The 1898 North-West Territories general election took place on 4 November 1898. This was the fourth general election in the history of the North-West Territories, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories. In 1897 Responsible Government had been secured, and this was the first election where voters elected an assembly that would control the executive members that would conduct the business of the NWT government.
Frederick W. A. G. Haultain was still the first premier of the North-West Territories (NWT). That title was given by legislation passed in 1897. He was the last premier of the NWT until 1980.
There were three big issues in this election. One was acquiring provincial rights and how to divide the NWT into provinces.
The second issue was the transfer of education from the federal to the territorial level. This was Haultain's personal project. It was achieved for some of the NWT residents by the creation of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Unfortunately for the rest of the NWT, that power was not turned over to the Territorial Assembly until 1970, long after Haultain's passing.
The third issue was the territory's budget deficit and growing debt. The territory was facing pressure from a rapidly increasing population in all parts of the territory. Earlier in 1898 the territorial government tried to get the liquor revenue in the Klondike, since it was footing the bill for increased services and policing. The federal government however blocked that project by carving the Yukon Territory out of the NWT and appointing a council loyal to the federal government.
The 1898 election was the first general election in which the election was contested along party lines in the NWT. Frederick W. A. G. Haultain sustained the governing North-West Territories Liberal-Conservative Party in coalition with James Hamilton Ross, who was a member of the Hautain cabinet but a Liberal member. Robert Brett remained leader of the official opposition. Their use was controversial. A Calgary Herald editorial in the 17 November 1898 Weekly edition debated the pros and cons of bringing "Dominion party lines" to the territorial legislature.
Election results
Members of the Legislative Assembly elected
For complete electoral history, see individual districts
{| class="wikitable"
!Electoral District
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |First
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Second
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Third
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Fourth
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Fifth
|colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Incumbent
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|Banff
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|Robert Brett<br/>181<br/>50.28%
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|Arthur Sifton<br/>179<br/>49.72%
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|Robert Brett
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|Batoche
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|Charles Fisher<br/>76<br/>58.46%
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|Charles Eugene Boucher<br/>54<br/>41.54%
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|Charles Eugene Boucher
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|Battleford
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|Joseph Benjamin Prince<br/>185<br/>58.54%
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|James M. Skelton<br/>131<br/>41.46%
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|James Clinkskill
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|Cannington
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|Ewan Cameron McDiarmid<br/>228<br/>52.66%
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|Samuel Page<br/>114<br/>26.33%
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|William Hislop<br/>91<br/>21.02%
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|Samuel Page
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|East Calgary
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|Alfred Ernest Cross<br/>182<br/>33.21%
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|Simon John Clarke<br/>127<br/>23.18%
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|James Reilly<br/>120<br/>21.90%
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|Joseph Bannerman<br/>119<br/>21.72%
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|Joseph Bannerman
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|Edmonton
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|Matthew McCauley<br/>582<br/>48.83%
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|Alexander Cameron Rutherford<br/>498<br/>41.78%
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|Harry Havelock Robertson<br/>112<br/>9.40%
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|Frank Oliver
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|Grenfell
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|Richard Stuart Lake<br/>351<br/>69.64%
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|Benjamin Parkyn Richardson<br/>153<br/>30.36%
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|High River
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|Richard Alfred Wallace<br/>176<br/>38.51%
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|Albert Edward Banister<br/>126<br/>27.57%
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|Walter C. Skrine<br/>114<br/>24.95%
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|Alfred Wyndham<br/>37<br/>8.1%
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|Alexander Begg<br/>4<br/>0.88%
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|John Lineham
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|Kinistino
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|William Frederick Meyers<br/>98<br/>65.77%
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|Thomas Sanderson<br/>51<br/>34.23%
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|William Frederick Meyers
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|Lethbridge
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|Leverett George DeVeber<br/>Acclamation
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|Charles Alexander Magrath
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|Macleod
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|Frederick W. A. G. Haultain<br/>Acclamation
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|Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
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|Medicine Hat
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|Horace Greeley<br/>327<br/>36.50%
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|William Finlay<br/>285<br/>31.81%
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|John George Calder<br/>284<br/>31.70%
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|Edward Fearon
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|Mitchell
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|Joseph Albert McIntyre<br/>200<br/>51.68%
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|Archibald Blyth Stewart<br/>187<br/>48.32%
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|Hilliard Mitchell
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|Moose Jaw
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|James Hamilton Ross<br/>Acclamation
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|James Hamilton Ross
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|Moosomin
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|Alexander S. Smith<br/>614<br/>61.03%
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|John Ryerson Neff<br/>392<br/>38.97%
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|John Ryerson Neff
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|North Qu’Appelle
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|Donald H. McDonald<br/>Acclamation
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|William Sutherland
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|North Regina
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|George W. Brown<br/>436<br/>68.55%
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|John Henry Charles Willoughby<br/>200<br/>31.45%
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|George W. Brown
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|Prince Albert East
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|Samuel McLeod<br/>315<br/>53.03%
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|John Felton Betts<br/>279<br/>46.97%
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|John Felton Betts
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|Prince Albert West
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|Thomas McKay<br/>237<br/>55.50%
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|Thomas James Agnew<br/>190<br/>44.50%
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|John Lestock Reid
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|Red Deer
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|John A. Simpson<br/>349<br/>46.10%
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|George Wellington Greene<br/>253<br/>33.42%
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|James Speakman<br/>155<br/>20.48%
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|John A. Simpson
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|St. Albert
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|Fredric Edmond Villeneuve<br/>429<br/>53.56%
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|Daniel Maloney<br/>292<br/>36.45%
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|G.W. Gardiner<br/>80<br/>9.99%
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|Daniel Maloney
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|Saltcoats
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|William Eakin<br/>215<br/>51.44%
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|James Nixon<br/>203<br/>48.56%
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|William Eakin
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|Souris
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|John Wesley Connell<br/>424<br/>56.16%
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|John Young<br/>331<br/>43.84%
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|George Knowling
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|South Qu’Appelle
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|George H. V. Bulyea<br/>403<br/>55.21%
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|William G. Vickers<br/>327<br/>44.79%
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|George H. V. Bulyea
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|South Regina
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|James B. Hawkes<br/>273<br/>51.03%
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|Jacob W. Smith<br/>210<br/>39.25%
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|William F. Eddy<br/>52<br/>9.72%
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|Daniel Mowat
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|Victoria
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|Jack Shera<br/>242<br/>52.27%
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|Frank Fraser Tims<br/>221<br/>47.73%
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|Frank Fraser Tims
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|West Calgary
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|R. B. Bennett<br/>291<br/>40.87%
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|William W. Stuart<br/>205<br/>28.79%
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|James Muir<br/>169<br/>23.74%
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|Thomas Riley<br/>47<br/>6.60%
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|Oswald Critchley
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|Wetaskiwin
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|Anthony Rosenroll<br/>Acclamation
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|Whitewood
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|Archibald Beaton Gillis<br/>Acclamation
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|Archibald Beaton Gillis
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|Wolseley
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|William Elliott<br/>317<br/>54.56%
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|Levi Thomson<br/>264<br/>45.44%
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|James Dill
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|Yorkton
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|Thomas Alfred Patrick<br/>Acclamation
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|Thomas Alfred Patrick
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- Robert Brett (Banff) was elected in a contentiously close election, however the results were challenged by opponent Arthur Sifton, who won the subsequent by-election.
See also
- List of Northwest Territories general elections
References
External links
- Haultain Ross government sustained Medicine Hat News 10 November 1898
- 4th General Election Macleod Gazette 4 November 1898
- Personnel of the Territorial Assembly 1888–1905