Healthcare and industry support: Election priorities in Fort Nelson

Update, April 25th, 12 p.m.: A previous version of this story contained an error. Electors cannot vote at Elections Canada’s returning officer or deputy returning officer’s offices on April 28th, they must go to their designated polling station. The story has been updated and Energeticcity.ca is happy to set the record straight.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — In Fort Nelson, residents are hopeful the 2025 Canadian federal election results in an increased focus on rural communities. 

Enabled by a grant from the Public Policy Forum, the Rideau Hall Foundation and the Michener Awards Foundation, Energeticcity.ca travelled to Fort Nelson as a part of our expanded election coverage to speak with residents about their priorities ahead of final voting day. 

Seanah Mollica, the executive director of the Fort Nelson Community Literacy Society, told Energeticcity.ca the society had stepped into the gap caused by a lack of critical federal services. 

“[Fort Nelson doesn’t] have a Service Canada, so there’s a big gap there, we have a Service BC, but it’s totally different,” Mollica said. 

“We end up filling in a gap for that, sort of inadvertently, because there’s always a literacy element, especially with technology. 

“We call it advocacy with literacy embedded, but it definitely borders on social work.”

Mollica clarified the society does not have social workers, but despite a lack of training, the society has stepped into the role to fill the need in the community. 

This was one of the “urgent” problems Energeticcity.ca heard was facing Fort Nelson ahead of the election, as well as a lack of equitable access to healthcare. 

“Although we have many needs, the Northern Health authority is sort of centralized in Prince George,” Mollica stated. 

According to the director, the community does not have maternity services, suffers emergency room closures at the local hospital and any residents needing specialty treatment or testing must “travel out” of the community. 

“I would like to see more acknowledgement of [mental health support] in terms of rural areas,” Mollica said. 

“We’re in [a] rural area, we’re just this afterthought…just not included.”

“It is difficult; we try our best to have our voices heard and to speak up, but when you’re such a small community, you can only go so far,” Mollica explained. 

The executive director of the Fort Nelson Chamber of Commerce, Bev Vandersteen, stated the chamber hopes to see the government meeting small and medium-sized businesses at the table to better support the economy.

“We have some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met, and if [the] government or other [industries] will sit down at the table and talk to us, we’ll find solutions,” Vandersteen said. 

Vandersteen emphasized the importance of improved rail access to the community, calling it Fort Nelson’s “single biggest stumbling block” in attracting industry. 

“What we have going for us is we have an extremely resilient community and workforce; people in the north just get it done,” Vandersteen said. 

“We’re extremely independent business owners…so they’re ready and waiting, they’re ready to go…they’ll make it happen.”

With advance voting over the long holiday weekend closed, the next time residents can vote in person is April 28th, voting day. 

To register to vote, individuals will need to provide information on their driver’s licence, be a resident of Canada and confirm they will be 18 years of age or older by April 28th. Residents intending to vote by mail must register online for their ballot package by April 22nd.

On voting day, all voters must identify themselves in one of a variety of ways at the polls.

They can present one piece of government-issued identification, such as a driver’s licence issued by any Canadian government – be it a provincial, federal or territory government, with a photograph, name and current address.

If you do not have photo identification, voters can declare their identity and address in writing, and have someone who knows them or who is assigned to their polling station vouch for them.

Voting polls will be open to residents across the region, and electors must vote at their designated polling station on Monday.

Get clued up on everything you need to know before casting your vote this April with Energeticcity.ca’s new digital Election Guide.