2019 Canada election results: North Island-Powell River

The NDP has retained its hold on the riding of North Island-Powell River.

Incumbent Rachel Blaney earned 37.8 per cent of the vote, holding off a challenge from Conservative Shelley Downey, who finished with 32.4 per cent. The Greens’ Mark de Bruijn finished third with 14.3 per cent.

For four years, Blaney has travelled by air or water to meet voters in the district, one of the few ridings in Canada where there isn’t a road connecting the communities.

Heading into the 2015 election, the Conservatives were favoured to win the riding, but Blaney, a political newcomer, won the seat by around 8,500 votes over Tory candidate Laura Smith.

This time around the Greens were looking for a breakthrough. While polling numbers had suggested the party was in contention across Vancouver Island, the breakthrough failed to materialize.

Candidates

NDP: Rachel Blaney
Liberal: Peter Schwarzhoff
Conservative: Shelley Downey
Green: Mark de Bruijn
People’s Party of Canada: Brian Rundle

Geography

The northern Vancouver Island riding covers Port Hardy, Campbell River and Powell River.

Demographics

European 83,690 80.7 per cent
Aboriginal 13,600 13.1 per cent
Filipino 760 0.7 per cent
Chinese 655 0.6 per cent