Labrador (Newfoundland and Labrador) 148/338

Labrador (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Today we're in Labrador!

Labrador has existed as a riding since 1949, the first election after Newfoundland joined Canada on March 31st of that year. The population of the riding was 27,197 in 2016. The riding contains the communities of Happy Valley-Goose Bay (8,109 in 2016), Labrador City (7,220 in 2016), and Nain (1,125 in 2016). The riding is the smallest in Canada by population.

Politically, this seat has been Liberal for almost the entire history of the riding. It has only gone non-Liberal twice. The first time was in 1968 when Robert Stanfield's PC's won all but one seat in Newfoundland. The next was a narrow victory for Peter Penashue in 2011, however he resigned and lost in the subsequent by-election after it was found that he spent more than allowed in the general election. The seat is currently held by Liberal MP Yvonne Jones.

Yvonne Jones won the seat in the 2013 by-election, defeating Penashue by over 1,800 votes. Jones had served in the Newfoundland House of Assembly from 1996 until her 2013 resignation, serving in Roger Grimes' cabinet. She became the leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party in 2007, one of only three Liberal MHA's at the time. She resigned due to her breast cancer recovery, but won her seat in the 2011 election. In 2019, this seat was 2/7 in Newfoundland and Labrador and 110/338 in Canada by margin.

The name is perfect, the seat has been purely Labrador since 1988. The shape is also perfect, I think it's good that remote northern communities get special interest/representation in the House of Commons. As for individuality, the fact that it has been Liberal for all but six years since 1949 is wild to me.

Tomorrow we're back in Quebec with Lac-Saint-Jean!