Summary: The riding on B.C.’s southeast border, Kootenay-Columbia became significantly more friendly to the NDP in the recent redistribution.
Boundaries: A large riding full of small towns, Kootenay-Columbia includes all areas of the Columbia region from Revelstoke to the B.C.-Alberta border, and all areas of the Kootenays from Nelson to the border.
Last Election: Conservative MP David Wilks was elected for the first time, replacing longtime Conservative MP Jim Abbott and defeating his NDP by challenger by 22.7 per cent.
However, redistribution has added the NDP strongholds of Nelson, Salmo and Kaslo to this riding. Had this riding existed with these boundaries the last election, the Conservatives would have only taken it by 11.3 per cent over the NDP (based on polling results).
History: Southeastern B.C. was a swing area in federal elections prior to 1993, but has elected the Reform/Alliance/Conservative Party ever since. Provincially, the area is a mix of right-wing and left-wing districts.
Demographics: English is the first langugae of 90 per cent of residents, the fourth highest figure in British Columbia.
Candidates
Conservative: David Wilks, MP since 2011
NDP: Wayne Stetski, former mayor of Cranbrook, the riding’s largest city
Liberal: Don Johnston, former CEO of the Columbia Basin Trust
Green: Bill Green, manager of the Canadian Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Commission