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Canada Votes 2008

Results, Ridings and Candidates

Dartmouth - Cole Harbour

2008 Results

Dartmouth-Cole Harbour
Party Candidate Votes Status
Updated: Nov. 7, 2008 5:00 PM EST 216/216 polls
LIB Michael Savage 16,016 Elected
NDP Brad Pye 12,793
CON Wanda Webber 9,109
GRN Paul Shreenan 2,417
CHP George Campbell 219

Unofficial results were updated at the time shown following judicial recounts in six ridings. For more recent results, visit Elections Canada. The CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites. External links will open in a new window.

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This riding is across the harbour from Halifax and stretches east to Barry's Run and the northeast limit of the former city of Dartmouth. The major part of the riding is made up of Dartmouth, with other communities in the riding including Preston, North Preston and Portobello. The Cole Harbour Reserve is also included.

The riding is a centre of government activities at the provincial and federal levels. Other employers include the Canadian Coast Guard and CFB Shearwater. Retail trade and other services are also significant employers.

Average family income is $77,776 and unemployment is 5.9 per cent.

In the 2006 census, 92 per cent of the population cited English as their mother tongue, while three per cent cited French. Twenty-two per cent of the population over age 25 have university certificates or degrees.

In 2004, the riding was renamed Dartmouth-Cole Harbour. The redistribution combined 92 per cent of Dartmouth and 13 per cent of Sackville-Musquodoboit Valley-Eastern Shore in the southeast as well as a small area from Halifax West.

Beginning in 1867, this was a two-member riding known as Halifax. In 1966, it was established as Dartmouth-Halifax East, and in 1986 as Dartmouth. In 1996, 80 per cent of Dartmouth riding was kept and a small part of the former Central Nova was added.

Population: 87,886 (2006 census; an increase of 0.3% since 2001)

Political History

In 2006, Michael Savage won his second term in the riding when he beat New Democrat challenger Peter Mancini by 4,415 votes.

Savage regained the riding for the Liberals in 2004. The NDP's Wendy Lill held the seat from 1997, but did not run in 2004 because of illness.

The Halifax riding had a history of electing Tories and Liberals without either gaining a long-term hold before 1966. Progressive Conservative Mike Forrestall was first elected in 1965 in the Halifax riding and was re-elected six times in Dartmouth-Halifax East.

In 1988, Liberal Ron MacDonald defeated the PC's Forrestall in Dartmouth riding. Forrestall was appointed to the Senate in 1990. In 1993, MacDonald defeated PC Judith Gass.

  • 1968-84 inclusive - PC
  • 1988, 1993 - LIB
  • 1997, 2000 - NDP
  • 2004, 2006 - LIB