Pictou West
Provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pictou West is a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. Its member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) since 2024 has been Marco MacLeod of the Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia (PC).
 Nova Scotia electoral district | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Provincial electoral district | |||
| Legislature | Nova Scotia House of Assembly | ||
| MLA |
Progressive Conservative | ||
| District created | 1949 | ||
| First contested | 1949 | ||
| Last contested | 2024 | ||
| Demographics | |||
| Population (2011) | 13,922 | ||
| Electors | 10,886 | ||
| Area (km²) | 1,190 | ||
| Pop. density (per km²) | 11.7 | ||
| Census division | Pictou County | ||
| Census subdivision(s) | Pictou, Pictou, Subd. A, Pictou Subd. B | ||
The riding was created prior to the 1949 election out of the two-seat Pictou riding.
Geography
The riding includes the western half of Pictou County, plus the town of Pictou. The riding contains the communities of Abercrombie, Alma, Bay View, Bigney, Black River, Braeshore, Brookland, Campbell Hill, Cape John, Caribou, Caribou Island, Caribou River, Central Caribou, Central West River, College Grant, Concord, Dalhousie, Diamond, Durham, East Branch, Elmfield, Four Mile Brook, Glengarry Station, Granton, Greenhill, Haliburton, Heathbell, Hedgeville, Hodson, Lansdowne Station, Loch Broom, Loganville, Louisville, Lovat, Lyons Brook, Marshdale, Marshville, Meadowville, Melville, Millbrook, Millsville, Mountain Road, Mount Thom, Mount William, New Gairloch, New Lairg, Pictou Island, Plainfield, Pleasant Valley, Poplar Hill, River John, Rockfield, Rocklin, Salt Springs, Scotsburn, Seafoam, Scotch Hill, Six Mile Brook, Sundridge, Sylvester, Toney River, Union Centre, Waterside, Watervale, Welsford, West Branch, West River Station, White Hill
The geography of Pictou West is 1,190 km2 (460 sq mi) of land area.[1]
Members of the Legislative Assembly
This riding has elected the following members of the Legislative Assembly:
| Pictou West | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislature | Years | Member | Party | |
| 44th | 1949–1953 | Stewart W. Proudfoot | Liberal | |
| 45th | 1953–1956 | |||
| 46th | 1956–1960 | Harvey Veniot | Progressive Conservative | |
| 47th | 1960–1963 | |||
| 48th | 1963–1967 | |||
| 49th | 1967–1970 | |||
| 50th | 1970–1974 | |||
| 51st | 1974–1978 | Dan Reid | Liberal | |
| 52nd | 1978–1981 | Donald P. McInnes | Progressive Conservative | |
| 53rd | 1981–1984 | |||
| 54th | 1984–1988 | |||
| 55th | 1988–1993 | |||
| 56th | 1993–1998 | |||
| 57th | 1998–1999 | Charlie Parker | New Democratic | |
| 58th | 1999–2003 | Muriel Baillie | Progressive Conservative | |
| 59th | 2003–2006 | Charlie Parker | New Democratic | |
| 60th | 2006–2009 | |||
| 61st | 2009–2013 | |||
| 62nd | 2013–2017 | Karla MacFarlane | Progressive Conservative | |
| 63rd | 2017–2021 | |||
| 64th | 2021–2024 | |||
| 2024–2024 | Marco MacLeod | |||
| 65th | 2024–present | |||
Election results
2024
| 2024 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Marco MacLeod | 4,325 | 74.08 | +1.60 | ||||
| Liberal | Mary Wooldridge-Elliott | 778 | 13.33 | +3.78 | ||||
| New Democratic | Carol Ferguson | 620 | 10.62 | -5.92 | ||||
| Green | Clare Brett | 115 | 1.97 | +0.54 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 5,838 | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 30 | |||||||
| Turnout | 5,869 | 47.74 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 12,293 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | |||||||
| Source: Elections Nova Scotia[2] | ||||||||
2024 by-election
| Nova Scotia provincial by-election, May 21, 2024 Resignation of Karla MacFarlane | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Marco MacLeod | 4,159 | 72.48 | +8.86 | $47,956 | |||
| New Democratic | Melinda MacKenzie | 949 | 16.54 | +4.18 | $38,663 | |||
| Liberal | Mary Wooldridge-Elliott | 548 | 9.55 | -11.86 | $15,865 | |||
| Green | Clare Brett | 82 | 1.43 | -0.33 | – | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 5,738 | 99.29 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 43 | 0.74 | ||||||
| Turnout | 5,781 | 47.73 | -13.71 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 12,112 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | +2.34 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Nova Scotia[3][4] | ||||||||
2021
| 2021 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Karla MacFarlane | 4,487 | 63.62 | +1.04 | $26,401.55 | |||
| Liberal | Mary Wooldridge-Elliott | 1,510 | 21.41 | +4.95 | $29,635.78 | |||
| New Democratic | Rick Parker | 872 | 12.36 | -6.30 | $25,332.33 | |||
| Green | Clare Brett | 124 | 1.76 | -0.54 | $200.00 | |||
