# Columbia (electoral district)

Columbia was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It made its first appearance on the hustings in the election of 1903. It lasted until the 1928 election, when it was merged into Columbia-Revelstoke for the 1933 election. Following the election the new Pattullo government moved to reestablish Columbia as a separate riding, and former MLA Thomas King was elected by acclamation in a 1934 by election.
In 1966 the riding was renamed Columbia River. This riding was later merged with the Revelstoke riding to become Columbia River-Revelstoke, the current riding for the western part of the area. The eastern part of the riding is now part of East Kootenay.
For other current and historical electoral districts in the Kootenay region, please see Kootenay (electoral districts).

## Demographics

* Population, 1901
* Population change, 1901–1911
* Area (km²)
* Population density (people per km²)

## Electoral history

Note: Winners of each election are in bold.
10th British Columbia election, 1903 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Wilmer Cleveland Wells | Accl. | -.-% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | n/a | -.-% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |
11th British Columbia election, 1907 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Conservative | Henry George Parson | 254 | 56.57% | | unknown |
| | Liberal | Wilmer Cleveland Wells | 195 | 43.43% | – | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 449 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
12th British Columbia election, 1909 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | John Andrew Buckham | 245 | 48.32% | – | unknown |
| | Conservative | Henry George Parson | 262 | 51.68% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 507 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
13th British Columbia election, 1912 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent Conservative | Harold Ernest Forster$^1$ | 282 | 51.74% |
| | Conservative | George Henry Parson | 263 | 48.26% |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 545 | 100.00% |
| $^1$ When he failed to obtain the official nomination, Forster ran as an Independent Conservative but in full support of the McBride government. |||||||
14th British Columbia election, 1916 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | John Andrew Buckham | 541 | 66.63% | unknown |
| | Conservative | James Norman Taylor | 271 | 33.37% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 812 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |
15th British Columbia election, 1920 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | John Andrew Buckham | 584 | 60.58% | unknown |
| | Conservative | Henry George Parson | 380 | 39.42% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 964 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |
16th British Columbia election, 1924 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | John Andrew Buckham | 644 | 56.84% | | unknown |
| | Conservative | Arthur Murray Chisholm | 294 | 25.95% | | unknown |
| | Provincial | James Stewart Johnston | 195 | 17.21% | – | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,133 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
17th British Columbia election, 1928 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | John Andrew Buckham | 659 | 50.23% | unknown |
| | Independent | Gladys Elspeth Cross | 26 | 1.98% | unknown |
| | Conservative | Earle Jennings Scovil | 627 | 47.79% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,312 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 23 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |
After the 1928 election, there was a redistribution. The Columbia riding was merged with the Revelstoke riding into Columbia-Revelstoke, which first appeared only in the 1933 general election. For the 1937 election, the riding name "Columbia" was re-established.
19th British Columbia election, 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | Conservative | Leonard G. Gaddes | 371 | 22.99% | unknown |
| | Liberal | Thomas King | 921 | 57.06% | unknown |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | William Henry Tallis | 322 | 19.95% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,614 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 39 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |
20th British Columbia election, 1941 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | Conservative | Leonard G. Gaddes | 384 | 25.28% | unknown |
| | Liberal | Thomas King | 648 | 42.66% | unknown |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | James Herbert Mathews | 487 | 32.06% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,519 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |
20th British Columbia election, 1945 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | Thomas James Alton | 588 | 46.70% | | unknown |
| | Coalition | Thomas King | 671 | 53.30% | – | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,259 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 24 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
21st British Columbia election, 1949 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | Thomas James Alton | 581 | 31.09% | | unknown |
| | Coalition | Thomas King | 1,288 | 68.91% | – | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,869 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 24 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
22nd British Columbia election, 1952 $^2$ :
| Party | Candidate | Votes 1st count | % | Votes final count | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Vaughn Stanley Kimpton | 649 | 29.30% | 860 | 42.28% | unknown |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | Chris Madson | 365 | 16.48% | | | unknown |
| | B.C. Social Credit League | Richard Orr Newton | 841 | 37.97% | 1,174 | 57.72% | unknown |
| | Progressive Conservative | Edward Jefferson Zinkan | 360 | 16.25% | | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,215 | 100.00% | 2,034 | | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 101 | | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | % | | | | |
| $^2$ Preferential ballot. First and final counts of three only shown. |||||||
23rd British Columbia election, 1953 $^3$ :
| Party | Candidate | Votes 1st count | % | Votes final count | % | ±% |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | Eileen Catherine Madson | 481 | 22.26% | | | unknown |
| | Liberal | Henry Headley Moore | 676 | 31.28% | 787 | 43.12% | unknown |
| | B.C. Social Credit League | Richard Orr Newton | 924 | 42.76% | 1,038 | 56.88% | unknown |
| | Progressive Conservative | Edward Jefferson Zinkan | 80 | 3.70% | - | -.- % | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,161 | 100.00% | 1,825 | | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 105 | | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | % | | | | |
| $^3$ Preferential ballot. First and final counts of three only shown. |||||||
24th British Columbia election, 1956 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | Chris Madson | 248 | 12.56% | | unknown |
| | Social Credit | Richard Orr Newton | 1,074 | 54.41% | – | unknown |
| | Liberal | Samuel Forrest Thompson | 652 | 33.03% | – | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,974 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 20 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
25th British Columbia election, 1960 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Herbert Alexander Blakley | 593 | 22.52% | – | unknown |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | Robert Beverly Harris | 775 | 29.43% | | unknown |
| | Social Credit | Richard Orr Newton | 1,115 | 42.35% | – | unknown |
| | Progressive Conservative | Gordon Truls Rad | 150 | 5.70% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,633 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 88 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
vteBritish Columbia provincial by-election, July 15, 1963 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Social Credit | Frank Greenwood | 1,122 | 36.68 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Alvin Walter John Trott | 685 | 22.39 |
| | Liberal | Robert Keenleyside | 643 | 21.02 |
| | NDP-CCF | Robert Beverly Harris | 609 | 19.91 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,059 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 13 |
| Called upon the death of R. O. Newton on 14 February 1963. |||||||
| Source: http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf |||||||
26th British Columbia election, 1963 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| | Social Credit | James Roland Chabot | 1,305 | 40.08% | – | unknown |
| | New Democratic | Robert Beverly Harris | 467 | 14.34% | | unknown |
| | Liberal | Robert Keenleyside | 392 | 12.04% | – | unknown |
| | Progressive Conservative | Alvin Walter Jo | 1,092 | 33.54% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,256 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 41 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |
The riding was redistributed after the 1963 election. In 1966, it was succeeded by the Columbia River riding.

## Sources

Elections BC Historical Returns