# Calgary (territorial electoral district)

Calgary was a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories, Canada.
The riding was created by royal proclamation in 1884, and split into East Calgary, West Calgary, and High River in 1894.
Calgary 1884 Boundaries :
| Bordering districts ||||
| North | East | West | South |
| Legal description from Ordinances of the North-West Territories 1884 ||||
| Namely: West of Fourth Principal Meridian: Range XXVIII, Townships numbered 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23; Range XXIX, Township numbered 18 and Fractional Townships numbered 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25; Range XXX, Fractional Township numbered 18. West of Fifth Principal Meridian: Range I, Townships numbered 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25; Range II, Townships numbered 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24 and 26; Range III, Township numbered 25. ||||
| Note: ||||

## Calgary Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

Members of the Territorial Council / Legislative Assembly for Calgary :
| Assembly | Years | Seat 1 | Seat 1 | Seat 1 | Seat 2 | Seat 2 | Seat 2 |
| Assembly | Years | Member | Member | Party | Member | Member | Party |
| 1st Council | 1884-1886 | | James Geddes | Independent | — | — | — |
| 1st Council | 1886-1888 | | John Lauder | Independent | | Hugh Cayley | Independent |
| 1st | 1888-1891 | | John Lineham | Independent | | Hugh Cayley | Independent |
| 2nd | 1891-1894 | | John Lineham | Independent | | Hugh Cayley | Independent |
| See East Calgary, West Calgary and High River 1894-1905 ||||||||

## History of the Calgary district

When the Calgary district was created in 1884, it elected accountant and rancher James Geddes as its representative in the 1st Council of the North-West Territories. Although most of the represented parts of the Territories held elections in 1885, Geddes' term was not over after just one year. His term ended in 1886.
In 1886 the Calgary district was made a double-member district, with two members elected by the plurality block voting method. Four candidates contested the by-election, with North-West Rebellion veteran John Lauder and Calgary Herald publisher Hugh Cayley becoming Members of the Territorial Council. Lauder retired after two years.
When the Council was dissolved and the Territories' first general election was held in 1888, three challengers ran in Calgary. Cayley was re-elected alongside newcomer John Lineham, who won the most votes of the three men.
In the second general election, there were no challengers, and Cayley and Lineham were re-elected by acclamation.
The Calgary district was split into East Calgary, West Calgary and High River in 1894. Cayley retired from politics, while Lineham won re-election in High River.

## Election results
### 1891 election

1891 North-West Territories general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Independent | John Lineham | Acclaimed |
| | Independent | Hugh Cayley | Acclaimed |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2007. |||||||

### 1888 election

Each voter could cast two votes.
1888 North-West Territories general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| | Independent | John Lineham | 809 | 43.80% | Y |
| | Independent | Hugh Cayley | 634 | 34.44% | Y |
| | Independent | James A. Reilly | 404 | 21.76% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,847 |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2007. |||||||

### 1886 by-election -- July 16, 1886

Source:
Each voter could cast two votes.
North-West Territories territorial by-election, July 14, 1886 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| | Independent | John D. Lauder | 232 | 33.62% | Y |
| | Independent | Hugh Cayley | 195 | 28.25% | Y |
| | Independent | Augustus Carney | 164 | 23.77% | |
| | Independent | Simon Jackson Hogg | 99 | 14.36% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 690 |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2007. |||||||

### 1884 election

North-West Territories territorial by-election, June 28, 1884 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | James Davidson Geddes | 100 | 53.19% |
| | Independent | James Kidd Oswald | 88 | 46.81% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 188 |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2007. |||||||