The four provinces in Atlantic Canada are attracting attention as voters head to the polls on Monday because they are known to provide an early indication of how the elections will go. There are 32 seats in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. These ridings report their results first because of time zones. Liberal MPs held 23 of those 32 seats at the dissolution. The Conservatives held eight seats.
Meanwhile, there was one vacant seat in Halifax after Liberal MP Andy Fillmore stepped down to run for — and eventually win — mayor of Halifax.The Liberals have had a strong showing on the East Coast. In the two elections since, the Liberals have lost some support, but political observers do believe the party will remain strong in the region. In 2015, the party, led by Justin Trudeau, won every riding in these provinces and had an overwhelming majority government. “I feel like Atlantic Canada could provide a snapshot for how the Liberals and the Conservatives end up duking it out,” said Dalhousie University political scientist, Lori Turnbull. “I would think that it’s a very representative competition that will resonate across much of the country.”
Narrative Research, a polling firm based in Halifax, conducted a survey on April 21 and 22 and found that the Liberals had a significant lead. When considering voting intentions among decided voters and those who voted in advance polls, 66 per cent said they backed Mark Carney’s Liberals, while 26 per cent said they supported Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives and six per cent indicated support for the NDP.
Canada votes: Eyes on Atlantic provinces for early cues as Liberals hope to dominate
