Banff (provincial electoral district)

Banff was a provincial electoral district, in south west Alberta, Canada.

The riding has existed twice, the first incarnation was created in 1905 when Alberta formed as a province. The riding was carried over from the old Banff riding that existed from 1891 to 1905 in the Northwest Territories.

The riding disappeared only one election later when it was merged into the newly formed Rocky Mountain Riding. The second incarnation was when Banff-Cochrane was renamed Banff during the 1975 redistribution, it was changed back to Banff-Cochrane during the 1979 election.

The riding was named after the scenic town of Banff, Alberta and Banff National Park.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

The electoral district was hotly contested and the race was closely watched around the province. The electoral district had two well known candidates and political veterans. Charles Wellington Fisher the provincial Liberal candidate had been serving as a Northwest Territories MLA supporting the Haultain government for the old Banff electoral district since winning a by-election on February 4, 1903. He was opposed by Conservative candidate Robert George Brett who had also been a Northwest Territories MLA starting in 1888 and represented the Banff electoral district from its creation in 1891 to 1899.

Brett was a pioneer medical doctor who was heavily involved in the early history of the town of Banff having moved to the site in 1883 and founding a sanitarium.cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/people/lt_brett.html|title=The Honourale Dr. Robert G. Brett| publisher=Alberta Heritage Foundation | accessdate=2008-10-08]

On election night the results came back Fisher had defeated Brett by winning a slim 58 majority of the 784 votes cast. The Conservative party was disappointed with the result as the district had been one of their best hopes to pickup.

1975 general election

References

External links and references

* [http://www.assembly.ab.ca/ Website of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta]
* [http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/ Alberta Heritage] Election results 1905 - 2001 and riding distribution data.
* [http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/ Elections Alberta]