic | Wilfred L. Charbonneau | 902 |
1963 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | James Forgie | 11,580 |
| Progressive Conservative | E. Mac Fraser | 9,089 |
| Social Credit | Enos Brubacher | 1,712 |
| New Democratic | Wilfred L. Charbonneau | 947 |
1965 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Len Hopkins | 10,882 |
| Progressive Conservative | Donald B. Cruikshank | 5,846 |
| Independent | Angus A. Campbell | 2,812 |
| New Democratic | Lorne E. Catherwood | 2,021 |
1968 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Len Hopkins | 13,195 |
| Progressive Conservative | Del O'Brien | 7,976 |
| New Democratic | Kenneth C. Widenmaier | 1,813 |
1972 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North-Nipissing East :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Len Hopkins | 13,553 |
| Progressive Conservative | George A. Kinney | 8,440 |
| New Democratic | Maurice R. Payne | 3,177 |
1974 Canadian federal election: Renfrew North-Nipissing East :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Len Hopkins | 14,613 |
| Progressive Conservative | Del O'Brien | 7,561 |
| New Democratic | Robert Bob Cox | 4,419 |