2005 Candidates (as received from Elections B.C.):

• Doug Donaldson, New Democratic Party of B.C.
• Nipper Kettle, DR BC
• Jack Kortmeyer, British Columbia Party
• Dennis Edwin MacKay, BC Liberal Party
• Frank Martin, People's Front
• Leanna Mitchell, Green Party of BC

Maps from Elections B.C. will open in a new window.

District Profile:

This vast riding is B.C.'s largest. It takes in the northwest quadrant of the province, running from the Yukon border in the north to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park in the south. The towns of Hazleton, Smithers, Burns Lake and Atlin are here along with other small, isolated communities. The Bulkley Valley-Stikine population is a mix of long-time residents, young families, transient workers and aboriginal people (at 31.6 per cent, the second-highest aboriginal proportion in the province). Immigrants are relatively rare – just 12 per cent of the population. Manufacturing and forestry are the main industries, along with some agriculture and tourism. The average family income is $60,052 – just under the provincial average – but the unemployment rate is B.C.'s second highest, at 14.9 per cent.

Political History:

The incumbent in Bulkley Valley-Stikine is Liberal Dennis MacKay, who in 2001 unseated then-incumbent Bill Goodacre of the NDP by a 3-to-1 margin. In 1996, Goodacre had defeated Liberal Pat Beach by 1,053 votes. Prior to Goodacre the seat was held by New Democrats Jackie Pement (1991-96), Larry Guno (1986-91) and Al Passarell (1979-86). Passarell had come to power via a remarkable one-vote win over Frank Calder, who had presided over the riding for 30 years. Calder was the first aboriginal person to be elected to a Canadian parliament, winning office with the CCF in the old Atlin riding in 1949. He went on to win eight more elections under the NDP and Social Credit banners.

In 2001 the voter turnout in Bulkley Valley-Stikine was 73.3 per cent – somewhat above the provincial average.