West Nova

West Nova covers the southwestern corner of Nova Scotia, running from Aylesford in Kings County through Annapolis, Digby, and Yarmouth counties to the province’s southern tip. The riding includes Acadian communities along St. Mary’s Bay, fishing ports on the Bay of Fundy, and the farmland and orchards of the western Annapolis Valley.

Candidates

Chris d’Entremont (Conservative) — A longtime provincial politician, d’Entremont had served as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Argyle-Barrington in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly since 2003, holding cabinet portfolios including Health and Community Services. He resigned his provincial seat to seek the federal Conservative nomination, which he won in June 2019. He was a graduate of Loyalist College with a diploma in radio broadcasting and had worked in radio, electronics sales, boatbuilding, and economic development before entering politics.

Jason Deveau (Liberal) — A resident of the Municipality of Clare, Deveau was a bilingual policy analyst who had worked in the federal government on environment, natural resources, and sustainable development files. He held a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Geography from the University of Ottawa. He had previously served as executive assistant to outgoing Liberal MP Colin Fraser, who chose not to seek re-election after one term.

Judy N Green (Green Party) — A wellness coach and educator from the Clementsport area, Green entered the race with no previous political experience and built a grassroots campaign from scratch. She tripled the Green vote share in West Nova compared to the previous election.

Matthew Dubois (NDP) — Dubois campaigned on affordable housing and immigration support for newcomers settling in rural Nova Scotia.

Gloria Jane Cook ran for the Veterans Coalition Party.

About the Riding

West Nova’s economy is anchored by the lobster fishery, with Yarmouth, Digby, and Clark’s Harbour among the major landing ports along the province’s southwestern coast. Digby is internationally known for its scallop fleet. The Acadian communities of Clare and Argyle, concentrated along St. Mary’s Bay, are home to a majority French-speaking population with roots extending back to the mid-1700s, giving the riding a distinctly bilingual character. Two Mi’kmaw communities — Acadia First Nation near Yarmouth and Bear River First Nation — fall within the riding’s boundaries. CFB Greenwood, a Royal Canadian Air Force base responsible for long-range patrol and search-and-rescue operations, is the largest employer in the Annapolis Valley portion of the riding. The Cat ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine, re-introduced in 2016 with provincial subsidies, remained an important link for the region’s tourism industry. Heading into 2019, the open seat left by Fraser’s retirement made the riding a competitive battleground between Liberals and Conservatives, with fisheries policy, rural health care, broadband expansion, and economic development through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency among the top concerns.