# Kootenay (provincial electoral district)

Kootenay was a provincial electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, from 1871 to 1890. It was originally a two-member riding until the 1875 election; from 1878, it was a one-member seat until its partition for the 1890 election into East Kootenay and West Kootenay. For the 1966 election, the riding-name was re-established, but the area described was only the East Kootenay and included none of the West Kootenay.

## Demographics

| Population | |
| Population Change, | % |
| Area (km$^2$) | |
| Pop. Density (people per km$^2$) | |

## Election results 1871-1890

1st British Columbia election, 1871 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | Independent | John Andrew Mara | 17 | 43.59% | unknown |
| | Independent | William Cosgrove Milby | 9 | 23.08% | unknown |
| | Independent | Charles Todd | 13 | 13.33% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 39 | 100.00% |
1875 British Columbia general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| | Reform caucus | Robert Leslie Thomas Galbraith | 16 | 25.40% |
| | Reform caucus | Charles Gallagher | 16 | 25.40% | Y |
| | Government | William Cosgrove Milby | 15 | 23.80% |
| | Reform caucus | Arthur Wellesley Vowell | 48 | 23.88% | Y |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 63 |
| To break a three-way tie, the Returning Officer cast the deciding votes for Gallagher and Vowell (Victoria Colonist 24 October 1875) |||||||
vte1878 British Columbia general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Elected |
| | Opposition (?) | Robert Leslie Thomas Galbraith | Accl. | Y |
| | Opposition (?) | Charles Gallagher | Accl. | Y |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 187 |
4th British Columbia election, 1882 $^1$ :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Government | Robert Leslie Thomas Galbraith | Accl. | --% | – | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | -- | --% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
| $^1$ Seat reduced to one member from two. |||||||
5th British Columbia election, 1886 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Government | James Baker | 111 | 60.00% | – | unknown |
| | Opposition | William M. Brown | 74 | 40.00% | – | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 185 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
The riding was partitioned for the 1894 election.

## Election results 1966-1986

The riding-name was re-established in time for the 1966 election, but covered only the East Kootenay region rather than the entire Kootenays as had been the case in its first incarnation.
28th British Columbia election, 1966 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Social Credit | Robert Owen Jones | 3,070 | 34.89% | – | unknown |
| | Liberal | Henry Cartmell (Harry) McKay | 2,123 | 24.13% | | unknown |
| | NDP | Leo Thomas Nimsick | 3,605 | 40.98% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 8.798 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 54 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
29th British Columbia election, 1969 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Social Credit | J. Harry Broadhurst | 4,267 | 38.26% | – | unknown |
| | Liberal | Henry Nelson | 2,604 | 23.35% | | unknown |
| | NDP | Leo Thomas Nimsick | 4,282 | 38.39% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 11,153 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 173 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
30th British Columbia election, 1972 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Harry Edwards Caldwell | 1,872 | 13.64% | | unknown |
| | NDP | Leo Thomas Nimsick | 6,065 | 44.20% | | unknown |
| | Social Credit | Ronald Powell | 1,615 | 11.77% | – | unknown |
| | PC | David John Reeves | 4,169 | 30.38% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 13,721 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 180 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
31st British Columbia election, 1975 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Social Credit | George Wayne Haddad | 7,915 | 52.29% | – | unknown |
| | NDP | Leo Thomas Nimsick | 7,223 | 47.71% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 15,138 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 220 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
32nd British Columbia election, 1979 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | PC | Roy Wilburn Paul | 975 | 7.80% | | unknown |
| | Social Credit | Terence Patrick Segarty | 6,167 | 49.37% | – | unknown |
| | NDP | Douglas Wayne Right | 5,350 | 42.83% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 12,492 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 102 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
33rd British Columbia election, 1983 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | NDP | Harry Edwin Mathias | 8,245 | 47.36% | | unknown |
| | Liberal | Kory Palmer | 374 | 1.99% | | unknown |
| | Social Credit | Terence Patrick Segarty | 8,819 | 50.65% | – | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 17,411 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 208 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
34th British Columbia election, 1986 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | NDP | Kathleen Anne Edwards | 8,000 | 47.94% | | unknown |
| | Liberal | Paul R. Kershaw | 539 | 3.23% | | unknown |
| | Social Credit | Terence Patrick Segarty | 7,649 | 45.84% | – | unknown |
| | Progressive Conservative | James G. Smith | 499 | 2.99% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 16,687 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 271 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |

## Sources

* Elections BC Historical Returns 1871-1986