Victoria is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1904 and since 1925.

It was originally chartered as Victoria District for the special byelections held in 1871 upon the province's entry into Confederation but like the other B.C. ridings with that appellation the "District" was dropped once the temporary ridings were ratified and made "permanent" for the general election of 1872, which was the first in which the Victoria riding (by that name) appeared. From 1905 up until the 1925 election Victoria was represented by the riding of Victoria City.

Demographics

Population, 2006	108,771
Electors	87,546
Area (km2)	43
Population density (people per km2)	2529.6

Geography

It covers the City of Victoria, the municipality of Oak Bay and the southeastern portion of the municipality of Saanich. It also includes the University of Victoria.

History

This electoral district was created in 1872 when Victoria District riding was abolished. It elected two members to the Canadian House of Commons.

In 1878, Sir John A. Macdonald was parachuted into the riding, as he was unelectable in the wake of the Pacific Scandal eastern Canada. Victorians voted for him enthusiastically, as he promised to finally bring about the construction of what we become the Canadian Pacific Railway. In the fall, he was also acclaimed as member for the Marquette riding in Manitoba.

It was abolished in 1903, and split into Victoria City and Nanaimo ridings.

It was re-created in 1924 from the Victoria City riding, electing one member to the House of Commons.

Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following Members of Parliament:

1872 - 1904:

• 1872-1874: Henry Nathan, Jr. - Liberal and Amor De Cosmos - Liberal
• 1874-1878: Amor De Cosmos - Liberal and Francis James Roscoe - Independent Liberal
• 1878-1882: Amor De Cosmos - Liberal and John A. Macdonald - Liberal-Conservative
• 1882-1887: E.C. Baker - Conservative and Noah Shakespeare - Conservative
• 1888-1889: Edward Gawler Prior - Conservative and E.C. Baker - Conservative
• 1889-1902: Thomas Earle - Conservative and Edward Gawler Prior - Conservative
• 1902-1904: George Riley - Liberal and Thomas Earle - Conservative

1925 - present:

• 1925-1928: Simon Fraser Tolmie - Conservative
• 1928-1936: D'Arcy Britton Plunkett - Conservative
• 1936-1937: Simon Fraser Tolmie - Conservative
• 1937-1953: Robert Mayhew - Liberal
• 1953-1957: Francis Fairey - Liberal
• 1957-1963: Albert McPhillips - Progressive Conservative
• 1963-1972: David Groos - Liberal
• 1972-1988: Allan McKinnon - Progressive Conservative
• 1988-1993: John Brewin - New Democratic Party
• 1993-2006: David Anderson - Liberal
• 2006-present: Denise Savoie - New Democratic Party

Current Member of Parliament

Its Member of Parliament is Denise Savoie, a former Victoria city councillor. A school teacher by profession, Savoie was also a director of the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition, which pushed to make the city more suitable for cyclists. She was elected to city council in 1999 with the NDP-aligned Victoria Civic Electors. During the 40th Parliament, since November 2008, she has served as the Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole.

Election results

1925 - present

The Victoria riding name was re-established as a one-member seat in 1924, no longer including the Esquimalt and Metchosin Land Districts and consisted only of the City of Victoria. It is the current riding for central Victoria.

'Note:'2004 Conservative percentage change based on Alliance and PC numbers.

13 Husband of Gretchen Brewin, who remained as Mayor of Victoria.
12 Mayor of the City of Victoria 1986-1990 A redistribution in 1966 trimmed the size of the riding slightly, removing parts of Saanich west of Cedar Hill Road and north of Cedar Hill Cross Road. Election results 1872-1902 The Victoria riding was abolished in 1903. Successor ridings were Victoria City and, for western parts of the riding, Nanaimo. Note: Winners of 1871-1902 elections are in bold, as this riding elected two members of Parliament.
Total
3,175
10 Founder of Barnard's Express and 10th Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
Total
6,944
100.00%
Total
6,005
Total
8 There are no vote counts in the Elections Canada records, only an indication that Mr. Prior was the winner of this byelection.
Total
2,958
100.00%
Total
5 15th Premier of British Columbia 1902-1903 and 11th Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, 1919-1920
Total
Total
2,399
100.00%
Total
1,677
Total
1,914
3 Until the writ of election was dropped, MacDonald had been Minister of the Interior but was elected to serve as an incumbent Prime Minister after a caucus vote re-designating him leader.
Total
1,008
100.00%
2 Charles Morton, one of the "Three Greenhorns" whose property, the Brickmaker's Claim, was to become the West End of the City of Vancouver after 1885.
Total
894
100.00%
1 6th Premier of British Columbia, 1882-1883 See also List of Canadian federal electoral districts Past Canadian electoral districts External links Expenditures - 2004 Expenditures - 2000 Expenditures – 1997 Website of the Parliament of Canada