Cumberland—Colchester

Cumberland—Colchester spans the northern mainland of Nova Scotia, bordered by New Brunswick to the west, the Northumberland Strait to the north, and the Bay of Fundy and Minas Basin to the south. The riding's main centres are Truro — often called the hub of Nova Scotia for its position at a major rail and highway junction — and Amherst, near the New Brunswick border, along with smaller towns including Parrsboro, Springhill, Oxford, Pugwash, Tatamagouche, and Stewiacke.

Candidates

Bill Casey (Liberal) — Casey's political career was one of the most distinctive in Canadian parliamentary history. A car dealer and stockbroker from Amherst, he was first elected as a Progressive Conservative in 1988, lost in 1993, and returned to Ottawa in 1997. In 2007 he voted against the Conservative budget over what he called a broken promise on the Atlantic Accord and was expelled from the caucus. He sat as an Independent until 2009, when he resigned his seat for health reasons. Casey announced in late 2014 that he would seek the Liberal nomination for the 2015 election, running against his former protégé.

Scott Armstrong (Conservative) — The incumbent MP, Armstrong was a longtime educator and school administrator who entered politics when he won a 2009 by-election to replace Casey. He was re-elected in 2011 and served as Parliamentary Secretary for Employment and Social Development. Armstrong had once served as Casey's campaign manager during the latter's Progressive Conservative years.

Wendy Robinson (NDP) — The mayor of Stewiacke, Robinson was making her second run for the NDP in the riding.

Jason Matthew Blanch (Green Party) — Blanch represented the Green Party.

About the Riding

The riding had historically been one of Nova Scotia's most reliably Conservative seats, held by Tories or Progressive Conservatives in all but two elections since 1957. The 2015 contest drew unusual attention because of the personal history between Casey and Armstrong. Cumberland—Colchester's economy is diverse but weighted toward sectors sensitive to federal policy. The Fundy shore features some of the world's highest tides, drawing tourists and underpinning a growing tidal energy research sector near Parrsboro. Agriculture — particularly blueberry cultivation and dairy farming — anchors the rural economy. Truro serves as a regional service centre and is home to the Nova Scotia Community College's Truro campus and the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus in nearby Bible Hill. Amherst's proximity to the New Brunswick border makes cross-border trade and transportation links a recurring concern.