| Independent | John A. Clark | 60 | 0.85 | $200.00 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 7,053 | 99.63 | – | $69,087.61 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 26 | 0.37 | ||||||
| Turnout | 7,079 | 61.44 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 11,521 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | -1.96 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Nova Scotia[5][6] | ||||||||
2017
| 2017 provincial election redistributed results[7] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| Progressive Conservative | 4,380 | 62.58 | |
| New Democratic | 1,306 | 18.66 | |
| Liberal | 1,152 | 16.46 | |
| Green | 161 | 2.30 | |
| 2017 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Karla MacFarlane | 4,333 | 62.44 | +22.35 | ||||
| New Democratic | Shawn McNamara | 1,302 | 18.76 | -15.53 | ||||
| Liberal | Ben MacLean | 1,143 | 16.47 | -9.14 | ||||
| Green | Cecile Vigneault | 161 | 2.32 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 6,939 | 99.58 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 29 | 0.42 | -0.40 | |||||
| Turnout | 6,968 | 62.08 | -7.28 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 11,225 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | +18.94 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Nova Scotia[8][9] | ||||||||
2013
| 2013 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Karla MacFarlane | 3,026 | 40.10 | 20.10 | ||||
| New Democratic | Charlie Parker | 2,588 | 34.29 | -23.34 | ||||
| Liberal | Glennie Langille | 1,933 | 25.61 | 5.55 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 7,547 | 99.19 | – | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 62 | 0.81 | +0.56 | |||||
| Turnout | 7,609 | 69.36 | +2.49 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 10,971 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative gain from New Democratic | Swing | +21.72 | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (2013). 39th Provincial General Election, October 8, 2013: Volume 1 – Statement of Votes & Statistics (PDF) (Report). Elections Nova Scotia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2026. | ||||||||
2009
| 2009 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| New Democratic | Charlie Parker | 4,226 | 57.63 | 2.74 | ||||
| Liberal | Paul Landry | 1,471 | 20.06 | 10.88 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Leonard Fraser | 1,466 | 19.99 | -14.00 | ||||
| Green | Chelsea Richardson | 170 | 2.32 | 0.38 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 7,333 | 99.74 | – | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 19 | 0.26 | -0.23 | |||||
| Turnout | 7,352 | 66.86 | -1.93 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 10,996 | |||||||
| New Democratic hold | Swing | -4.07 | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. | ||||||||
2006
| 2006 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| New Democratic | Charlie Parker | 4,173 | 54.89 | 10.85 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Ron Baillie | 2,584 | 33.99 | 1.31 | ||||
| Liberal | Sandy MacKay | 698 | 9.18 | -11.99 | ||||
| Green | Douglas Earl Corbett | 147 | 1.93 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 7,602 | 99.52 | – | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 37 | 0.48 | -0.09 | |||||
| Turnout | 7,639 | 68.79 | -12.22 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 11,105 | |||||||
| New Democratic hold | Swing | +4.77 | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. | ||||||||
2003
| 2003 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| New Democratic | Charlie Parker | 3,410 | 44.05 | 8.36 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Paul Veniot | 2,530 | 32.68 | -4.78 | ||||
| Liberal | Edward MacMaster | 1,639 | 21.17 | -4.30 | ||||
| Independent | Doug Corbett | 163 | 2.11 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 7,742 | 99.42 | – | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 45 | 0.58 | -0.05 | |||||
| Turnout | 7,787 | 81.01 | +2.87 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 9,612 | |||||||
| New Democratic gain from Progressive Conservative | Swing | +6.57 | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. | ||||||||
1999
| 1999 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Muriel Baillie | 3,102 | 37.46 | -2.39 | ||||
| New Democratic | Charlie Parker | 2,955 | 35.69 | -4.57 | ||||
| Liberal | Paul Landry | 2,109 | 25.47 | 5.59 | ||||
| Independent | D. Ed Berringer | 114 | 1.38 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 8,280 | 99.38 | – | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 52 | 0.62 | +0.13 | |||||
