Banff (N.W.T. electoral district)
# Banff (N.W.T. electoral district)

Banff was a territorial electoral district that was mandated to return a single member to the North-West Legislative Assembly from 1891 until Alberta became a province in 1905.

## Geography

The electoral district was named for Banff, covering the Alberta portion of the Rocky Mountains and foothills west of Calgary.

## Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Banff :

| Assembly | Years | Member| | Party |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| See Calgary 1884-1891 |||||
| 2nd | 1891–1894 | Robert Brett | Independent |
| 3rd | 1894–1898 | Robert Brett | Independent |
| 4th | 1898–1899 | Robert Brett | Liberal |
| 4th | 1899-1902 | Arthur Sifton | Liberal-Conservative |
| 5th | 1902–1903 | Arthur Sifton | Liberal-Conservative |
| 5th | 1903 | Vacant | Vacant |
| 5th | 1903-1905 | Charles Fisher | Liberal |
| See Banff (Alberta) 1905–1940 |||||

Banff's first representative was physician Robert Brett, who had already served one term as MLA for Red Deer, and served two full terms in Banff. There were no official parties in these early assemblies, but Brett aligned himself with the Northwest Territories Liberal Party when the Dominion party lines were introduced in 1898.

In the 1898 election, Brett appeared to have held his seat against challenger Arthur Sifton, but Sifton challenged the results in court and proceeded to win the ensuing by-election. In 1902, he easily defended his seat.

When Sifton was appointed as a judge in early 1903, another by-election was held in Banff, this time won by Liberal candidate Charles Fisher. In 1905 when Alberta became a province, Fisher ran in the new Banff district and defeated previous MLA Robert Brett (now running as a Conservative) to retain the seat.

## Election results

### Elections in the 1890s

1891 Northwest Territories general election :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| - | - | - | - |
| | Independent | Robert George Brett | Acclaimed |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 0 |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-30. |||||||

1894 Northwest Territories general election :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Independent | Robert George Brett | 238 | 64.15 |
| | Independent | T.F. English | 133 | 35.85 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 371 | 100.00 |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-30. |||||||

1898 Northwest Territories general election :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Robert George Brett | 181 | 50.28 | -13.87 |
| | Liberal–Conservative | Arthur Lewis Sifton | 179 | 49.72 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 360 | 100.00 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -13.87 |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-30. |||||||

Northwest Territories territorial by-election, June 27, 1899 Upon the invalidation of the 1898 result :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal–Conservative | Arthur Lewis Sifton | 193 | 54.83 | +5.11 |
| | Liberal | Robert George Brett | 159 | 45.17 | -5.11 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 352 | 100.00 |
| | Liberal–Conservative gain from Liberal | Liberal–Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | +5.11 |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-30. |||||||

### Elections in the 1900s

Northwest Territories territorial by-election, March 22, 1901 Upon the appointment of Arthur Lewis Sifton to the territorial cabinet :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal–Conservative | Arthur Lewis Sifton | Acclaimed |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 0 |
| | Liberal–Conservative hold | Liberal–Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | N/A |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-30. |||||||

1902 Northwest Territories general election :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal–Conservative | Arthur Lewis Sifton | 296 | 81.32 | +26.49 |
| | Liberal | Robert Smith | 68 | 18.68 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 364 | 100.00 |
| | Liberal–Conservative hold | Liberal–Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | +26.49 |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-30. |||||||

Northwest Territories territorial by-election, February 4, 1903 Upon the resignation of Arthur Lewis Sifton :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Charles Wellington Fisher | 263 | 57.67 | +38.99 |
| | Liberal–Conservative | H.J. Richardson | 193 | 42.33 | -38.99 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 456 | 100.00 |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal–Conservative | Liberal gain from Liberal–Conservative | Swing | Swing | +38.99 |
| Source(s) "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905" (PDF). Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-30. |||||||
