Niagara (Province of Canada electoral district)

Last updated

Niagara
Canada West
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Province of Canada electoral district
Defunct pre-Confederation electoral district
Legislature Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
District created1841
District abolished1867
First contested1841
Last contested1863

Niagara was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West (now Ontario). It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Niagara was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario.

Contents

Boundaries

Niagara electoral district was based largely on the municipal boundaries of the town of Niagara, located at the mouth of the Niagara River where it flows into Lake Ontario. Niagara was the major centre of the electoral district.

The Union Act, 1840 had merged the two provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada into the Province of Canada, with a single Parliament. The separate parliaments of Lower Canada and Upper Canada were abolished. [1] The Union Act provided that the town of Niagara would constitute one electoral district in the Legislative Assembly of the new Parliament, [2] but gave the Governor General of the Province of Canada the power to draw the boundaries for the electoral district. [3]

The first Governor General, Lord Sydenham, issued a proclamation shortly after the formation of the Province of Canada in early 1841, establishing the boundaries for the electoral district:

The Town of Niagara, shall be bounded and limited as follows:—commencing at Massessagua Point ; thence westerly along Lake Ontario, to Crookston  ; thence along the rear or town line of Niagara, to the Black Swamp ; and thence along the eastern limit of the lands of the late Thomas Butler, Esquire, deceased, and the lands of Garret Slingert, and to the north-west angle of the lands of John Eccleston; thence easterly to where the lands of William Dickson, Esquire, and the late Martin MacLennon, deceased, come in contact ; thence east along the northern boundary of the lands of the said Martin MacLennon, deceased, to the River Niagara; thence northerly down said Niagara River, to the place of beginning. [4]

Members of the Legislative Assembly

Niagara was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. [2] The following were the members for Niagara.

ParliamentYearsMembers [5] Party [6]
1st Parliament
1841–1844
1841
Election overturned [lower-alpha 1] 		Edward C. Campbell Unionist; Moderate Tory
1841–1844
 Henry John Boulton Unionist; Ultra Reformer

Notes

  1. ↑ Election of Edwards overturned by the Legislative Assembly on an election petition, September 26, 1842; Campbell removed from office and Boulton installed as member. [7]

Abolition

Niagara electoral district was abolished on July 1, 1867, when the British North America Act, 1867 came into force, creating Canada and splitting the Province of Canada into Quebec and Ontario. [8] It was succeeded by the electoral districts of Niagara in both the House of Commons of Canada [9] and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. [10]

Related Research Articles

Three Rivers was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada East. It was centered on the town of Trois-Rivières. The district was created in 1841, based in part on the previous electoral district of the same name in the Parliament of Lower Canada.

Montreal was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada East. It was created in 1841 and included much of the city of Montreal. Its boundaries were specifically drawn by the British Governor General, Lord Sydenham, to include voters of British background, disenfranchising francophone Canadien voters, an example of an ethnic and linguistic gerrymander. Sydenham's purpose was to gain support in the Legislative Assembly for the new Province of Canada, which had merged the formerly separate provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada.

Quebec City was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada East. It was created in 1841 and included much of Quebec City. Its boundaries were specifically drawn by the British Governor General, Lord Sydenham, to include voters of British background, disenfranchising francophone Canadien voters, an example of an ethnic and linguistic gerrymander. Sydenham's purpose was to gain support in the Legislative Assembly for the new Province of Canada, which had merged the formerly separate provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada, as well as his government.

Quebec County was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada East, surrounding Quebec City. It was created in 1841 and was based on the previous electoral district of the same name for the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada.

Sherbrooke was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada East. It was centred primarily on the town of Sherbrooke in the Eastern Townships.

Brockville was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West. It was based on the town of Brockville, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River, in the Thousand Islands region. The electoral district was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada.

Bytown was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada. The district represented the town of Bytown, in Canada West, which was re-named Ottawa in 1855. The electoral district was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada, from the merger of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. It was renamed to Ottawa following the renaming of the city.

Cornwall was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West. It was based on the town of Cornwall, located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River. The electoral district was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the merger of Upper Canada and Lower Canada.

Durham was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West, on the north shore of Lake Ontario. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Durham was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario.

Essex was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West, at the south-western tip of the Ontario Peninsula. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Essex was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario.

Frontenac was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West, based on Frontenac County. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Frontenac was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario.

Glengarry was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River, bordering on Canada East. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Glengarry was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario.

Hamilton was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West, based on the town of Hamilton. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Hamilton was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario.

Hastings was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West. Based on Hastings County, it fronted on the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario and extended north. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada.

Kington was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Kingston was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario.

Lennox and Addington was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West. Based on the combined counties of Lennox and Addington, it was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada.

Lincoln North was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Lincoln North was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario.

London was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West. It was created in 1851, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. London was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario.

Middlesex was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Middlesex was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario, and succeeded by three different ridings for both the federal Parliament and the Ontario Legislative Assembly.

Norfolk was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada West. It was created in 1841, upon the establishment of the Province of Canada by the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Norfolk was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly. It was abolished in 1867, upon the creation of Canada and the province of Ontario.

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Proclamation, Governor General Lord Sydenham, February 27, 1841. Reproduced in the Journal of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada, First Parliament of the Province of Canada, First Session, 1841, pp. ix–xi.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.