Sackville - Eastern Shore

This southern coastal riding surrounds Dartmouth on the north, east and south sides. It includes Lower Sackville, Fall River, Waverley and Lawrencetown.

The service industries are the main employers. The 2006 census shows public administration and retail trade as the most important, followed by health and social services. The average family income is $78,873 and unemployment is 5.9 per cent.

There is a small francophone population, but almost 95 per cent of the population claims English as a first language. The total immigrant population is slightly more than three per cent. Less than nine per cent of the population is over 65.

In 2004, the riding became Sackville-Eastern Shore, combining 75 per cent of Sackville-Mosquodoboit Valley-Eastern Shore riding with seven per cent of Dartmouth and 11 per cent of Halifax West. This riding was created in the 1996 redistribution from 32 per cent of Halifax West, 31 per cent of the former Central Nova and 20 per cent of Dartmouth.

Population: 86,963 (2006 census; an increase of 3.3% since 2001)

Political History

In 2006, New Democrat Peter Stoffer won a fourth term easily, taking more than 52 per cent of the vote.

In 2004, Stoffer defeated Liberal Dale Stevens by 6,703 votes. In 2000, he had defeated Liberal Bruce Stephen by 755 votes.

PC Howard Crosbie held the riding of Halifax West from 1978 until the 1988 byelection. Liberal Geoff Regan won in 1993, 1997 and 2000.

• 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006 - NDP