Fernie (electoral district)
# Fernie (electoral district)

Fernie was the name of a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia centred on the town of Fernie in the southern Rockies. It made its first appearance on the hustings in the election of 1903. In a redistribution after the 1963 election the area covered by this riding was incorporated into the new Kootenay riding (same name but smaller than the original 1871-vintage Kootenay riding).

For other current and historical electoral districts in the Kootenay region, please see Kootenay (electoral districts).

## Demographics

* Population, 1901
* Population change, 1901–1961
* Area (km²)
* Population density (people per km²)

## Notable MLAs

* William Roderick Ross
* Thomas Aubert Uphill - represented Fernie as a Labour MLA for 40 years on behalf of a party named "Labour", of which he was the only successful candidate.

## Electoral history

Note: Winners of each election are in bold.

10th British Columbia election, 1903 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Socialist | John Ross McPherson | 221 | 26.12% | – | unknown |
| | Conservative | William Roderick Ross | 316 | 37.35% | | unknown |
| | Liberal | Edwin Clarke Smith | 309 | 36.52% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 846 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |

11th British Columbia election, 1907 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | William Martin Dicken | 66 | 9.42% | | unknown |
| | Socialist | Henry George Parson | 285 | 40.66% | – | unknown |
| | Conservative | William Roderick Ross | 350 | 49.93% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 701 | 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 | Alexander Ingram Fisher | 405 | 21.90% | | unknown |
| | Socialist | John David Harrington | 649 | 35.10% | – | unknown |
| | Conservative | William Roderick Ross | 795 | 43.00% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,849 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |

13th British Columbia election, 1912 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Socialist | William Davidson | 763 | 41.69% | – | unknown |
| | Conservative | William Roderick Ross | 1,067 | 58.31% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,830 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |

14th British Columbia election, 1916 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Alexander Ingram Fisher | 903 | 46.38% | | unknown |
| | Socialist | John Amos McDonald | 218 | 11.20% | – | unknown |
| | Conservative | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 826 | 42.42% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,947 | 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 | Alexander Ingram Fisher | 723 | 29.77% | unknown |
| | Conservative | Laurence Sherwood K. Herchmer | 774 | 31.86% | unknown |
| | Federated Labour Party | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 932 | 38.37% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,429 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |

16th British Columbia election, 1924 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Saul A. Bonnell | 851 | 34.12% | unknown |
| | Liberal | James McLean | 641 | 25.70% | unknown |
| | Federated Labour Party | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 1,002 | 40.18% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,494 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |

17th British Columbia election, 1928 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Michael D. McLean | 1,102 | 40.20% | unknown |
| | Independent Labour Party $^1$ | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 1,639 | 59.80% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,741 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 67 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |
| $^1$ Labour in Summary of Votes. |||||||

18th British Columbia election, 1933 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Michael D. McLean | 1,299 | 43.42% | unknown |
| | Labour (Party) $^2$ | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 1,693 | 56.58% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,992 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 26 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |
| $^2$ i.e. "Labour" was the name of the party. |||||||

18th British Columbia election, 1937 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Harry Wilfrid Colgan | 1,470 | 46.36% | unknown |
| | Labour (Party) | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 1,701 | 53.64% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,171 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 71 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |

19th British Columbia election, 1941 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Harry Wilfrid Colgan | 1,214 | 37.70% | unknown |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | James Lancaster | 287 | 8.91% | unknown |
| | Labour (Party) | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 1,719 | 53.39% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,220 | 100.00% |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 29 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | |

19th British Columbia election, 1945 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | Kenneth Claude Minifie | 742 | 24.34% | | unknown |
| | Coalition | Kenny Nash Stewart | 1,018 | 33.39% | – | unknown |
| | Labour (Party) | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 1,289 | 42.28% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,049 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 10 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |

20th British Columbia election, 1949 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | Stephen Alexander Fleming | 837 | 22.06% | | unknown |
| | Coalition | Kenny Nash Stewart | 1,474 | 38.85% | – | unknown |
| | Labour (Party) | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 1,483 | 39.09% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,794 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 68 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |

21st British Columbia election, 1952 $^3$ :

| Party | Candidate | Votes 1st count | % | Votes final count | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth Fed. | Magnus Eliason | 612 | 16.40% | - | -.- % | unknown |
| | B.C. Social Credit League | John Mackenzie Patterson | 713 | 19.11% | - | -.- % | unknown |
| | Liberal | Stewart Kenny Nash | 1,117 | 29.93% | 1,329 | 43.05% | unknown |
| | Labour (Party) | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 1,290 | 34.57% | 1,758 | 56.95% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,732 | 100.00% | 3,087 | | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 61 | | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | % | | | | |
| $^3$ Preferential ballot. First and final of three counts only shown. |||||||

22nd British Columbia election, 1953 $^4$ :

| Party | Candidate | Votes 1st count | % | Votes final count | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Henry Cartmell (Harry) McKay | 1,229 | 34.80% | 1,402 | 43.88% | unknown |
| | Social Credit | William Paniec | 702 | 19.88% |
| | Labour (Party) | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 1,601 | 45.32% | 1,793 | 56.12% | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,532 | 100.00% | 3,195 | | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 145 | | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | % | | | | |
| $^4$ Preferential ballot. First and second of two counts only shown. |||||||

23rd British Columbia election, 1956 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Social Credit | Frank Joseph Butala | 1,181 | 37.94% | – | unknown |
| | Liberal | Kenny Nash Stewart | 611 | 19.63% | | unknown |
| | Labour (Party) | Thomas Aubert Uphill | 1,321 | 42.43% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,113 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 112 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |

24th British Columbia election, 1960 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Social Credit | Frank Joseph Butala | 927 | 29.83% | – | unknown |
| | Liberal | Henry Cartmell (Harry) McKay | 1,126 | 36.23% | | unknown |
| | CCF | Lloyd Phillips | 864 | 27.80% | | unknown |
| | Progressive Conservative | Francis J. Ramage | 191 | 6.15% | | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,108 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 29 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |

25th British Columbia election, 1963 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | New Democratic | Ezner De Anna | 1,037 | 35.25% | | unknown |
| | Liberal | Henry Cartmell (Harry) McKay | 1,226 | 41.67% | | unknown |
| | Social Credit | Maurice J. O'Rourke | 679 | 23.08% | – | unknown |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,942 | 100.00% | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 22 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | % | | |

Following the 1963 election the Fernie riding was redistributed and a new riding, Kootenay was formed (same name as the original 1871 Kootenay riding, but much smaller in scope). The Kootenay riding combined Fernie with the riding of Cranbrook and parts of the Columbia ridings.

## Sources

Elections BC Historical Returns

