St. John's East

St. John's East covers the northeastern portion of the provincial capital, taking in the downtown core, the harbour, Signal Hill, Quidi Vidi, the historic Battery neighbourhood, and the residential areas running north toward Torbay. Memorial University of Newfoundland, the province's only university, sits within the riding's boundaries. The district has long been considered the most politically competitive seat in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Candidates

Nick Whalen (Liberal) — Born and raised in St. John's, Whalen held degrees in engineering from Queen's University and law from McGill University. He practised energy, intellectual property, and corporate law at McInnes Cooper, and was the province's only qualified patent agent at the time of the election. A professional engineer by training, he brought a technical background unusual among parliamentary candidates.

Jack Harris (NDP) — Harris was one of the most experienced politicians in the province. A graduate of Memorial University, the University of Alberta, and the London School of Economics, he practised labour law in St. John's for many years. He first won St. John's East federally in 1987, then spent sixteen years in the provincial legislature as an MHA and fourteen years as leader of the provincial NDP. He returned to federal politics in 2008, winning St. John's East with commanding margins in both 2008 and 2011. Heading into 2015, he was widely regarded as one of the NDP's most effective Atlantic Canadian voices.

Deanne Stapleton (Conservative) — Stapleton carried the Conservative banner in a riding where the party traditionally struggled to gain traction.

David Anthony Peters (Green Party) — Peters represented the Greens in St. John's East, focusing on environmental and sustainability issues in the capital region.

Sean Burton (Communist) — Burton ran under the Communist Party banner.

About the Riding

St. John's East is the intellectual and cultural heart of the province. Memorial University, with roughly 18,000 students, is a major employer and research institution whose engineering and ocean sciences programs feed the offshore oil sector. The riding's downtown is home to a dense cluster of restaurants, bars, and arts venues along George Street and Duckworth Street, and the city has developed a reputation as one of the liveliest cultural scenes in Atlantic Canada. Signal Hill National Historic Site overlooks the entrance to St. John's Harbour, one of the oldest ports in North America. The riding's economy is closely tied to the offshore oil industry—many energy companies maintain offices in the downtown core—and by 2015, the sharp drop in global oil prices was raising anxiety about layoffs, deferred exploration projects, and the provincial government's fiscal position. The contest between Whalen and Harris was seen as one of the most closely watched races in the province, pitting a well-known NDP incumbent against a strong Liberal challenger amid a national wave of Liberal support.