Northwestern voters appear to have responded to the 2025 federal election being called the most important in Canada's history by registering an increase in turn out at the polls.

Preliminary data from Elections Canada indicates that the Skeena - Bulkley Valley riding voter turn out percentage was 64.87 per cent, a full nine per cent more than the turn out for the last election in 2021.

The 64.87 per cent figure this time represents 44,859 voters from an eligible pool of 69,154 people. In the 2021 election, 37,391 people turned out or 55.72 per cent of the eligible voter pool of 67,453 people.

Nationally, there was a turnout of 69 per cent in response to American president Donald Trump's ongoing threat against Canadian sovereignty and the tariff war he has declared on the country.

Conservative candidate and former Skeena B.C. Liberal MLA Ellis Ross with 21,187 votes easily topped NDP incumbent Taylor Bachrach's 17,632 votes this time to become the next Member of Parliament for the riding. By percentage, Ross received 47.2 per cent of the vote while Bachrach collected 39.3 per cent of the vote.

Liberal candidate City of Terrace councillor Inder Dhillon came third with 4,914 votes for 11 per cent of the total. That was 2,866 more than what Lakhwinder Jhaj received for the Liberal party in 2021.

There was no People's Party of Canada candidate this time but there was in 2021 when Jody Craven collected 2,888 votes.

National Christian Heritage Party of Canada leader Rod Taylor received 797 votes in 2021 but only 526 this time.

Green candidate Adeana Young came last this time with 526 votes, fewer than the 1,406 when she ran in 2021.

A combination of a slight adjustment to the riding's boundaries and population growth resulted in an increase in the registered voter total to 69,154 people from 67,453 people in 2021 for a gain of 1,701.

That increase, plus the increase in people voting meant 7,275 more people cast ballots in this election than in 2021.

The distribution of these voters, the lack of a People's Party of Canada candidate this time, vigorous campaigns by both Ross and Bachrach and a bump in Liberal support was reflected in individual totals this time compared to 2021.

Ross received 21,187 votes, considerably than the 13,513 votes going to Conservative candidate Claire Ratteein 2021. Bachrach's total this time of 17,632 was 1,711 more than the 15,921 votes he received in 2021. And Liberal Dhillon gathered in 4,914 votes this time, 2,048 more than Jhaj's 2,866 in 2021.