Saint John

The riding of Saint John encompasses New Brunswick's largest city, situated on the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada and the only city located directly on the Bay of Fundy. The riding covers the urban core and surrounding neighbourhoods of the city, which had a population of approximately 70,000 within city limits at the time of the 2011 census.

Candidates

Rodney Weston (Conservative) — Weston was the incumbent MP, first elected in 2008. Born and raised in Saint John, he had previously served in the New Brunswick Legislature as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Saint John—Fundy, winning the seat in 1999 after an unsuccessful attempt in 1995. He served as provincial Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture from 2001 to 2003 under Premier Bernard Lord. After losing his provincial seat in 2003, he served as chief of staff to Premier Lord before transitioning to federal politics. He had also been a small business owner, operating a gas station, and served as chief of the St. Martins Volunteer Fire Department.

Rob Moir (NDP) — Moir was the NDP candidate in Saint John. He had previously run for the NDP in the neighbouring Fundy Royal riding in 2008, where he captured a notable share of the vote.

Stephen Chase (Liberal) — Chase was the Deputy Mayor of Saint John and had served on city council for more than a decade. He entered the federal race citing frustration with what he saw as the federal government's failure to fund projects needed by the city.

Sharon Murphy-Flatt ran for the Green Party and Arthur Watson Jr. ran as an Independent.

About the Riding

Saint John's economy is heavily shaped by the Irving family of companies, which have their headquarters in the city and maintain vast operations in oil refining, forestry, shipbuilding, media, and transportation. The Irving Oil refinery on the city's east side is the largest oil refinery in Canada, with a capacity of approximately 320,000 barrels per day, and its Canaport deep-water terminal receives crude oil by supertanker. The refinery contributes substantially to the provincial economy and is a major employer. The Port of Saint John is one of the principal shipping terminals on the Atlantic coast. The city also has a significant shipbuilding sector, anchored by the Irving Shipyard (now Irving Shipbuilding's Saint John facility). Beyond the Irving enterprises, the city's economy includes health care — the Saint John Regional Hospital is a major employer — and the University of New Brunswick Saint John campus. Saint John had been grappling with population decline and an aging demographic, and the city's older infrastructure required significant investment. Heading into the 2011 election, key issues included federal infrastructure funding for the city, the future of the shipbuilding industry, energy sector regulation, and efforts to reverse outmigration from the province's urban centre.