The 25th Legislative Assembly of British Columbia sat from 1957 to 1960. The members were elected in the British Columbia general election held in September 1956. The Social Credit Party led by W. A. C. Bennett formed the government. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) led by Robert Strachan formed the official opposition.
Thomas James Irwin served as speaker for the assembly until April 1957; he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons later that year. Lorne Shantz replaced Irwin as speaker in 1958.
Members of the 25th Parliament The following members were elected to the assembly in 1956: MemberElectoral districtPartyFirst elected / previously electedNo.# of term(s)Stanley John SquireAlberniCCF19523rd termWilliam James AsselstineAtlinSocial Credit1933, 1956 4th term*Gordon DowdingBurnabyCCF19561st termErnest Edward Winch19338th termCedric Cox (1957)19571st termWilliam Ralph Talbot ChetwyndCaribooSocial Credit19523rd termWilliam Collins Speare (1957)Social Credit19571st termWilliam Kenneth KiernanChilliwackSocial Credit19523rd termRichard Orr NewtonColumbiaSocial Credit1952, 19533rd term*Daniel Robert John CampbellComoxSocial Credit19561st termRobert Martin StrachanCowichan-NewcastleCCF19523rd termLeo Thomas NimsickCranbrookCCF19494th termThomas IrwinDeltaSocial Credit19523rd termNehemiah George Massey19561st termGordon Lionel Gibson (1957)19571st termLyle WicksDewdneySocial Credit19523rd termHerbert Joseph BruchEsquimaltSocial Credit19532nd termThomas Aubert UphillFernieLabour192011th termRay Gillis WillistonFort GeorgeSocial Credit19532nd termLois Mabel HaggenGrand Forks-GreenwoodCCF19561st termPhilip Arthur GaglardiKamloopsSocial Credit19523rd termRandolph HardingKaslo-SlocanCCF19455th termDonald Frederick RobinsonLillooetSocial Credit19552nd termAnthony John GargraveMackenzieCCF19523rd termEarle Cathers WestwoodNanaimo and the IslandsSocial Credit19561st termWesley Drewett BlackNelson-CrestonSocial Credit19523rd termJohn McRae (Rae) EddieNew WestminsterCCF19523rd termLorne ShantzNorth OkanaganSocial Credit19523rd termHarold Earl RocheNorth Peace RiverSocial Credit19561st termJohn Melvin Bryan, Jr.North VancouverSocial Credit19561st term IndependentLiberalNewton Phillips SteacySocial Credit19561st termPhilip Archibald GibbsOak BayLiberal19523rd termCyril Morley ShelfordOminecaSocial Credit19523rd termWilliam Harvey MurrayPrince RupertSocial Credit19561st termArvid LundellRevelstokeSocial Credit1949, 19562nd term*Robert Edward SommersRossland-TrailSocial Credit19523rd termDonald Leslie Brothers (1958)Social Credit19581st termJohn Douglas Tidball TisdalleSaanichSocial Credit19532nd termJames Allan ReidSalmon ArmSocial Credit19523rd termFrancis Xavier RichterSimilkameenSocial Credit19532nd termHugh Addison ShirreffSkeenaSocial Credit19561st termWilliam Andrew Cecil BennettSouth OkanaganSocial Credit1941, 19496th term*Stanley CarnellSouth Peace RiverSocial Credit19561st termEric Charles Fitzgerald MartinVancouver-BurrardSocial Credit19523rd termBert Price19523rd termAlexander Small MatthewVancouver CentreSocial Credit19532nd termLeslie Raymond Peterson19562nd termFrederick Morton SharpVancouver EastSocial Credit19561st termArthur James TurnerCCF19416th termThomas Audley BateVancouver-Point GreySocial Credit19532nd termRobert William Bonner19523rd termBuda Hosmer Brown19561st termWilliam Neelands ChantVictoria CitySocial Credit19532nd termGeorge Frederick Thompson GregoryLiberal19532nd termJohn Donald SmithSocial Credit19561st termIrvine Finlay CorbettYaleSocial Credit19523rd term
Party standings Affiliation Members391021 Total52 Government Majority26
By-elections By-elections were held to replace members for various reasons: Electoral districtMember electedPartyElection dateReasonBurnabyCedric CoxCCFSeptember 9, 1957death of E.E. Winch January 11, 1957CaribooWilliam Collins SpeareSocial CreditSeptember 9, 1957death of W.R.T. Chetwynd April 3, 1957DeltaGordon Lionel GibsonSocial CreditSeptember 9, 1957T.J. Irwin resigned to contest federal election April 26, 1957Rossland-TrailDonald Leslie BrothersSocial CreditDecember 15, 1958R.E. Sommers resigned November 7, 1958; convicted of bribery and conspiracy
Other changes John Melvin Bryan, Jr. becomes an Independent on February 3, 1958. He joins the Liberals on February 25, 1959. Oak Bay (dec. Philip Archibald Gibbs March 1960)
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