Guysborough-Sheet Harbour

Candidates

Current MLA: Ronnie Chisholm (PC), Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture

District profile: This is a large, rural and sparsely populated riding stretching along the Atlantic coast from Tangier and Sheet Harbour on the Eastern Shore to the town of Canso in the north, then west along the Strait to the port of Mulgrave.

Before 1999, the district was known as Guysborough-Port Hawkesbury and included all of Guysborough County and the towns of Port Hawkesbury and Port Hastings. Today, the riding still includes all of Guysborough County, but excludes those larger urban areas in Inverness County.

The town of Guysborough is the main service centre for the county of Guysborough in the north and derives some business from the Sable Offshore Project and gas plant in Goldboro.

Resource industries such as fishing and forestry remain important, while schools and hospitals are other major employers.

District map: Guysborough-Sheet Harbour (PDF)

Discuss what's on your mind

CBCNews.ca has created 52 blogs - one for each district in Nova Scotia. Post your comments on what's happening in your local race, what the hot issues are, what candidates are saying, and what you think will determine the outcome of the election in your riding. All contributions are moderated for decorum and relevance. Posts will not appear immediately.

2006 results

Voter turnout: 69.79 per cent in 2006

Political history

Traditionally, the Sheet Harbour area of the district has supported the PCs. Voters in Guysborough County have tended to alternate between Liberal or Conservative candidates.

The past decade, however, has seen the district painted Tory blue. Incumbent Ronnie Chisholm, a former warden of St. Mary's district, has served as the MLA for the past 10 years.

Jim Boudreau of the NDP made a strong showing here in 2006, taking 37.5 per cent of the vote to finish second.