# 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

| Population, 2001 | 55,510 |
| Population change, 1931–2001 | 8.2% |
| Area (km$^2$) | 23.77 |
| Population density | 2,335 |

## Notable MLAs

* Alexander Small Matthew
* Leslie Raymond Peterson
* Herb Capozzi
* Evan Maurice Wolfe
* Mike Harcourt
* Gary Lauk
* Emery Barnes

### Notable candidates
## Electoral history 1933–1986

18th British Columbia election, 1933 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 28,323 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 138 |
19th British Columbia election, 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 34,590 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 400 |
vte1941 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 41,653 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 445 |
vte1945 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 42,206 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 154 |
| Source: http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf |||||||
vte1949 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 48,240 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 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 | Total valid votes | 22,281 | 100.00 | 17,319 | % | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 2,119 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 22,159 | 100.00 | 18,389 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 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 | Total valid votes | 19,431 | 100.00 | 16,773 | % | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 1,638 | | | | |
| Total Registered Voters | Total Registered Voters | | | | | |
| Turnout | 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 | Total valid votes | 19,117 | 100.00 | 16,386 | % | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 1,727 | | | | |
| Total Registered Voters | Total Registered Voters | | | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | % | | | | |
| $^4$ Preferential ballot; first and final of five (5) counts only shown. |||||||
25th British Columbia election, 1956 :
| Party | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 36,302 | 100.00 | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 168 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
26th British Columbia election, 1960 :
| Party | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 40,733 | 100.00 | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 504 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
27th British Columbia election, 1963 :
| Party | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 39,777 | 100.00 | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 419 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
28th British Columbia election, 1966 :
| Party | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 38,570 | 100.00 | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 432 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 49,354 | 98.84 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 528 | 1.06 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 49,882 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 53,434 | 99.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 539 | 1.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 53,973 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 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) | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 51,937 | 98.73 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 669 | 1.27 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 52,606 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 49,500 |
* ↑ 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 62,207 | 97.94 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 1,310 | 2.06 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 63,517 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 62,920 |
vte1983 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 66,066 | 99.87 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 84 | 0.13 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 66,150 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 70,337 | 97.85 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 1,548 | 2.15 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 71,885 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 53,858 |