B.C. election 2017: Skeena riding

In 2013, the NDP had a 522 vote win (47.7 per cent to 43.3 per cent).

Incumbent NDP MLA Robin Austin is not seeking re-election, so the party loses the incumbent advantage. The BC Liberals landed a star candidate in Ellis Ross, former chief of the Haisla First Nations and a prominent aboriginal leader, who is known for his support of industries such as LNG. Always a close race, given the low population base/turnout.

In 2009, NDP incumbent Robin Austin won this riding over Liberal Donny Van Dyk by nearly 1,500 votes (51 per cent to 37 per cent).

History & Geography: The Skeena riding has been on the hustings since the 1924 election, often changing boundaries but generally containing the main cities between Prince Rupert and the Nechako area. The riding includes Terrace, Kitmat, and a number of smaller aboriginal communities. The NDP has won seven of the last 10 elections here, and while the Liberals tend to do well in Terrace, there are other areas of the riding where the NDP gets over 10 times the votes of other parties.

Candidates

BC Liberals – Ellis Ross: Former chief councilor of the Haisla Nation, first elected to Council in 2003. In 2012, Ross was appointed the inaugural Chair of the Aboriginal Business and Investment Council (by Christy Clark). A star First Nations candidate.

NDP – Bruce Bidgood: A researcher and instructor at UNBC, Bidgood is a former two-term Terrace City Councillor and served as chair of the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine.

LAW – Merv Ritchie: Ritchie, the former editor and publisher of Terrace Daily News is the founder, leader, and only candidate for the “Land, Air, Water” party.

2017 Stats: Skeena

Population (2014): 30,240 (82nd)
Population Deviation from Average: -43.1 per cent
Area: 31,610 sq km (10th)
Pop Density: 1.0 (79th)
Average Age: 41 years (45th)
English as Second Language: 14.78 per cent (51st)

Top 3 Second Languages:
Portuguese – 3.33 per cent
German – 1.93 per cent
Panjabi (Punjabi) – 1.09 per cent