Central Nova

Central Nova

Nova Scotia electoral district
Central Nova in relation to the other Nova Scotia federal electoral districts
Federal electoral district
Legislature	House of Commons
MP	Peter MacKay Conservative
District created	1966
First contested	1968
Last contested	2011
District webpage	profile, map
Demographics
Population (2006)	72,966
Electors (2011)	58,863
Area (km²)	8,439
Pop. density (per km²)	8.6
Census divisions	Antigonish Guysborough Halifax Pictou
Census subdivisions	Halifax, New Glasgow, Stellarton, Antigonish, Pictou, Westville, Trenton, St. Mary's

Central Nova (French: Nova-Centre) is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997 and since 2004. Its population in 2001 was 73,722.

From 1983 to 1984, the riding's then Member of Parliament, Brian Mulroney, was Leader of the Opposition. Mulroney was later Prime Minister while representing a riding in Quebec.

Demographics

From the 2006 census

Ethnic groups:

• White: 96.8%
• First Nations: 1.6%
• Black: 1.0%

Languages:

• English: 96.0%
• French: 1.6%
• Dutch: 0.5%
• Other: 1.9%

Religions:

• Protestant: 47.1%
• Catholic: 42.3%
• No religious affiliation: 9.2%

Education:

• No certificate, diploma or degree: 28.9%
• High school certificate: 22.2%
• Apprenticeship or trade certificate or diploma: 13.2%
• Community college, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma: 20.0%
• University certificate or diploma: 16.1%

Median Age:

• 43.4

Median total income:

• $20,994

Average total income:

• $28,242

Median household income:

• $43,851

Average household income:

• $53,880

Median family income:

• $54,013

Average family income:

• $63,917

Unemployment:

• 9.8%

Geography

The district covers all or part of the following counties:

• Pictou County
• Antigonish County
• Guysborough County
• Halifax County

Specifically, it includes the following municipal corporations:

• Municipality of the County of Pictou
• The towns of New Glasgow, Stellarton, Pictou, Westville and Trenton
• Municipality of the County of Antigonish
• Municipality of the District of St. Mary's
• Halifax Regional Municipality (east of Jeddore Oyster Pond and Marinette).

Communities include:

Pictou County

• New Glasgow
• Stellarton
• Westville
• Trenton
• Pictou
• River John

Antigonish County

• Antigonish
• Havre Boucher

Guysborough County

• Goshen
• Sherbrooke
• Trafalgar
• Marie Joseph

Halifax County

• Sheet Harbour
• Port Dufferin
• Lake Charlotte
• Jeddore Oyster Pond

The electoral district has an area of 8,439 sq. km.

Political geography

In 2008, the riding had the unusual scenario of having Green Party leader Elizabeth May run without any Liberal opposition. Thus, the race was mostly between Conservative candidate Peter McKay and May. May's support was concentrated in the community of Antigonish. Outside this area, she won just a few pockets of support. She was nearly shut out in the New Glasgow metropolitan area, where she won just one poll. McKay won most of the rest of the riding, and the NDP picked up three polls.

History

The district was created in 1966 from Antigonish—Guysborough, Colchester—Hants, and Pictou. In 1966, it consisted of Pictou County, southern Colchester County, eastern Halifax County, and western Guysborough County. In 1976, it gained some territory in Halifax County (eastern central portion), and it lost its territory in Colchester County. In 1987, it lost most of Guysborough County except for the most extreme western point, and gained all of central and central western Halifax County. In 1996, it was merged into Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, and Sackville-Eastern Shore.

The electoral district was re-created in 2003: 93.3% of the riding came from Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough riding, and 6.7% came from Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore. In the 2004 election, Conservative Party candidate Peter MacKay, who had represented Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, was returned to the House of Commons from Central Nova. He was re-elected in the 2006 election.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May contested the seat in the 2008 federal election. In a move that startled political observers, Liberal leader Stéphane Dion announced on April 13, 2007, that his party would not contest the seat in order to give May a better chance of winning, a move that marked the first time in decades that the Liberals did not field a full slate of candidates in a general election. In return, the Greens (who also fielded a full slate in the last election) did not contest Dion's Montreal riding. After coming in second to Peter MacKay, May announced she would not run in Central Nova in the next federal election.

Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following Members of Parliament:

Parliament	Years	Member		Party
see Antigonish—Guysborough, Colchester—Hants and Pictou prior to 1968
28th	1968–1971		Russell MacEwan	Progressive Conservative
	1971–1972		Elmer MacKay	Progressive Conservative
29th	1972–1974
30th	1974–1979
31st	1979–1980
32nd	1980–1983
	1983–1984		Brian Mulroney	Progressive Conservative
33rd	1984–1988		Elmer MacKay	Progressive Conservative
34th	1988–1993
35th	1993–1997		Roseanne Skoke	Liberal
see Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough and Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore for 1997-2004
38th	2004–2006		Peter MacKay	Conservative
39th	2006–2008
40th	2008–2011
41st	2011–present

Election results

2004- present

Canadian federal election, 2011
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change	Expenditures
	Conservative	Peter MacKay	21,593	56.79	+10.19	–
	New Democrat	David Parker	9,412	24.75	5.19	–
	Liberal	John Hamilton	5,614	14.76	–	–
	Green	Matthew Chisholm	1,406	3.70	-28.54	–
Total valid votes/Expense limit			38,025	100.00
Total rejected ballots			226	0.59	-0.18
Turnout			38,251	66.18	–
Eligible voters			57,797	–	–

