West Nova

West Nova occupies the southwestern corner of Nova Scotia, stretching from the town of Aylesford in Kings County through Annapolis, Digby, and Yarmouth counties. The riding hugs the Bay of Fundy coast, taking in Digby Neck, Long Island, and Brier Island, while also encompassing the Acadian communities of Clare and Argyle along St. Mary's Bay.

Candidates

Colin Fraser (Liberal) — Fraser was born and raised in Yarmouth and graduated from Yarmouth Consolidated Memorial High School in 1996. He studied political science at Carleton University, pursued legal studies in London, England, and graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 2007. Called to the Nova Scotia bar in 2008, he practised as a partner at the Yarmouth firm Hood Fraser D'Entremont, handling civil litigation, criminal law, family law, and real estate matters.

Arnold LeBlanc (Conservative) — LeBlanc had served as the regional executive assistant to outgoing MP Greg Kerr since 2008 and was a former municipal councillor. He positioned himself as the continuity candidate after Kerr announced in April 2014 that he would not seek re-election, citing health reasons following a stroke in January 2013.

Greg Foster (NDP) — Foster was a former municipal councillor who carried the NDP banner. Despite the party's limited prospects in the riding, he sought to present the NDP as an alternative voice on economic development.

Clark Walton (Green Party) — Walton represented the Green Party in the four-way race.

About the Riding

West Nova's economy centres on fishing, agriculture, and tourism. The lobster fishery is the backbone of many coastal communities, and Yarmouth and Digby serve as major landing ports. The Clare and Argyle districts, home to a majority French-speaking Acadian population, add a bilingual character to the riding. The Yarmouth ferry service to the United States had been a long-running political issue: the service between Yarmouth and Maine ceased operations in 2009, dealing a blow to southwestern Nova Scotia's tourism industry. By 2015, a replacement operator, Nova Star Cruises, had struggled to remain viable, and the provincial government was working with Bay Ferries to restore a sustainable cross-border service. Annapolis Royal, Middleton, and Bridgetown anchored the valley portion of the riding, where fruit farming and small manufacturing sustained the local economy. Two Mi'kmaw communities — Acadia First Nation near Yarmouth and Bear River First Nation — also fell within the riding's boundaries. Federal priorities included fisheries management, rural broadband expansion, and economic development funding through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.