By Chris Beach

Northern View

The Northern View: Fight for Skeena-Bulkley Valley

Feb 7, 2024 | 12:22 PM

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre recently touched down again in northern B.C. to set off what should be a hard-fought battle for the riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley in the next federal election.

Since the late 1950s the riding has gone back and forth between the NDP and the Conservatives, with the Liberals capturing the riding only once in the 1970s.

For the last 20 years, Skeena-Bulkley Valley has been a pretty safe bet for the NDP, taking the riding easily in the last seven elections. Taylor Bachrach has held the seat for the NDP since 2019. But with the federal Tories surging under new leader Pierre Poilievre and looking like a sure thing to win the next federal election, polls are currently indicating that they can not only challenge the NDP, but the riding now looks like it’s theirs to lose. And so this is why we are seeing a much higher profile candidate in Ellis Ross emerge to ensure the Conservatives have the best chance to take Skeena back into the fold.

Ross, a former Chief Councillor for the Haisla Nation who ran unsuccessfully against Kevin Falcon for the leadership of the BC United, has been the Stikine MLA since 2017. Prior to being elected provincially, Ross became known to many in the province as an outspoken proponent of natural gas pipelines and First Nations’ right to play a key role in the economic developments of their own territories.

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As of today, current polling by 338 Canada puts the Conservatives ahead in the riding with 48% and the NDP with 35%, but a lot could happen in the next year and half before Trudeau drops the writ. A likely better showing in the North by the provincial NDP in this year’s BC election could help bolster the party’s federal candidates like Bachrach.

Some of the more right-wing Conservative candidates could say something they shouldn’t, as has happened in the past, and scare moderate on-the-fence voters away. Local Liberal or Green Party supporters could vote strategically and support Bachrach in order to block the Tories from taking the seat.

Whatever the case, there’s still lots of time left, and the race for one of three northern BC federal ridings, pitting a well-known, charismatic, Indigenous provincial politician against a popular, hard-working and talented incumbent, should make for an exciting and extremely competitive race to the finish line.

I’m Chris Beach and this is the Northern View.

Editors note: The views expressed in this column do not necessarily represent the views of Pattison Media.