Canadian federal election, 2008
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change	Expenditures
	Conservative	Peter MacKay	18,240	46.60	+5.94	$60,795
	Green	Elizabeth May	12,620	32.24	+30.65	$55,482
	New Democrat	Louise Lorifice	7,659	19.56	-13.33
	Christian Heritage	Michael Harris MacKay	427	1.09	–
	Canadian Action	Paul Kemp	196	0.50	–	$75
Total valid votes			39,142	100.00
Total rejected ballots			304	0.77
Turnout			39,446	–
	Conservative hold		Swing	-12.4

Canadian federal election, 2006
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change
	Conservative	Peter MacKay	17,134	40.66	-2.61
	New Democrat	Alexis MacDonald	13,861	32.89	+5.23
	Liberal	Dan Walsh	10,349	24.56	-1.83
	Green	David Orton	671	1.59	-1.09
	Marxist–Leninist	Allan H. Bezanson	124	0.29
Total valid votes			12,135	100.00
	Conservative hold		Swing	-3.92

Canadian federal election, 2004
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change
	Conservative	Peter MacKay	16,376	43.27	-12.13
	New Democrat	Alexis MacDonald	10,470	27.66	+14.84
	Liberal	Susan Green	9,986	26.39	-3.95
	Green	Rebecca Mosher	1,015	2.68
Total valid votes			37,847	100.00
	Conservative notional hold		Swing	-13.5

Change from 2000 is based on redistributed results. Conservative Party change is based on the combination of Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party totals.

1968 - 1997

Canadian federal election, 1993
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change
	Liberal	Roseanne Skoke	16,399	43.61	+5.22
	Progressive Conservative	Ken Streatch	11,916	31.69	-16.89
	Reform	Howard Mackinnon	6,068	16.14
	New Democrat	Hugh Mackenzie	2,446	6.50	-6.52
	National	Gerard W. Horgan	511	1.36
	Natural Law	Pulkesh Lakhanpal	266	0.71	–
Total valid votes			37,606	100.00

Canadian federal election, 1988
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change
	Progressive Conservative	Elmer MacKay	19,065	48.58	-12.42
	Liberal	Marion Anderson	15,066	38.39	+12.39
	New Democrat	Gloria Murphy	5,110	13.02	+0.02
Total valid votes			39,241	100.00

Canadian federal election, 1984
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change
	Progressive Conservative	Elmer MacKay	21,462	61.00	+0.81
	Liberal	Al Lomas	9,148	26.00	+0.95
	New Democrat	Gloria E. Murphy	4,572	13.00	-0.39
Total valid votes			35,182	100.00

By-election on 29 August 1983 Due to the resignation Elmer MacKay on 15 June 1983
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Brian Mulroney	18,882	60.19	+12.16
	Liberal	Alvin Sinclair	7,858	25.05	-9.21
	New Democrat	Roy G. Demarsh	4,202	13.39	-4.32
	Independent	Anne McBride	287	0.91
	Independent	Bob Robert Kirk	97	0.31
	Independent	John C. Turmel	46	0.15
Total valid votes			31,372	100.00

Canadian federal election, 1980
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change
	Progressive Conservative	Elmer MacKay	15,576	48.03	-8.55
	Liberal	Alvin Sinclair	11,111	34.26	+4.37
	New Democrat	Gary A. Chambers	5,743	17.71	+4.18
Total valid votes			32,430	100.00

Canadian federal election, 1979
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change
	Progressive Conservative	Elmer MacKay	18,907	56.58	+2.65
	Liberal	Lloyd P. Mackay	9,988	29.89	-6.41
	New Democrat	Gary A. Chambers	4,521	13.53	+4.67
Total valid votes			33,416	100.00

Canadian federal election, 1974
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change
	Progressive Conservative	Elmer MacKay	17,459	53.93	-3.02
	Liberal	Fern Dunn	11,753	36.30	+7.33
	New Democrat	John Rod Brown	2,869	8.86	-3.98
	Social Credit	John J. Henderson	292	0.90	-0.34
Total valid votes			32,373	100.00

Canadian federal election, 1972
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total	±pp change
	Progressive Conservative	Elmer MacKay	18,259	56.95	+4.37
	Liberal	D. Laurence Mawhinney	9,288	28.97	-9.37
	New Democrat	John Rod Brown	4,117	12.84	+6.20
	Social Credit	John J. Henderson	397	1.24	-1.20
Total valid votes			32,061	100.00

By-election on 31 May 1971 Due to the resignation of Russell MacEwan on 14 January 1971
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Elmer MacKay	15,359	52.58	-5.99
	Liberal	Clarrie Mackinnon	11,200	38.34	+5.07
	New Democrat	Allan M. Marchbank	1,940	6.64	-1.52
	Social Credit	John J. Henderson	714	2.44
Total valid votes			29,213	100.00

Canadian federal election, 1968
Party		Candidate	Votes	% of total
	Progressive Conservative	Russell MacEwan	16,720	58.57
	Liberal	Donald F. Stewart	9,499	33.27
	New Democrat	Leo F. McKay	2,330	8.16
Total valid votes			28,549	100.00

See also

• List of Canadian federal electoral districts
• Past Canadian electoral districts

External links

• Riding history for Central Nova (1966–1996) from the Library of Parliament
• Riding history for Central Nova (2003– ) from the Library of Parliament