Saint John—Rothesay

Anchored by the port city of Saint John at the mouth of the Saint John River on the Bay of Fundy, this riding pairs one of Canada's oldest incorporated cities with the suburban towns of Rothesay and Quispamsis in the Kennebecasis Valley. Saint John's industrial waterfront, dominated by the Irving Oil refinery — the largest in Canada — and its deep-water port facilities contrasts sharply with the leafy residential streets of the Kennebecasis Valley suburbs to the northeast.

Candidates

Wayne Long (Liberal) — The incumbent MP, Long was a Saint John native who had built a career in the seafood industry before becoming president of the Saint John Sea Dogs, the city's QMJHL franchise, in 2005. Under his leadership, the Sea Dogs won the Memorial Cup in 2011, and Long received the John Horman Trophy as the league's executive of the year. First elected in 2015, he had developed a reputation for occasionally breaking with the Liberal caucus, including opposing tax changes proposed by Finance Minister Bill Morneau in 2017.

Rodney Weston (Conservative) — A businessman and former provincial MLA, Weston had served as New Brunswick's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Aquaculture from 2001 to 2003 before entering federal politics. He represented the Saint John riding as a Conservative MP from 2008 to 2015, when he lost his seat in the Liberal sweep of New Brunswick.

Armand Cormier (NDP) — Cormier was the NDP candidate in Saint John—Rothesay and was active in community organizing and progressive politics in the Greater Saint John area.

Ann McAllister (Green Party) — A veteran Green Party campaigner who had run multiple times provincially in the Rothesay riding, McAllister focused her campaign on renewable energy, affordable housing, and expanding the social safety net through pharmacare and dental care.

Adam J. C. Salesse (People's Party) — Salesse represented the People's Party in the riding. Minor candidates also included Stuart Jamieson (Independent) and Neville Barnett (Independent).

About the Riding

Saint John, founded by Loyalist refugees in 1783 and incorporated in 1785, is Canada's oldest incorporated city and its historic commercial engine. The Irving corporate family's presence looms large — Irving Oil's refinery processes over 320,000 barrels per day, and J.D. Irving Limited's forestry, shipbuilding, and industrial operations are woven throughout the city's economic fabric. The port of Saint John handles bulk cargo, cruise ships, and container traffic, while the city's uptown core has undergone revitalization efforts centred on the arts and hospitality sectors. Rothesay and Quispamsis, connected to Saint John via the Harbour Bridge and Route 1, have grown steadily as bedroom communities, attracting families seeking suburban housing while commuting to employment in the city. The riding faces persistent challenges around poverty and inequality — Saint John's urban core contains some of the highest child poverty rates in the country, a stark contrast to the affluence of the Kennebecasis Valley. During the 2019 campaign, the Energy East pipeline cancellation, affordable housing, the opioid crisis, and shipbuilding contracts at the Irving-owned Halifax Shipyard were prominent issues.