Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook

Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook curves around the northern and eastern edges of the Halifax Regional Municipality, drawing together the suburban subdivisions of Lower Sackville and Beaver Bank, the lakeside communities of Waverley and Fall River, the Eastern Shore settlements around Lake Echo and Porters Lake, and the Acadian village of Chezzetcook near the Atlantic coast.

Candidates

Darrell Samson (Liberal) — An Acadian born in Petit-de-Grat on Isle Madame, Samson earned his Bachelor of Education and Master of Education from the Université de Moncton. He spent his career in French-language education in Nova Scotia, rising to become superintendent of the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, the province’s Francophone school board. He also held national leadership roles as president and vice-president of all French school board superintendents outside Quebec. First elected in 2015, he was seeking his second term.

Matt Stickland (NDP) — A Lawrencetown resident, Stickland was a navy veteran who was medically released from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2018. He held a journalism degree and identified health care access as the most pressing concern raised by voters at the doorstep during the campaign.

Kevin Copley (Conservative) — A Cape Breton native, Copley won the Conservative nomination in the riding and campaigned on the belief that the seat could change hands.

Anthony Edmonds (Green Party) — Edmonds represented the Green Party in the riding.

Sybil Hogg ran for the People’s Party of Canada.

About the Riding

The riding brings together several of Nova Scotia’s most culturally distinct communities. The Preston area — encompassing North Preston, East Preston, and Cherry Brook — is one of the oldest Black communities in Canada, with roots dating to the late 18th century when Black Loyalists settled in the region. Chezzetcook maintains Acadian traditions stretching back generations, with L’Acadie de Chezzetcook preserving the community’s heritage. Lower Sackville, the riding’s largest population centre, grew rapidly as families sought affordable housing within commuting distance of Halifax. Most residents in the riding travel to jobs in Halifax’s downtown core, the Burnside Industrial Park, or government offices. In 2019, the riding had one of the higher concentrations of veterans per capita in the country, owing to its proximity to Canadian Forces Base Halifax and CFB Shearwater. Key election issues included suburban infrastructure investment for growing communities, commuter transportation improvements, employment insurance reform for seasonal workers along the Eastern Shore, and health care access.