Nova Scotia Election: Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg candidates

Quick take: This is expected to be a safe riding for the Progressive Conservatives. Incumbent MLA Alfie MacLeod has held the seat since 2006.

READ MORE: All our Nova Scotia Election 2017 coverage

Candidates

Liberal: Katherine MacDonald is the founder of a Port Morien fundraiser that raises money for the Cape Breton Cancer Patient Care Fund and served on the Canadian Little League Championship committee. She also served as assistant to Cape Breton-Canso MP Rodger Cuzner.

Progressive Conservative: MacLeod is the incumbent MLA. MacLeod served as an MLA in Cape Breton from 1995 to 1998. He was then re-elected to the legislature in 2006, 2009 and 2013.

NDP: Bill Matheson is the current president of the N.S. NDP. He has served on NDP constituency associations both federally and provincially, as well as on provincial council and executive.

Riding background

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History: MacLeod won the riding with 43.75 per cent of the vote in 2013. He was originally MLA for Cape Breton West before the riding was combined with parts of Cape Breton South and Cape Breton Nova during the 2012 electoral boundary changes. All three ridings saw MLAs from all three parties, however Cape Breton West has been primarily a Liberal stronghold and makes up most of the riding.

Boundaries: The riding includes Sydney River, Mira Road, Louisbourg, Donkin and the Mi’kmaq reserve Caribou Marsh.

Demographics: The riding is a mainly rural area, stretching across much of eastern Cape Breton.Tourism makes up a big part of this district, with sites including the Fortress of Louisbourg. The service sector and fishing are main industries of the district.