In 2009: NDP incumbent Gary Coons won this riding for the second straight time, defeating Liberal Herb Pond by nearly 2000 votes, 57-35%.
History & Geography: Known as Prince Rupert from 1916-1991, this riding spans the west coast of British Columbia from just past the north tip of Vancouver Island to Lax Kw’alaams, just north of Prince Rupert. There are a number of aboriginal villages in North Coast, including Bella Coola and Klemtu, along with the Haida Gwaii. The riding of former premier Thomas Dufferin Pattullo from 1916-1945, this riding has gone to the NDP in 9 of the last 10 elections, 2001 being the only outlier.
Basic Stats:
Population: 22320 (84th)
Size: 65972 km (4th)
Density: 0.3 people/km (83rd)
Odds and Ends: In the 2009 election, the polling station for the small Tsimshian village of Kitkatla recorded zero votes for the Liberal party, compared to 44 for the NDP.
Candidates
Liberals-Judy Fraser: A small business owner, Fraser is a regional director on the BC Liberal Executive. She has sat on a number of boards in the community, including the Prince Rupert Health Advocacy Committee, the Prince Rupert Airport Authority, and the BC Ladies Curling Association.
NDP-Jennifer Rice: A one-term Prince Rupert city councillor, Rice works for with the T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation, an organization affiliated with the United Fisherman and Allied Workers Union. A former columnist for the Prince Rupert Daily News, Rice has been involved in a number of environmental causes, and is former chair of Friends of Wild Salmon.
Greens-Hondo Arendt: A community college professor, Arendt ran for the party federally in the 2008 election in Skeena-Bulkley Valley, but finished in fourth with 4.7% of the vote.
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