Quick take: Pictou West will be a riding to watch. Progressive Conservative MLA Karla MacFarlane is the incumbent, but the NDP held it for a decade before she won the seat.
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Candidates
Liberal: Ben MacLean recently served as president of the Pictou West Liberal Association and ran as a candidate in the Municipality of Pictou County during the 2016 municipal election.
Progressive Conservative: MacFarlane is a community volunteer and has been involved in the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Pictou Lobster Festival and the Ship Hector Foundation.
NDP: Shawn McNamara is a former councillor for the town of Pictou and ran for mayor in the 2016 municipal election.
Green: Cecile Vigneault has been involved in politics before, being official agent for federal Green candidate for Central Nova, David Hachey, in the 2015 election. She’s currently a member of the Northumberland Quilt Guild.
Riding background
History: MacFarlane won the riding with 40.10 per cent of the vote, unseating long-time NDP MLA and cabinet minister Charlie Parker. Prior to Parker, the riding was held primarily by the PCs.
Boundaries: The riding is made up of much of the western part of Pictou County to the River John.
Demographics: Manufacturing and pulp and paper factory are large employers in the riding. Agriculture, tourism and forestry are other major industries in the district.
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