West Nova

West Nova is a coastal riding occupying the southwestern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, composed of Yarmouth County, Digby County, and the western portion of Annapolis County. It stretches from the fishing port of Yarmouth in the south, along the Bay of Fundy shore through Digby and Annapolis Royal, to the Acadian communities of Clare along St. Mary’s Bay. The riding includes the Municipality of Argyle and dozens of small fishing villages dotting over 150 kilometres of coastline.

Candidates

Greg Kerr (Conservative) — Born in Annapolis Royal, Kerr was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008 and was seeking his second term. He had a long career in Nova Scotia provincial politics, serving as the MLA for Annapolis West from 1978 to 1993. Under Premier John Buchanan, he held cabinet posts including Minister of Culture, Minister of Environment, and Minister of Finance. After leaving provincial politics, he operated a beef farm and logging business in Granville Centre. In Ottawa, Kerr served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs.

Robert Thibault (Liberal) — Born in Digby, Thibault is the grandson of former provincial politician Joseph William Comeau. He served as Liberal MP for West Nova from 2000 to 2008, during which time he held the posts of Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. He also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health under Paul Martin. After losing his seat in 2008, Thibault won the Liberal nomination again in October 2009 to attempt a return to the House of Commons. He had previously served as a municipal councillor in Clare from 1988 to 2001.

George Barron (NDP) — Barron, a resident of Bear River and a part-time paramedic, ran as the NDP candidate in West Nova in both 2008 and 2011. During the campaign, he focused on the future of ferry service and advocated for maintaining the Digby–Saint John ferry route.

Ross Johnson (Green Party) also stood as a candidate.

About the Riding

West Nova’s economy is built on fishing, farming, forestry, and tourism. The lobster fishery is the dominant industry along the coast, with communities in Yarmouth and Argyle heavily dependent on seafood harvesting and processing. The Municipality of Clare, stretching fifty kilometres along St. Mary’s Bay, is one of Nova Scotia’s principal Acadian francophone communities. Digby is renowned for its scallop fleet, and the Digby Scallop Days Festival celebrates this heritage annually. The cancellation of the Yarmouth–Maine ferry service by the provincial government in late 2009 was a major blow to the local tourism economy, costing an estimated 120 jobs directly and reducing American tourist arrivals dramatically. The ferry’s future was a dominant issue in the 2011 campaign. Annapolis Royal, one of Canada’s oldest European settlements, anchors the riding’s eastern end. The riding’s population was roughly 79,000, and concerns about rural depopulation, fisheries sustainability, and economic diversification were central to the local debate.