Ellis Ross

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Ellis Ross

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|OBC|size=100%}} {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MP|size=100%}}

| image = Ellis Ross in Vancouver in March 2021 (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Ross in Vancouver, March 2021

| birth_name = Ellis Benjamin Ross

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1965}}

| birth_place = Kitimat, British Columbia

| residence = Kitamaat Village, British Columbia

| parliament = Canadian

| riding = Skeena—Bulkley Valley

| term_start = April 28, 2025

| term_end =

| predecessor = Taylor Bachrach

| assembly1 = British Columbia Legislative

| constituency_AM1 = Skeena

| term_start1 = May 9, 2017

| term_end1 = September 21, 2024

| predecessor1 = Robin Austin

| successor1 = Claire Rattée

| party = Conservative (federal)

| otherparty = BC United (provincial)

| occupation = {{hlist

| Politician

| Indigenous leader

}}

| alma_mater =

| spouse = Tracey Ross

| children =

}}

Ellis Benjamin Ross {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MP}} (born June 16, 1965) is a Canadian politician and Indigenous leader serving as the member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Skeena—Bulkley Valley since 2025.{{Cite web |title=Get live results from the Canadian federal election |url=https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/federal/2025/results/#/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=CBC News |language=en}} A member of the Conservative Party, he was elected to the House of Commons in the 2025 federal election, marking the first time the riding has been won by the Conservatives since its formation in 2003. Prior to entering federal politics, he served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA), representing the electoral district of Skeena from 2017 to 2024. During his provincial tenure, he held the cabinet positions as Minister of Natural Gas Development and Minister Responsible for Housing under Premier Christy Clark. He was also a candidate in the 2022 BC Liberal Party leadership race.

Early life and career

Born in Kitimat as the second youngest of seven children, Ross grew up on the Haisla Nation reserve in Kitamaat Village.{{Cite web |title=Ellis Ross takes his prosperity plan to the next level |url=https://northernbeat.ca/profile/ellis-ross-prosperity-plan-bc/ |date=2022-02-02 |publisher=Northern Beat |first=Geoff |last=Russ |access-date=2024-06-10 |archive-date=June 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610171728/https://northernbeat.ca/profile/ellis-ross-prosperity-plan-bc/ |url-status=live }} He conducted survey work for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, operated a charter boat, and ran a hand logging and salvage log beachcombing business with his brother.{{cite web |last=Bennett |first=Nelson |date=2012-10-08 |title=Ellis Ross: Executive chief |url=https://www.biv.com/article/2012/10/ellis-ross-executive-chief/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004191426/https://www.biv.com/article/2012/10/ellis-ross-executive-chief/ |archive-date=2017-10-04 |publisher=Business in Vancouver }} He and his wife Tracey have two daughters together.

He became the Haisla Nation Council's first full-time councillor in 2003,{{cite web |url=https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members/42nd-Parliament/ross-ellis |title=MLA: Ellis Ross |publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |access-date=2024-06-10 |archive-date=June 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610171719/https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members/42nd-Parliament/ross-ellis |url-status=live }} and signed a $50 million agreement with Kitimat LNG in 2006 to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on one of the Haisla Nation reserves. He served in that role until his election as the Haisla Nation's Chief Councillor in 2011, and was inducted into the Order of British Columbia in 2014.{{cite web |url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/celebrating-british-columbia/honours-and-awards/order-of-bc/members/p-s |access-date=2024-06-10 |title=Members of the Order of British Columbia: P–S |publisher=Government of British Columbia |archive-date=June 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610171719/https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/celebrating-british-columbia/honours-and-awards/order-of-bc/members/p-s |url-status=live }}

Political career

= Provincial politics (2017–2024) =

He ran in the 2017 provincial election as a BC Liberal candidate, and was elected MLA for the riding of Skeena,{{Cite news |title=Liberals win new seat in northern B.C. in tight Skeena riding |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/liberals-win-new-seat-in-northern-b-c-in-tight-skeena-riding-1.4107458 |date=2017-05-10 |publisher=CBC News |first=Maryse |last=Zeidler |access-date=2024-06-10}} while losing his home voting area of Kitimaat Village.{{Cite web |date=2018-03-12 |title=Province of British Columbia Data Catalogue - Election Results |url=https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935 |website=Province of BC}} The riding had previously been a stronghold for the New Democratic Party, with that party winning in five of the previous six elections — the only exception being the 2001 BC Liberal landslide.{{Cite news |title=B.C. Votes 2017: Skeena riding profile |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/british-columbia-2017-election-skeena-1.3857408 |date=2017-04-17 |publisher=CBC News |first=Richard |last=Zussman |access-date=2024-06-10}} Upon his election, Premier Christy Clark appointed Ross to cabinet as Minister of Natural Gas Development and Minister Responsible for Housing.{{cite web |url=http://www.northernsentinel.com/home2/a-good-day-for-kitimat/ |date=June 12, 2017 |access-date=June 12, 2017 |title=Ellis Ross appointed to Christy's cabinet |last=Leibel |first=Gerry |publisher=Northern Sentinel |location=Kitimat, BC |archive-date=October 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004191151/http://www.northernsentinel.com/home2/a-good-day-for-kitimat/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |date=2017-06-12 |title=B.C. Premier Christy Clark and cabinet sworn in |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/liberal-cabinet-picks-1.4157148 |access-date=2023-11-28 |publisher=CBC News |archive-date=April 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418224304/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/liberal-cabinet-picks-1.4157148 |url-status=live }} He finished his brief term as minister that July,{{cite web |title=Christy Clark Cabinet 2011-2017 |url=https://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/christyclarkcabinet.pdf |publisher=Legislative Library of British Columbia |date=2018-01-24 |access-date=2023-11-28 |archive-date=October 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031171533/https://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/christyclarkcabinet.pdf |url-status=live }} following the Liberal minority government's defeat in a confidence vote on June 29.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-liberals-fall-non-confidence-1.4185005|title=B.C. Liberal government loses confidence vote 44-42, sparking either NDP government or election|date=June 29, 2017|access-date=September 23, 2020|publisher=CBC News|archive-date=November 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104183517/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-liberals-fall-non-confidence-1.4185005|url-status=live}} On the opposition benches, he served as critic for Natural Gas and Petroleum Resources.{{cite news |url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/bc-liberals-vow-to-prevent-reckless-spending-in-critics-announcement-1.3532503 |title=BC Liberals vow to prevent 'reckless' spending in critics announcement |date=2017-08-03 |access-date=2024-06-10 |publisher=CTV News |first=Kendra |last=Mangione |archive-date=June 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610171727/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/bc-liberals-vow-to-prevent-reckless-spending-in-critics-announcement-1.3532503 |url-status=live }}

