Prince Rupert youth buck B.C. trend in student vote
Students at six Prince Rupert Schools bucked the trend in B.C. and the riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley by electing Taylor Bachrach of the NDP in a mock federal vote ahead of the actual election on April 28.
Charles Hays Secondary School, Annunciation School, Prince Rupert Middle School, Conrad Street Elementary School, Lax Kxeen Elementary School and Roosevelt Park Community School participated in the 2025 federal student vote.
Designed to introduce kids to politics and foster participation, Student Vote Canada offers students the opportunity to explore parties and platforms, debate the issues and cast ballots for the actual candidates.
Between the six schools that held mock elections, the incumbent Taylor Bachrach of the New Democratic Party of Canada received a total of 212 out of 520 votes, or 40.77 per cent. Ellis Ross of the Conservative Party of Canada received 151 votes, or 29.04 per cent, while Liberal Party of Canada candidate Inderpal Dhillon finished third with 68 votes, or 13.08 per cent.
Adeana Young of the Green Party of Canada received 60 votes, or 11.54 per cent. Christian Heritage Party of Canada leader Rod Taylor received 29 votes, or 5.58 per cent.
The breakdown of voting in each school follows.
Charles Hays Secondary School
The secondary school voted to re-elect Bachrach as MP, giving him 48.6 per cent of the vote. Ross finished second with 25.5 per cent, while Dhillon finished with 13.3 per cent. Young got 7.8 per cent and Taylor got 4.7 per cent.
Annunciation School
Ross won in a landslide at the Annunciation School with 58.9 per cent of the votes. Bachrach and Dhillon each finished with 17.9 per cent, Young got 5.1 per cent and Taylor did not receive a vote.
Conrad Street Elementary School
The tightest election race in Rupert belonged to Conrad Street Elementary, with Dhillon eaking out a victory with 28.1 per cent of the votes. Ross finished second with 25 per cent, Young finished third with 21.9 per cent, and Bachrach and Taylor both finished with 12.5 per cent.
Prince Rupert Middle School
The middle school elected Bachrach with 38.54 per cent of the votes, followed by Ross with 27.08 per cent. Young of the Green Party came in third, securing 20.83 per cent of the student vote.
Roosevelt Park Community School
Roosevelt Park also re-elected Bachrach, who earned 46.9 per cent of the students' votes. Dhillon finished second with 21.9 per cent, Young finished third with 15.6 per cent and Ross finished fourth with 12.5 per cent. Taylor got 3.1 per cent.
Lax Kxeen Elementary
At Lax Kxeen Elementary School, the Conservative and NDP candidates tied, each receiving 37.88 per cent of the vote. They were followed by Taylor of the Christian Heritage Party with 10.61 per cent, and Young, who received 9.09 per cent.
Student Vote
The program is a partnership between CIVIX and Elections Canada. Schools receive learning materials and voting supplies including ballots, boxes, and voting screens to replicate the experience of an election.
'Student Vote is more than a simulation, it's a chance for students to see themselves as active citizens and future voters,' said Lindsay Mazzucco, CEO of CIVIX. 'Research shows that early experiences with voting can build the habits and confidence that lead to lifelong participation, and teachers across Canada continue to make that possible.'
With files from Gary Barnes and Harvin Bhathal
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