COLCHESTER NORTH (13)

Candidates:

Liberal: John Davidson NDP: Garfield Forrest PC: Bill Langille

Current MLA: Bill Langille (PC)

Riding Profile: This riding is rural and runs along the Bay of Fundy near Five Islands and Glenholme, then veers north and east to border the Northumberland Strait. It includes Tatamagouche, Debert and Earltown, and fishing, farming and forestry are the mainstays. Many people commute to Truro to find work in factories and offices there.

The Lillian Fraser Memorial Hospital in Tatamagouche has been working hard to remain open. Finding a family doctor is a challenge throughout this riding.

The Anna Swan Museum and the Balmoral Grist Mill attracts tourists to the Sunrise Trial during the summer. Golf courses, the tides along the Bay of Fundy, a luxury resort and the Tim Horton's Summer Camp for Kids bring people to the area. A horse farm has opened near The Falls.

Light manufacturing employs several hundred people in the Debert Industrial park. Maple syrup, berries, corn mazes and woodlots help mixed farmers stay in business as margins get tighter.

The population is 18,260, and 42 per cent of residents have not completed high school. The average income is $23,440.

Issues: The main issues in this riding are the high cost of car insurance and the poor condition of rural roads in areas reliant on tourism. Family doctors are an issue in some communities.

Political History: Colchester North was created in 1978 when the riding of Colchester was divided in two. Liberal Ed Lorraine, a beef farmer and popular municipal warden of the county, held the seat for most of the last 10 years.

The current incumbent is a retired policeman who spent many years in Ontario. His Liberal challenger is a dairy farmer from Bass River.

1999: PC Bill Langille defeated LIB John Davidson by 1,500 votes. Ralph Martin of the NDP was a strong third with 29 per cent of the vote. 1998: LIB Ed Lorraine defeated NDP Janet Maybee by 700 votes. PC Andy Williamson was third with 30 per cent of the vote. 1993: LIB Ed Lorraine defeated PC Tom Taggart by 2,000 votes. Patsy Forrest of the NDP was third with 1,001 votes. 1993: LIB Ed Lorraine defeated PC Jack Coupar by only 163 votes.

Voter Turnout: 64 per cent in the last election.