Ross won re-election as MLA in 2020, and was named Official Opposition critic for Environment and Climate Change Strategy.{{cite web |url=https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/local-news/bc-liberal-leadership-race-a-qa-with-candidate-ellis-ross-4449380 |date= August 20, 2021 |access-date= October 4, 2021 |title=BC Liberal leadership race: A Q&A with candidate Ellis Ross |publisher= Kamloops This Week |location=Kamloops, BC |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004001946/https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/local-news/bc-liberal-leadership-race-a-qa-with-candidate-ellis-ross-4449380 |archive-date=2021-10-04 }} The next year he became the first declared candidate in the Liberal Party leadership election triggered by the resignation of Andrew Wilkinson.{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-liberals-leadership-campaign-set-for-2022-1.5929904|title=B.C. Liberals to choose next party leader in 2022 |date=2021-02-26 | access-date=2024-06-10 |publisher=CBC News |agency=The Canadian Press}} His leadership campaign, led by Mark Werner{{Cite web |date=2024-07-12 |title=Rob Shaw: BC United outflanked after tapping Trump-loving campaign manager |url=https://www.theorca.ca/commentary/rob-shaw-bc-united-outflanked-after-tapping-trump-loving-campaign-manager-9211753 |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=The Orca |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=thebreaker |date=2024-07-11 |title=BC United hires new manager to reboot campaign |url=https://thebreaker.news/news/werner-bc-united-manager/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=theBreaker |language=en-CA}} finished in second place on the fifth ballot behind winner Kevin Falcon,{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/former-cabinet-minister-kevin-falcon-wins-b-c-liberal-leadership-race-on-5th-ballot-1.6341317 |title=Former cabinet minister Kevin Falcon wins B.C. Liberal leadership race on 5th ballot |date=2022-02-06 |access-date=2024-06-10 |publisher=CBC News |agency=The Canadian Press |first1=Dirk |last1=Meissner |first2=Brieanna |last2=Charlebois |archive-date=February 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207133620/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/former-cabinet-minister-kevin-falcon-wins-b-c-liberal-leadership-race-on-5th-ballot-1.6341317 |url-status=live }} while supporting the rejected candidacy of Aaron Gunn.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-15 |title=BC Liberal leadership candidate Ellis Ross encourages approval of candidacy for leadership hopeful Aaron Gunn |url=https://northcoastreview.blogspot.com/2021/10/bc-liberal-leadership-candidate-ellis.html |website=North Coast Review}}{{Cite news |last=Dzsurdzsa |first=Cosmin |date=2024-01-22 |title=BC United MLA Ellis Ross to announce bid for federal Conservatives |url=https://tnc.news/2024/01/22/ellis-ross-federal-conservatives2/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241205184629/https://tnc.news/2024/01/22/ellis-ross-federal-conservatives2/ |archive-date=2024-12-05 |access-date=2025-04-03 |work=True North |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=2021-10-23 |title=B.C. Liberals block Aaron Gunn leadership bid, citing 'inconsistent' views |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-liberals-aaron-gunn-leadership-rejected-1.6222654 |work=The Canadian Press}} He was named Official Opposition critic for Energy and LNG by Falcon.{{Cite news |last1=Yuzda |first1=Liza |first2=Denise |last2=Wong |date=7 February 2022 |title=Kevin Falcon names BC Liberal critics, will run in byelection for legislature seat |work=CityNews |url=https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2022/02/07/kevin-falcon-bc-liberals-byelection/ |access-date=5 April 2022}}

= Federal politics (2025–present) =

In January 2024, it was announced that Ross had been nominated to become the Conservative Party's candidate for the federal district of Skeena—Bulkley Valley.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-22 |title=Ellis Ross leaves BC United to run for federal conservatives |url=https://www.haidagwaiiobserver.com/local-news/ellis-ross-leaves-bc-united-to-run-for-federal-conservatives-7299958 |access-date=2024-03-14 |website=Haida Gwaii Observer |language=en |archive-date=October 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241001053859/https://www.haidagwaiiobserver.com/local-news/ellis-ross-leaves-bc-united-to-run-for-federal-conservatives-7299958 |url-status=live }} He defeated incumbent New Democrat Taylor Bachrach in the 2025 federal election.