Labrador

Labrador is Canada's least populous federal riding, covering the vast mainland portion of Newfoundland and Labrador — roughly 294,330 square kilometres of subarctic and boreal terrain. The riding stretches from the Strait of Belle Isle in the south to the northern tip of Labrador bordering Nunavut and Quebec, encompassing the Torngat Mountains, the Churchill River system, and the remote coastline along the Labrador Sea. With a total population of roughly 26,000, the riding includes the Inuit self-governing region of Nunatsiavut along the northern coast, two Innu communities at Sheshatshiu and Natuashish, and the NunatuKavut territory in southern and central Labrador.

Candidates

Peter Penashue (Conservative) — Penashue was an Innu leader from Sheshatshiu who had spent decades in Indigenous governance before entering federal politics. He was elected president of the Innu Nation at age 26 and served as Grand Chief from 1990 to 1997 and again from 1999 to 2004, during which time he was the driving force behind the negotiation of the impacts and benefits agreement between the Innu Nation and the Voisey's Bay Nickel Company. He had also worked as a land claims director and served as Deputy Grand Chief of the Innu Nation from 2007 until stepping down in March 2010.

Todd Russell (Liberal) — Russell was the incumbent MP, first elected in a May 2005 by-election and re-elected in 2006 and 2008. Born in St. Anthony and raised in William's Harbour on the southern Labrador coast, Russell was educated at Memorial University. Before entering federal politics, he had been a leader in the Labrador Metis Nation (later NunatuKavut Community Council), serving on its board from 1992 and as its president beginning in 1994. He had also served as co-chair of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples.

Jacob Larkin (NDP) and George C.R. Barrett (Green Party) also contested the riding.

About the Riding

Labrador's economy in 2011 was dominated by resource extraction on a massive scale. In western Labrador, the twin towns of Labrador City (population roughly 7,367) and Wabush (population roughly 1,861) formed the heart of Canada's iron ore country, with the Iron Ore Company of Canada operating one of the largest open-pit mining complexes in the world. The Voisey's Bay nickel-copper-cobalt mine near Nain, operated by Vale, had begun production in 2005 and was a major economic contributor to the region. The Churchill Falls Generating Station, one of the largest underground hydroelectric facilities in the world, had operated since 1971; by 2011, the proposed Lower Churchill hydroelectric project at Muskrat Falls was a dominant issue in the riding, with Nalcor Energy seeking federal loan guarantees for the development.

Happy Valley-Goose Bay, with a population of roughly 7,552 in 2011, served as the administrative and transportation hub of central Labrador. The town grew up around Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay, which had been used by NATO allies for low-level flight training, though military activity had declined significantly by 2011. Along Labrador's remote northern coast, the five Inuit communities of Nunatsiavut — Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, Postville, and Rigolet — sustained a mixed economy of fishing, hunting, and government employment. The Innu communities of Sheshatshiu and Natuashish faced significant social challenges. Transportation infrastructure remained a major concern across the riding, with many communities accessible only by air, coastal ferry, or seasonal snowmobile trails.