Kootenay - Columbia

Kootenay-Columbia is in B.C.'s southeast corner, tucked next to Alberta and the United States. Population centres include Kimberley, Revelstoke, Fernie, Sparwood, Cranbrook, Creston and Golden, along with several First Nations reserves.

Immigrants make up more than 10 per cent of the population, and aboriginal people about five per cent. Eighty-nine per cent listed English as their mother tongue in the 2006 census. Just under two per cent listed French and nine per cent a language other than English or French. German was listed by more than one-third of those in the non-official language category.

The service sector, mining and forestry are major industries here. The average family income is $70,446 and the unemployment rate is 6.3 per cent.

The riding of Kootenay East first existed from 1914 to 1966. It was established as Kootenay East-Revelstoke in 1976, then named Kootenay-Columbia in 1996. In the 2004 redistribution, Kootenay-Columbia added about five per cent of the former Kootenay-Boundary-Okanagan riding.

Population: 86,811 (2006 census; a decrease of 2.1% since 2001)

Political History

This region has been the turf of the Reform/Canadian Alliance and now the Conservatives. Incumbent Jim Abbott enjoyed decisive victories over Liberal challengers in the past four elections. In 2004 and 2006, he beat Brent Bush by more than 11,000 votes.

In the 15 years before Abbott, Kootenay-Columbia was the battleground of two MPs: Tory Stan Graham and New Democrat Sid Parker. Graham beat Parker in 1979, then Parker turned the tables in 1980, beating Graham by 631 votes. Four years later, the situation reversed again, with Parker falling to Graham by more than 2,200 votes. In 1988, Parker returned, knocking off Graham with a 1,620-vote margin.

Kootenay East-Revelstoke:

• 1979 - PC
• 1980 - NDP
• 1984 - PC

Kootenay East:

• 1988 - NDP
• 1993 - REF

Kootenay-Columbia:

• 1997 - REF
• 2000 - CA
• 2004, 2006 - CON