HARBOUR MAIN-WHITBOURNE (19)

Candidates:

Liberal: Fred Akerman PC: Tom Hedderson NDP: Eugene Conway

Current MHA: Tom Hedderson (PC)

District Profile: The district of Harbour Main was another of the anti-Confederate strongholds in the late 1940s. Until a 1993 breakthrough, the Tories had good luck with the district. However, the new district is substantially different than previous Harbour Main. Not only was a core area of Holyrood moved to another district (Conception Bay South), but the district stretched to the west to take in Whitbourne, as well as the Conception Bay communities of Brigus, Cupid's and Clarke's Beach. Other communities in the district include: part of the town of Holyrood, Avondale, Brigus Junction, Chapel's Cove, Colliers, Conception Harbor, Emerald Vale, Georgetown, Goulds Road, Harbour Main, Juniper Stump, Lakeview, Mackinsons, Markland, Marysvale, North River, Roaches Line, Salmonier Line, South River, Turks Water, Whitbourne.

Candidate profiles:

Liberal Fred Akerman was born and raised in Cupid's and is now a resident of Clarke’s Beach. He started his own wholesale business, Atlantic Frozen Foods. After the sale of Atlantic Frozen Foods, he worked with Dawson and Randel Real Estate. He owned and operated King’s Fish Market, which he recently sold. Akerman is a director of the Harbour-Main Whitboune Liberal Association.

PC Tom Hedderson was elected to the House of Assembly on February 9, 1999 to represent the District of Harbour Main-Whitbourne. He was then appointed PC critic for education (primary, elementary and secondary). He has also served as the parliamentary assistant to the leader of the Opposition. Currently, he serves as the critic for the Youth Services and Post-secondary Education Department. He has an MA (Literacy) and a MA (Psychology) from Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia.

New Democrat Eugene Conway, a former mayor of Conception Harbour, operates a nursery business in the town. He’s been active on the environmental front, trying to preserve forests and sensitive ecosystems on the Avalon Peninsula. During the past summer, Conway was vocally critical of the provincial government for not allowing more moose to be killed along highways as a method of reducing serious moose-vehicle accidents.

Political History:

1999: The Tories regained the seat in 1999 when PC Tom Hedderson defeated Liberal Wanda Dawe. 1996: In 1996, Whelan, the incumbent from Harbour Maine, defeated PC Eugene Whelan to take the new district of Harbour Maine-Whitbourne. 1993: The district was a Progressive Conservative stronghold until 1993 when Liberal Don Whelan defeated PC Randy Simms by 169 votes.