AT 11:24 pm, with just one of 82 polls to go, New Democrat Robin Austin has been elected for a third term in the Skeena riding.
He has 5,102 votes to 4,739 votes for BC Liberal Carol Leclerc. BC Conservative Mike Brousseau has 735 votes while Trevor Hendry of the BC Party has 254 votes.
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AT 11:17 pm, with 76 of 82 polls, New Democrat Robin Austin is solidfying his lead at 4,781 votes. BC Liberal Carol Leclerc has 4,304 votes while BC Conservative Mike Brousseau has 670 votes and Trevor Hendry of the BC Party has 222 votes.
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AT 10:42 pm, New Democrat Robin Austin is staying in Kitimat a bit longer, waiting for more final numbers to come in, reports Terrace Standard reporter Josh Massey from the Terrace NDP campaign office.
"We're finally moving into a couple hundred lead after Greenville and Kitimat advanced have come in," says Denis Gagnon, Austin's constituency assistant.
And people at the NDP gathering say the Liberals have taken the Terrace advance polls.
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AT 10:35 pm, New Democrat Robin Austin has 4,359 votes as larger polls come in. Liberal Carol Leclerc has 3,956 votes. BC Conservative Mike Brousseau has 599 votes and Trevor Hendry of the BC Party has 191 votes.
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AT 10:28 pm, Skeena BC Liberal candidate Carol Leclerc said she remains optimistic about her chances.
She notes that advance votes are still to be counted.
"It's a nailbiter, it's neck and neck," said Leclerc of the Skeena riding race.
"Never underestimate the electorate," she commented on the Liberal win in the province.
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AS the clock ticks to 10:15 pm, there was a cheer at the Terrace NDP headquarters when it was announced their candidate, Robin Austin, took two more polls in the Nass Valley.
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AT 10:08 pm we have comments from two of the three Skeena candidates courtesy of Cameron Orr at The Northern Sentinel in Kitimat.
“Each time you go to an election it’s kind of a referendum on your performance, and you wonder whether people think you’ve been doing a good job and want to keep you on,” said Robin Austin, the NDP candidate for Skeena. “I enjoy campaigning, but I’m still nervous.”
He said the support on the street and at doorsteps was strong, and felt good about the campaign, but faced with historically low voter turnout, he was just hoping his supporters came out to cast their votes for him.
At the Eagle Centre in Kitimat, BC Conservative candidate Mike Brousseau sat with supporters, but no ongoing election tally could be seen anywhere, save for individuals’ smartphones. Brousseau himself wasn’t checking.
“This province is going to be bankrupt in three to four years and I’ll pick up the pieces then,” he said, very early in the evening.
He said regardless of the government, whether NDP or Liberal, they will take the province down a path of poverty.
“To me, I don’t have a problem with this result tonight, I’m a happy, happy camper, my wife will be a happy, happy camper… and [we’ll] go back to doing what’s right.”
But he’s not saying no to future elections.
“I’m not giving up,” he said. “The children and our future are too important to give up.”
He continued, “We’re not political, we’re good people trying to help this area… Tthere’s] No sadness here.”
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AT 10 pm - Austin is keeping his lead with 3,204 votes while Leclerc has 3,125. Brousseau has 471 and Hendry has 157.
Workers at both NDP and Liberal campaign offices say they are awaiting Kitimat results.
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AT 9:53 pm, Independent Vicki Huntington has been elected in Delta South but another Independent, Bob Simpson, is running second in Cariboo North to the Liberal candidate.
Stikine and the North Coast will once again be represented by NDP MLAs.
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AT 9:47 pm. New Democrat Austin is building on a lead with 3,150 votes. Leclerc has 3,076, Brousseau at 464 votes and Hendry at 153.
Elsewhere in the north, the Prince George - Mackenzie riding has a Liberal in the lead. The Liberals are also leading in Prince George - Valemount.
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AT 9:42 pm. New Democrat Robin Austin has the slimmest of leads. He has 3,069 votes to 3,055 for Liberal Leclerc. Brousseau has 460 votes and Hendry 143.
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AT 9:32 pm - Liberal Carol Leclerc has 2,505 votes, Austin has 2,426, Brousseau has 359 and Hendry has 112.
And in the Victoria area riding of Oak Bay, Green candidate Andrew Weaver has been elected.
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AT 9:20 pm - Leclerc is now at 2,255 votes with Austin at 2,085, Brousseau at 323 and Hendry at 91. Half of the riding's 82 polls are now in.
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At 9:15 pm BC Liberal candidate Carol Leclerc is closing in on 2,000. New Democrat Robin Austin has 1,849 votes, BC Conservative Mike Brousseau has 281 votes and Trevor Hendry of the BC Party has 81 votes.
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At 9:13 pm, the North Coast riding is considered to be in the winning column for the NDP with Jennifer Rice headed to Victoria.
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AT 9:10 pm, Leclerc now has 1,606 votes compared to Austin with 1,521 votes. Brousseau has 221 votes and Hendry has 69.
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AT 9:05 pm, Leclerc has widened her lead with 1,304 votes. Austin has 1,185, Brousseau has 181 and Hendry has 52.
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At just after 9 pm, Leclerc stands at 1,033, Austin at 1,028, Brousseau at 150 and Hendry at 49.
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At 9 pm, there are cheers at Leclerc's Terrace Liberal campaign office as each refreshed count comes in.
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8:55 pm - Leclerc remains in the lead wtih 694 votes. Austin now has 627, Brousseau has 110 and Hendry has 37.
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"Absolutley we're nervous, we knew this was going to be close," reports Leclerc supporter Brian Downie.
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8:51 pm - Leclerc has broken the 500 mark with 650. Austin is at 467, Brousseau at 86 and Hendry at 28. 11 polls of 82 have now reported.
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8:50 pm - Leclerc's lead is now at 462 with Austin at 412, Brousseau at 76 and Hendry at 20. Ten polls have now reported in.
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8:44 pm - Leclerc's lead is now 317 with Austin at 262, Brousseau at 60 and Hendry at 20. Seven polls have now reported in.
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8:35 pm - Leclerc has pulled ahead with 160 votes followed by 129 for Austin, 27 for Brousseau and 11 for Hendry.
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AT 8:30 pm - the first Skeena riding results have been reported.
Incumbent New Democrat Robin Austin has 59, BC Liberal Carol Leclerc 50, BC Conservative Mike Brousseau 7 and 3 for Trevor Hendry of the BC Party.