Terra Nova—The Peninsulas

Terra Nova—The Peninsulas is a large federal electoral district covering the eastern half of Newfoundland Island outside the St. John's metropolitan area. Formerly known as Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, the riding was renamed following the 2022 redistribution to reflect its geography, which spans three major peninsulas: the Bonavista Peninsula, the Burin Peninsula, and most of the Bay de Verde Peninsula. Major communities include Clarenville, Bonavista, Marystown, Carbonear, Harbour Grace, and Spaniard's Bay. The riding stretches over 16,000 square kilometres and contains more than 76,000 electors.

The redistribution brought the towns of Carbonear, Harbour Grace, and Spaniard's Bay into the riding from Avalon while ceding some territory in the other direction. Terra Nova National Park, which gives the riding the first part of its name, is situated along the eastern shore of Bonavista Bay.

Candidates

Jonathan Rowe (Conservative) is a civil engineer from the Burin Peninsula who worked in the mining and oil and gas industries before taking a position as an engineer with the provincial government. Born in 1998, Rowe was active in community and church organizations and had served as vice-president of the local Conservative Electoral District Association.

Anthony Germain (Liberal) spent 32 years as a journalist and broadcaster with the CBC, hosting programs including The House on CBC Radio One, Ottawa Morning, and The St. John's Morning Show. After retiring from broadcasting in early 2024, he taught journalism at the College of the North Atlantic before leaving a teaching position in Labrador to seek the Liberal nomination.

Liam Ryan (NDP) is a 21-year-old university student who cited Jack Layton as his political inspiration. He campaigned on rent-controlled housing, pharmacare, seniors' services, and ensuring that the benefits of wind energy development in the riding flow to local communities.

About the Riding

Terra Nova—The Peninsulas encompasses some of the most historically significant and scenically dramatic landscape in Newfoundland. The Bonavista Peninsula, where John Cabot is believed to have made landfall in 1497, has become a tourism destination anchored by the town of Bonavista and the restored Ryan Premises National Historic Site in nearby Trinity. Terra Nova National Park protects boreal forest, bogs, and the rugged coastline of Bonavista Bay. The Burin Peninsula to the south is home to Marystown, once the centre of the province's shipbuilding industry, and the Grand Bank fishing heritage.

The economy of the riding is diverse but resource-dependent. The fishery remains a cornerstone, particularly on the Burin Peninsula and along the Bonavista coast, though an aging workforce and difficulty attracting younger workers to fish plants pose long-term challenges. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) plays a significant role in regional economic development, and candidates were pressed during the campaign on their commitment to maintaining the agency. Tourism, driven by Terra Nova National Park and the Bonavista Peninsula's cultural attractions, is an increasingly important sector.

The 2025 election in this riding produced one of the most dramatic results in the country. The initial count showed the Liberal candidate ahead by just 12 votes — the narrowest margin in any Canadian riding. A judicial recount was automatically triggered, and after review of over a thousand contested ballots, the result was reversed, with the Conservative candidate ultimately winning by 12 votes. Housing, cost of living, and the future of the fishery were the dominant campaign issues, alongside concerns about transportation and seniors' services in the riding's many small and aging communities.