Cariboo - Prince George

This largely rural riding is in B.C.'s central interior. It contains the cities of Quesnel and Williams Lake and the southwest part of Prince George (south and west of the Nechako River, the Cariboo Highway, Massey Drive, Patricia Boulevard and the Fraser River).

About 13 per cent of residents are aboriginal, many living on the riding's several reserves. Immigrants make up just over 10 per cent of the population.

The main employers are manufacturing, retail trade, and the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector. The 2006 census shows an average family income of $75,713 and an unemployment rate of 8.9 per cent, the second-highest in the province.

This riding was formed in 2004 by combining nearly equal parts of Prince George-Bulkley Valley and Cariboo-Chilcotin.

Population: 106,382 (2006 census; a decrease of 4.6% since 2001)

Political History

Conservative Dick Harris held Cariboo-Prince George in this election, getting almost 45% of the vote to defeat Liberal Simon Yu by over 9,000 votes. In 2004, Harris was re-elected by 8,538 votes ahead of New Democrat Rick Smith.

In the previous three elections, voters in the former riding of Prince George-Bulkley Valley gave comfortable victories to Harris, then of the Reform/Canadian Alliance. His 2000 win over Liberal Jeannette Townsend was by more than 12,000 votes.

Before Harris, the New Democrats held this riding for one term. Tories had won the three previous elections.

In the former Cariboo-Chilcotin riding, Philip Mayfield of the Reform/Canadian Alliance enjoyed success from 1993, when he ousted then-incumbent Dave Worthy of the PCs, putting an end to a long Tory streak. Mayfield's 2000 win was by 12,658 votes over the Liberal's John McCarvill.

• 2004, 2006 - CON