Election 2011: rabble.ca has chosen 10 key ridings across Canada for progressives to watch in the run-up to the May 2 vote, and asked local writers to assess them. The profiles highlight why the riding profiled is important and issues local campaigns are focused upon.

At first glance, the current electoral battle in the Vancouver Island North is simply a case of the Conservatives and the NDP slugging it out again in a riding that has swung back and forth over the last decade. Underlying this swing, however, may be outcomes that will decide the future of a significant part of British Columbia.