1898 Northwest Territories general election

1898 Northwest Territories general election

← 1894 4 November 1898 (1898-11-04) 1902 →

31 seats in the North-West Legislative Assembly
  First party Second party
  FrederickWAGHaultain.png RobertBrett.jpg
Leader Frederick W. A. G. Haultain Robert Brett
Party Liberal-Conservative Liberal
Leader since 1897 1897
Leader's seat Macleod Banff
Seats won 7 2

Premier before election

Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
Liberal-Conservative

Premier after election

Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
Liberal-Conservative

The 1898 Northwest Territories general election took place on 4 November 1898. This was the fourth general election in the history of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

Frederick W. A. G. Haultain was still the first premier of the NWT. That title was given by legislation passed in 1897. He was the last premier of the Northwest Territories until 1980.

There were three big issues in this election, provincial rights and how to divide the provinces.

The second issue was the transfer of education, from the federal to the territorial level, this was Haultain's personal project, unfortunately for the Territories, that power would not be turned over until 1970.

The third issue, was the territories deficit budget, the territory was facing huge pressures from a rapidly increasing population in all parts of the territory. Earlier in 1898 the territorial government tried to exert control over liquor revenue in the Klondike, since it was footing the bill for increased services and policing. The federal government however interfered and delt a huge blow, when it carved the Yukon out of the Northwest Territories and appointed a council loyal to the federal government to gain control.

This was the first general election in which the election was contested along party lines in Northwest Territories. Frederick W. A. G. Haultain would sustain the governing Northwest 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.

Political parties were still controversial in this election as noted in the Calgary Herald editorial from 17 November 1898 Weekly edition, that debated the pros and cons of the bringing the "Dominion party lines" to the territorial legislature.

Election results

Members of the Legislative Assembly elected

For complete electoral history, see individual districts

4th North-West Legislative Assembly
District Member Party
  Banff Robert Brett* Liberal
Batoche Charles Fisher
  Battleford Joseph Benjamin Prince Independent
Cannington Ewan McDiarmid
  East Calgary Alfred Cross Liberal-Conservative
Edmonton Matthew McCauley
  Grenfell Richard Stuart Lake Liberal-Conservative
High River Richard Alfred Wallace
Kinistino William Frederick Meyers
Lethbridge Leverett DeVeber
  Macleod Frederick Haultain Liberal-Conservative
Mitchell Joseph McIntyre
Medicine Hat Horace Albertie Greeley
  Moose Jaw James Hamilton Ross Liberal
Moosomin Alexander S. Smith
North Qu'Appelle Donald H. McDonald
North Regina George W. Brown
Prince Albert East Samuel McLeod
Prince Albert West Thomas McKay
Red Deer John A. Simpson
Saltcoats William Eakin
Souris John Connell
  South Qu'Appelle George Bulyea Liberal-Conservative
South Regina James Hawkes
St. Albert Fredric Villeneuve
Victoria Jack Shera
West Calgary Richard Bennett
  Wetaskiwin Anthony Rosenroll Liberal-Conservative
Whitewood Archibald Gillis
  Wolseley William Elliott Liberal-Conservative
  Yorkton Thomas Patrick Liberal-Conservative
  • Brett (Banff) was elected in a contentiously-close election, so close that a by-election had to be held, which Arthur Sifton won.[citation needed]

See also

External links


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