Labrador

Labrador is a vast federal electoral district covering all of mainland Labrador in Newfoundland and Labrador, making it one of the largest ridings in Canada by area while also being among the least populous, with approximately 26,000 residents. The by-election was called after Conservative MP Peter Penashue resigned his seat on March 14, 2013, following revelations that his 2011 campaign had accepted 28 illegal donations and exceeded spending limits by more than $5,000, with the Conservative Party having repaid a total of $44,350 in illegally obtained funds.

Candidates

Yvonne Jones (Liberal) — Jones was a veteran Newfoundland and Labrador politician who had served as the Member of the House of Assembly for Cartwright—L'Anse au Clair since 1996. She served as interim and then full-time leader of the provincial Liberal Party from 2007 to 2011, the first woman to hold that position. Jones is NunatuKavummiut, a member of the Indigenous people of southern Labrador, and had previously served as mayor of Mary's Harbour from 1991 to 1996.

Peter Penashue (Conservative) — Penashue was the incumbent seeking to regain his seat after resigning over campaign finance violations. A member of the Innu Nation from Sheshatshiu, he was the first Innu from Labrador ever elected to the House of Commons when he won in 2011, and the first Innu cabinet minister in Canadian history, serving as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. He had previously served as president and Grand Chief of the Innu Nation and played a central role in negotiations around the Voisey's Bay nickel mine development.

Harry Borlase (NDP) — Borlase was a northern issues analyst with C-CORE, a research organization specializing in cold-ocean development. Raised in Nain and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, he had worked on northern and polar issues throughout his career and held expertise in polar law.

About the Riding

Labrador encompasses the entire mainland portion of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, stretching from the Strait of Belle Isle in the south to the northern tip of the Labrador Peninsula. The riding covers roughly 295,000 square kilometres of boreal forest, tundra, and rugged coastline, making it geographically one of Canada's largest electoral districts despite its small population.

The riding's largest community is Happy Valley-Goose Bay, with a population of approximately 8,000, situated on the shores of Lake Melville near the mouth of the Churchill River. It is home to 5 Wing Goose Bay, a Canadian Forces base with a long history as a military air training facility. Other significant communities include Labrador City and Wabush in western Labrador, which are centres for iron ore mining, and the coastal communities of the Inuit region of Nunatsiavut, including Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, Rigolet, and Postville.

The riding has a significant Indigenous population, including the Innu communities of Sheshatshiu and Natuashish, the Inuit of Nunatsiavut, and the NunatuKavut people of southern Labrador. The economy is driven by mining, military activity, the Churchill Falls hydroelectric generating station, and public sector employment. The Lower Churchill hydroelectric project was a major economic development under discussion at the time of the by-election.