Kootenay—Columbia

Kootenay—Columbia covers the southeastern corner of British Columbia, from the Canadian Rockies along the Alberta border westward through the Purcell and Selkirk mountain ranges. The riding encompasses the Columbia Valley, the Elk Valley, and the broader East Kootenay region, taking in communities from Cranbrook and Fernie to Golden, Revelstoke, and Creston. Mountain passes, narrow river valleys, and alpine terrain characterize its dramatic geography.

Candidates

Rob Morrison (Conservative) — A resident of the Kootenay region for 40 years, Morrison was a retired RCMP officer who rose to the rank of Chief Superintendent. Following his policing career, he served as a diplomat with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, Pakistan, with responsibility for 17 countries across Central and Southwest Asia, and later served as Director General with the Treasury Board Secretariat overseeing law enforcement information-sharing frameworks.

Wayne Stetski (NDP) — The incumbent MP elected in 2015, Stetski had spent decades working in parks and conservation, beginning as a naturalist at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve while studying ecology and education at the University of Manitoba. He later served as regional manager of the Kootenay parks system and moved to Cranbrook in 1990. He served as mayor of Cranbrook before winning the federal seat and was the NDP's Critic for National Parks during his term in Parliament.

Robin Goldsbury (Liberal) — A Kootenay resident for more than 30 years, Goldsbury operated businesses across the region including the Kootenay Cone Company and the Dock 'N' Duck Pub, Grill, and Lodge at the Kootenay Lake Ferry in Balfour. She focused her campaign on rural vitality and climate change.

Abra Brynne (Green Party) — Based in Nelson, Brynne had spent nearly three decades working in agriculture and food systems consulting. She served as executive director of the Central Kootenay Food Policy Council and focused her campaign on climate change, reconciliation, and electoral reform.

Rick Stewart (People's Party) and Trev Miller (Animal Protection Party) also ran.

About the Riding

The Kootenay—Columbia economy has historically depended on resource extraction. Coal mining in the Elk Valley around Fernie and Sparwood, forestry throughout the region, and mineral extraction are longstanding industries. Tourism and outdoor recreation have grown into major economic drivers, with world-class ski resorts including Fernie Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden, and Revelstoke Mountain Resort drawing visitors from around the globe. Cranbrook, with a population of roughly 20,000, serves as the regional service centre. The Columbia Basin Trust, created to share benefits from the Columbia River Treaty dams, remains a significant institution in the area. The riding sits within the traditional territories of the Ktunaxa Nation, the Secwepemc people, and the Sinixt Nation. The Columbia River Treaty between Canada and the United States, which had been the subject of review and renegotiation discussions since 2014, was a policy issue of particular local significance. Transportation infrastructure—including the Trans-Canada Highway through avalanche-prone Rogers Pass and Kicking Horse Pass—and rural healthcare access were perennial concerns for voters scattered across the riding's mountainous terrain.