Tobique—Mactaquac

Tobique—Mactaquac is one of the largest ridings in New Brunswick by area, stretching across the western interior of the province along the upper Saint John River valley from the Maine border to the outskirts of Fredericton. The riding takes in the towns of Woodstock — New Brunswick's oldest incorporated town — Grand Falls, Perth-Andover, Hartland, and Florenceville-Bristol, as well as several First Nations communities including Tobique, Kingsclear, and Woodstock First Nation.

Candidates

Mike Allen (Conservative) — Allen was the incumbent MP, born in Fredericton in 1960 and first elected in 2006 when he defeated Liberal incumbent Andy Savoy by a narrow margin of 254 votes. He had first sought the seat in 2004 but lost. After his initial victory, he was re-elected comfortably in 2008 and entered the 2011 campaign as a well-established Conservative representative in the riding.

Pierre Cyr (NDP) — Cyr was the NDP candidate. He had worked as a licensed practical nurse for nineteen years and was a past president of CUPE Local 3013 and a union shop steward, bringing a labour-movement perspective to the campaign.

Chuck Chiasson (Liberal) — Chiasson carried the Liberal banner in Tobique—Mactaquac. He would later enter provincial politics, winning election to the New Brunswick Legislature in 2014 as the Liberal MLA for Victoria—La Vallee.

Rish McGlynn (Green Party) — McGlynn represented the Green Party in the riding.

About the Riding

Agriculture is the economic heartbeat of Tobique—Mactaquac. The upper Saint John River valley is New Brunswick's potato belt, and the riding is home to McCain Foods, headquartered in Florenceville-Bristol — a company that bills the village as the French Fry Capital of the World. McCain's potato processing plant is one of the region's largest employers, with over a thousand workers. Hartland is known for its world-famous covered bridge, the longest covered bridge in the world, and the Covered Bridge Potato Chip Company has roots there as well. Beyond agriculture, forestry remains an important industry throughout the riding's vast interior. Grand Falls, situated at the dramatic falls of the Saint John River near the Quebec border, serves as a service centre for the northern part of the riding. The Mactaquac Dam, an NB Power hydroelectric facility on the Saint John River upstream of Fredericton, is a significant piece of infrastructure within the riding. Heading into 2011, key issues included agricultural trade policy, support for potato growers, the future of the Mactaquac Dam, forestry sector viability, and rural connectivity and services across a geographically dispersed riding.