Eight candiates are running for the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding that encompasses much of northern B.C. The seat is empty, meaning there will soon be a new face representing much of B.C.'s north.

Since the riding's inception some 15 years ago, the NDP’s Nathan Cullen has been its MP, but with his announcement that he wouldn’t be seeking re-election, it’s a wide-open seat.

Eight candidates are vying for the opportunity, including NDP candidate Taylor Bachrach, Liberal Dave Birdi, Conservative Claire Rattée, Green Mike Sawyer, People’s Party of Canada candidate Jody Craven, Christian Heritage Party candidate Rod Taylor and two independents, Merve Ritchie and Danny Nunes.

While the population of the riding is small, geographically the riding is one of the largest in Canada. It’s more than 300,000 square kilometres in size, making it bigger than some European countries.

“Just to drive to Atlin it’s about 16 hours,” said Rattée, the Conservative candidate. “Unfortunately, many of the places are only accessible by driving. We can’t fly everywhere, so it’s time consuming but it’s necessary.”

The region is home to much of B.C.’s natural resources sector. Industries such as liquefied natural gas, fisheries, mining and forestry are top-of-mind to residents here.

Residents “want jobs,” said Liberal candidate Birdi. “They want the skills and training so that they’re not dependent on the government."

The fishery industry is in turmoil and the forestry industry has been struggling, leading to mass protests across the province.

“We’ve been calling on the federal government to bring immediate relief for the workers and communities that have been so effected by the forestry downturn,” said Bachrach, the New Democrat. He went on to call the situation a “perfect storm” that has been coming for a long time, given the state of U.S. markets, the mountain pine beetle and wildfires.

“For us here it comes down to affordability of life, the economy and the availability of meaningful employment,” said Rattée.

The communities are spread out in the riding and vary in size, but are also quite diverse both in terms of industry and residents.

"Thirty-three per cent of the riding’s population is indigenous,” said Bachrach. “I think the job of the MP is to bring people together, to understand the diversity of those communities and the people who call this place home, and then to give them a voice in Ottawa.”

“When I look at some of the smaller First Nations communities that really, like I said, don’t have access to a lot of the amenities that they should,” said Rattée. “It’s getting involved in those communities, finding solutions for them, finding new employment opportunities for them so they can be successful and have all the tools that they need without having to leave their home.”

The ability to communicate throughout the riding is problematic. Many long sections of highways and remote communities do not have cell phone service and some don’t have access to the internet.

Safety in this regard is a concern for Birdi.

“There are people that are hitchhiking, there’s no way of communication if something happens," he said. "We do need to help with the infrastructure.”

He added in order for business to flourish in the region, this needs to be addressed soon.

Helping small businesses is what Rattée says is key for the area. She herself is a small business owner, operating a tattoo shop in Kitimat.

“I really do believe in leaving more money in people’s pockets, helping people get ahead, making life more affordable," she said.

The candidates have one last debate to address voters' questions and concerns before everyone head to the polls Monday.