Ellis Ross
- Born
- June 16, 1965 — Kitimat
- Family
- Married to Tracey, two daughters
- Career
- Survey work for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, operated a charter boat, ran a hand logging and salvage log beachcombing business with his brother. Haisla Nation Council's first full-time councillor in 2003, Haisla Nation's Chief Councillor in 2011
- Political Experience
- MLA for the riding of Skeena from 2017 to 2024. Minister of Natural Gas Development and Minister Responsible for Housing. Elected MP for Skeena—Bulkley Valley in 2025.
- Notable
- Inducted into the Order of British Columbia in 2014.
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before entering federal politics, Ellis Ross had a long career in Indigenous governance and resource development. He served as the elected Chief Councillor for the Haisla Nation in British Columbia for over a decade. During his time as Chief, he was a key figure in negotiating agreements for major industrial projects on Haisla territory. His most prominent work involved securing the LNG Canada project, a multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas facility in Kitimat. Ross was a vocal advocate for the project, framing it as a crucial opportunity for economic self-sufficiency and prosperity for his community. He also served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in British Columbia from 2017 to 2021, representing the Skeena riding for the BC Liberal Party (now BC United).
Key Relationships & Connections
As Chief Councillor of the Haisla Nation, Ellis Ross developed key relationships with executives from the energy sector, most notably with the partners in the LNG Canada consortium, which includes Shell, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation, and KOGAS. He worked closely with provincial government leaders, including former B.C. Premier Christy Clark, to secure approvals and agreements for the LNG project. In provincial politics, he was a member of the BC Liberal caucus under leader Andrew Wilkinson. As a federal Member of Parliament, he is part of the Conservative Party caucus led by Pierre Poilievre. His political career is fundamentally linked to his leadership role within the Haisla Nation.
Public Controversies
Ellis Ross's strong support for oil and gas projects, such as the Coastal GasLink pipeline and LNG Canada, has been a source of public controversy. His stance has often placed him in opposition to environmental organizations and some other Indigenous leaders who oppose the projects due to their environmental impact and concerns over Indigenous rights and title. In 2020, while serving as a provincial MLA, Ross faced significant backlash and calls for his resignation as the opposition critic for LNG and resource opportunities. This followed a social media post in which he reportedly compared the tactics of some Indigenous protestors to those of the Ku Klux Klan. He later stated his comments were misunderstood and that he was referring to the use of masks to hide identities, not making a direct comparison of the groups' overall nature or goals.
Where Ellis falls on key policy spectrums
Your Money
People & Society
How We're Governed
Land & Community
Taylor Bachrach won with 17,677 votes (39.3%)
Total votes cast: 44,932
How does Ellis Ross's voting record line up with your values?
Madam Speaker, the member gave a knowledgeable speech in terms of democracy and the way this place is supposed to work. In fact, when I came here, the Liberal government had a minority government, and things were working. It was getting comments from all the MPs in this place, and there was compromise and amendments in committee. Now that the Liberals have a majority, they stacked their majority
Mr. Speaker, when Canadians think of Skeena—Bulkley Valley, they think of LNG and the port of Prince Rupert. These projects are important, but they are only part of the story. Our region is home to tremendous economic potential, from the port of Stewart to the industrial lands being developed around Kitselas and Terrace and emerging opportunities in mineral processing and refining in communities
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for that very passionate speech. As opposition members, we propose to improve these types of bills with amendments. The Liberals characterize these amendments at committee stage as obstructions, yet all we are trying to do is make the bills better. Could the member tell us if there are amendments that can be implemented to achieve the objectives while still
Mr. Speaker, it is basically democracy that translates from the House to committee. The Conservatives, the Bloc and the NDP all agree with part 1 of this bill. There is no question about that. It is 9:30 at night, and after this, the committee will sit again. It will be one more attempt for MPs in the House to protect civil liberties and privacy. Does the member think the Liberal government will
If the seller is in the United States and that's where the purchase is made, and the boat comes to Canada and it sinks because the buyer wasn't able to maintain the boat, then does that liability stay with the buyer?
I understand that, but the point of this bill is that the onus is on the seller. They say that you have to do the due diligence to ensure that the buyer is competent enough to maintain a boat. How will Canada do this at any level of government when they're selling surplus vessels to boat owners? How will they do it? Who will do it on behalf of Canada?
As well as the competence of the potential owner, the buyer, to ensure that that new owner is competent or not reckless in owning a boat or maintaining a boat.
If I didn't verify that in some document, I'm breaking the law. It's prohibited for me to sell that vessel to Branden here without checking all these checkboxes. It's going to come back to the courts. In terms of enforcement, I assume that Transport Canada is going to enforce this, so will they be enforcing by looking at the documents? Marine assessment is not a problem. Marine survey is not a