Labrador

Labrador is a federal electoral district encompassing the entire mainland portion of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The by-election was called following the death of Lawrence O'Brien, who had represented the riding for the Liberals since first winning a by-election in 1996. O'Brien, who had been battling cancer since 1998, died on December 16, 2004, at the age of 53.

Candidates

Todd Russell (Liberal) — Russell served as president of the Labrador Métis Nation (later renamed NunatuKavut Community Council), representing the Indigenous people of south and central Labrador. He was educated at Memorial University of Newfoundland and was raised in William's Harbour, Labrador.

Graham Letto (Conservative) — Letto served as mayor of Labrador City, a mining community in western Labrador whose economy centres on iron ore extraction. He had been mayor since 2001.

Frances Fry (NDP) — Fry represented the New Democratic Party, which had some provincial-level support in Labrador at the time, with the provincial NDP holding one of its two seats in the region.

About the Riding

The riding of Labrador is one of the largest federal electoral districts in Canada by area, covering the entirety of mainland Labrador. Despite its vast geographic extent, it is among the least populous ridings in the country, with a population of approximately 27,000. Major communities include Happy Valley-Goose Bay, the region's largest town and administrative centre; Labrador City and Wabush in the west, known collectively as Labrador West; and Churchill Falls, site of one of the largest hydroelectric generating stations in the world.

The riding includes the Inuit self-governing territory of Nunatsiavut along the northern coast, as well as the Innu communities of Sheshatshiu and Natuashish. The Indigenous population forms a significant portion of the riding's residents. The Trans-Labrador Highway connects the major communities, though many northern coastal communities are accessible only by air or sea.

The economy is driven by natural resources, particularly iron ore mining in Labrador West, hydroelectric power generation at Churchill Falls, and a military base at Happy Valley-Goose Bay.