Faro (Canadian electoral district)

Faro
Yukon electoral district
Defunct territorial electoral district
LegislatureYukon Legislative Assembly
District created1978
District abolished2002
First contested1978
Last contested2000
Demographics
Electors (2000)234
Census subdivisionFaro

Faro was an electoral district that returned a member (known as an MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of the Yukon Territory in Canada between 1978 and 2002.[1] It was created out of the riding of Pelly River and encompassed the community of Faro. It was situated on the traditional territory of the Ross River Dena Council of the Kaska Dena.

The riding was dissolved in 2002 and amalgamated into the new riding of Pelly-Nisutlin, which includes the communities of Faro, Teslin, Ross River, and Little Salmon.

Faro is the former seat of Yukon Liberal leader Jim McLachlan and New DemocratTrevor Harding, who briefly served as interim leader of the Yukon New Democratic Party and interim Leader of the Official Opposition after his party's defeat in the 2000 territorial election.

History

When partisan politics were first introduced to the Yukon, Faro was one of the territory's nine rural seats. Originally bordered by the ridings of Tatchun and Campbell, at the time of its dissolution it was bordered by the ridings of Mayo-Tatchun and Ross River-Southern Lakes.

Faro is the home of the Faro Mine, at one point the largest open pit lead–zinc mine in the world as well as a significant producer of silver and other natural resource ventures. At its peak in 1982, the community was home to 2,100 residents, but at the time of the riding's dissolution, the community of Faro was home to just 400 people. When the Faro Mine's operators announced the indefinite closure of the operation, the effect devastated the territorial economy, as it represented approximately 40% of territorial GDP.[2] Several corporations sought to restart the Faro Mine, but the final attempt, that of Anvil Range Mining Corporation, ceased in January 1998, followed by the bankruptcy of Anvil Range.

Faro continued to shrink in population as a community as the successive mining operations went under. In 2002, the Yukon Electoral District Boundaries Commission ruled that Faro's population had fallen far below acceptable levels to merit its own riding.[3] The riding of Faro was dissolved and the community of Faro joined the communities of Teslin, Ross River, and Little Salmon to form the new riding of Pelly-Nisutlin.

MLAs

Legislature Years Member Party
24th1978–1981     Maurice ByblowIndependent
1981–1982     NDP
25th1982–1985
26th1985–1989     Jim McLachlanLiberal
27th1989–1992     Maurice ByblowNDP
28th1992–1996 Trevor Harding
29th1996–2000
30th2000-2000
2000–2002     Jim McLachlanLiberal

Electoral results

2000 by-election

2000 By-election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
 LiberalJim McLachlan129 65.5% +42.6%
 NDPHarold Boehm 66 33.5% -43.1%
Total 197100.0%

2000

2000 Yukon general election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
 NDPTrevor Harding177 76.6% -17.7%
 LiberalJim McLachlan53 22.9% +17.7%
Total 231100.0%

1996

1996 Yukon general election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
 NDPTrevor Harding530 94.3% +41.1%
 LiberalEd Peake 29 5.2% -41.0%
Total 562100.0%

1992

1992 Yukon general election[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
 NDPTrevor Harding388 53.2% +10.4%
 LiberalJim McLachlan337 46.2% +9.1%
Total 729100.0%

1989

1989 Yukon general election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
 NDPMaurice Byblow194 42.8% +9.3%
 LiberalJim McLachlan168 37.1% -2.2%
Progressive ConservativeMel Smith9019.9%-7.0%
Total 453100.0%

1985

1985 Yukon general election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
 LiberalJim McLachlan142 39.3% +17.1%
 NDPSibyl Frei 121 33.5% -15.8%
Progressive ConservativeTed Bartsch9726.9%-1.4%
Total 361100.0%

1982

1982 Yukon general election[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
 NDPMaurice Byblow357 49.3% +10.4%
Progressive ConservativeDoris Gates20528.3%+28.3%
 LiberalWayne Peace 160 22.1% +22.1%
Total 724100.0%

1978

1978 Yukon general election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
 Independent Maurice Byblow361 60.1%
 NDPStuart McCall231 38.9%
Total 594100.0%

See also

References