Cumberland—Colchester

Cumberland—Colchester spans north-central Nova Scotia, bordered by New Brunswick to the north, the Northumberland Strait to the northeast, and the Bay of Fundy and Minas Basin to the south. The riding straddles the Chignecto Isthmus, the narrow land bridge connecting Nova Scotia to mainland Canada, and includes the counties of Cumberland and Colchester. Its communities range from the town of Amherst near the New Brunswick border to Truro, the self-described hub of Nova Scotia, located at a major railway junction in the southern part of the riding.

Other notable communities include Parrsboro on the Bay of Fundy coast, the historic mining town of Springhill, the village of Pugwash on the Northumberland Strait, and the communities of Oxford, Tatamagouche, Stewiacke, and Bible Hill adjacent to Truro.

Candidates

Alana Hirtle (Liberal) is a first-time federal candidate known for her community work in the aftermath of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, during which she helped organize fundraising and construction of a playground and community centre in Portapique. She works with the Community Business Development Corporation, a federally funded program supporting small businesses and startups.

Stephen Ellis (Conservative) is a family physician who practised in Truro for over 20 years before entering politics. A former Royal Canadian Air Force captain who served in the Middle East, Ellis was first elected in 2021 and served as the Conservative Shadow Minister of Health in Pierre Poilievre's shadow cabinet.

Larry Duchesne (NDP) is a retired school teacher and newspaper reporter who has been a lifelong NDP organizer. A veteran of numerous federal and provincial campaigns stretching back to the 1970s, Duchesne ran in Cumberland—Colchester in 2019 and returned as the NDP standard-bearer in 2025.

Kelly-Ann Callaghan (Green Party) ran as the Green Party candidate in the riding.

Paul Church (People's Party) ran as the PPC candidate in the riding.

About the Riding

The riding's economy is diverse, encompassing agriculture, forestry, fishing, manufacturing, and distribution. Truro's central location at a railway crossroads has made it a logistics hub, home to major distribution centres and the headquarters of Stanfield's. Cumberland County's natural resources support lumber and pulp operations, while Pugwash and the Northumberland Strait coast sustain a lobster and shellfish fishery.

The 2020 mass shooting in Portapique, which claimed 22 lives across several communities in the riding and neighbouring areas, left deep scars on the region. The Mass Casualty Commission completed its work in 2023, issuing recommendations on policing and emergency alerts, and the community has continued to rebuild. Mental health support and RCMP reform remained salient issues heading into the 2025 election.

The Chignecto Isthmus, which carries the Trans-Canada Highway and a CN Rail mainline between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, has been threatened by rising sea levels and storm surges. A proposed federal-provincial dike project to protect this critical corridor was a local issue with national implications, given that the isthmus is Nova Scotia's only land link to the rest of Canada. Healthcare access, rural broadband, and affordability were also central concerns for voters across the riding.