Taylor Bachrach (born 1978) is a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the member of Parliament (MP) representing the riding of

Skeena—Bulkley Valley Skeena—Bulkley Valley is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004. Geography This is a mostly wilderness area comprising almost the entire northwestern ...

in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

from 2019 to 2025 as a member of the

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

. Prior to federal politics, he served as the mayor of

Smithers Smithers is a surname of English origin. It derives from the Middle English term "smyther", referring to a metalsmith, and is thus related to the common occupational surname Smith. The name Smither is related. People * Alan Smithers (born 1938) ...

from 2011 to 2019 and municipal councilor in the village of

Telkwa Telkwa is a village located along British Columbia Highway 16, nearly southeast of the town of Smithers and west of the city of Prince George, in northwest British Columbia, Canada. History Settlement in the area began around 1904 in a towns ...

from 2008 to 2011.

Political Career

Bachrach's started his political career in the village of Telkwa where be became a municipal councilor in 2008 and later went on to become the mayor of Smithers in 2011. He served as mayor until 2019, winning reelection twice, before his turning his career into federal politics. At the

2019 Canadian federal election The 2019 Canadian federal election was held on October 21, 2019. Members of the House of Commons were elected to the 43rd Canadian Parliament. In keeping with the maximum four-year term under a 2007 amendment to the ''Canada Elections Act'', ...

, Skeena—Bulkley Valley was an open seat as its MP,

Nathan Cullen Nathan Paul Cullen (born July 13, 1972) is a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) representing the riding of Stikine (provincial electoral district), Stikine from 2020 to 2024 as a memb ...

, chose not to seek re-election. Bachrach won the party's nomination and subsequently held the seat for the NDP. He resigned as mayor of Smithers on November 3, 2019, to assume his new role as MP. After he was elected federally, NDP leader

Jagmeet Singh Jagmeet Singh Jimmy Dhaliwal (born January 2, 1979) is a Canadian former politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2017 to 2025 and as the Member of Parliament (Canada), member of Parliament (MP) for Burnaby Sou ...

named him to be the party's critic for Infrastructure and Communities in the

43rd Canadian Parliament The 43rd Canadian Parliament was in session from December 5, 2019, to August 15, 2021, with the membership of its Lower House, the House of Commons of Canada, having been determined by the results of the 2019 federal election held on October 21 ...

. After his re-election in the

2021 Canadian federal election The 2021 Canadian federal election was held on September 20, 2021, to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons to the 44th Canadian Parliament. The Writ of election, writs of election were issued by Governor General of ...

, Bachrach became the critic for Transport and deputy critic for Infrastructure and Communities. On December 13, 2021, Bachrach tabled Bill C-210, the Right to Vote at 16 Act, which would amend the

Canada Elections Act The ''Canada Elections Act'' () is an Act of the Parliament of Canada which regulates the election of members of parliament to the House of Commons of Canada. The Act has been amended many times over Canada's history. The ''Canada Election ...

to lower the federal voting age in Canada from 18 to 16 years of age. On December 13, 2023, he tabled Bill C-371, the Rail Passenger Priority Act, which would amend the

Canada Transportation Act Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's second-largest country by total area, with the ...

to give passenger trains priority over freight rail. Following the adjournment of the House of Commons for the holiday season, Bachrach embarked on ''

The Canadian ''The Canadian'' () is a transcontinental passenger train operated by Via Rail with service between Union Station in Toronto, Ontario, and Pacific Central Station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Canadian Pacific introduced this serv ...

'' to learn more about and promote passenger rail in Canada. In the 2025 federal election, Bachrach was defeated by

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

candidate Ellis Ross.

Personal life

Bachrach and his wife, Michelle, have two daughters, Ella and Maddie. He lives in

. Outside politics, Bachrach owned a communications business, Bachrach Communications. He also served as the director of communications for the British Columbia chapter of the

Sierra Club of Canada The Sierra Club Canada Foundation (SCCF) is a Canadian environmental organization made up of a national branch and five chapters in Ontario, Atlantic Canada, Québec, the Prairies, and a nation-wide Youth chapter. The organization's mission is t ...

Electoral record

Federal

Municipal

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bachrach, Taylor Living people New Democratic Party MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia 21st-century mayors of places in British Columbia People from Smithers, British Columbia 1978 births 21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada