Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island

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Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	1856
Disbanded	1866
Preceded by	none
Succeeded by	Legislative Council of British Columbia
Leadership
Speaker of the House of Assembly	John Sebastian Helmcken
Meeting place
Bachelor's Hall, Fort Victoria 1856–1860
Legislative Hall / Legislative Council Court 1860–1866

The Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island, sometimes House of Assembly of Vancouver Island, was the colonial parliamentary body that was elected to represent voters in the Colony of Vancouver Island. It was created in 1856 after a series of petitions were sent to the Colonial Office in London protesting the Hudson's Bay Company's proprietary rule over the colony. It was the first elected assembly in British North America west of Ontario. Although at first only handful of colonists met the voting requirement, and most of those that did were tied to the HBC, the franchise was gradually extended, and the assembly began to assert demands for more control over colonial affairs, as well as criticize colonial governor Sir James Douglas's inherent conflict of interest as both governor and Hudson Bay Company's chief factor.