| Turnout | 8,332 | 78.15 | +1.82 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 10,662 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative gain from New Democratic | Swing | +1.09 | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1999). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirty-Fifth General Election (Report). Elections Nova Scotia. | ||||||||
1998
| 1998 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| New Democratic | Charlie Parker | 3,306 | 40.26 | 27.82 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Luke Young | 3,273 | 39.86 | -5.86 | ||||
| Liberal | Rob McDowell | 1,633 | 19.89 | -18.07 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 8,212 | 99.50 | – | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 41 | 0.50 | +0.03 | |||||
| Turnout | 8,253 | 76.32 | -3.94 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 10,813 | |||||||
| New Democratic gain from Progressive Conservative | Swing | +16.84 | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. | ||||||||
1993
| 1993 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Donald P. McInnes | 4,032 | 45.72 | -9.02 | ||||
| Liberal | Rob McDowell | 3,347 | 37.95 | 5.34 | ||||
| New Democratic | Malcolm Campbell | 1,097 | 12.44 | -0.21 | ||||
| Independent | Edward MacMaster | 343 | 3.89 | – | ||||
| Total | 8,819 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1993). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirty-Third General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2018. | ||||||||
1988
| 1988 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Donald P. McInnes | 3,824 | 54.74 | -5.04 | ||||
| Liberal | John J. Henderson | 2,278 | 32.61 | 2.56 | ||||
| New Democratic | Geoff Moore | 884 | 12.65 | 5.10 | ||||
| Total | 6,986 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1988). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirty-Second General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2018. | ||||||||
1984
| 1984 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Donald P. McInnes | 3,844 | 59.78 | 6.54 | ||||
| Liberal | Bob Naylor | 1,932 | 30.05 | -1.63 | ||||
| New Democratic | Lynn Curwin-Porteous | 486 | 7.56 | -3.20 | ||||
| Independent | Franklin R. Fiske | 168 | 2.61 | – | ||||
| Total | 6,430 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1984). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirty-First General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2017. | ||||||||
1981
| 1981 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Donald P. McInnes | 3,473 | 53.24 | 10.36 | ||||
| Liberal | Doris Rink | 2,066 | 31.67 | -8.94 | ||||
| New Democratic | Jim Scanlan | 702 | 10.76 | -4.79 | ||||
| Independent | Franklin Robert Fiske | 282 | 4.32 | – | ||||
| Total | 6,523 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1981). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirtieth General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2017. | ||||||||
1978
| 1978 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Donald P. McInnes | 2,888 | 42.89 | -0.73 | ||||
| Liberal | Dan Reid | 2,735 | 40.61 | -3.38 | ||||
| New Democratic | John McDonald | 1,047 | 15.55 | 3.16 | ||||
| Independent | Lloyd H. MacLellan | 64 | 0.95 | – | ||||
| Total | 6,734 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1978). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Twenty-Ninth General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2018. | ||||||||
1974
| 1974 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Dan Reid | 2,624 | 43.99 | 6.46 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Harvey Veniot | 2,602 | 43.62 | -7.38 | ||||
| New Democratic | Charles Parker | 739 | 12.39 | 0.91 | ||||
| Total | 5,965 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1974). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Twenty-Eighth General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2018. | ||||||||
1970
| 1970 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Harvey Veniot | 2,729 | 51.00 | -14.20 | ||||
| Liberal | Mawhinney D. Laurence | 2,008 | 37.53 | 2.73 | ||||
| New Democratic | Robert Cormier | 614 | 11.47 | – | ||||
| Total | 5,351 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Legislative Assembly (1970). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, 1970 (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2018. | ||||||||
1967
| 1967 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Harvey Veniot | 3,137 | 65.20 | 5.67 | ||||
| Liberal | Edward Snow | 1,674 | 34.80 | -5.67 | ||||
| Total | 4,811 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1967). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2018. | ||||||||
1963
| 1963 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Harvey Veniot | 2,999 | 59.54 | 7.26 | ||||
| Liberal | Charles Ernest MacCarthy | 2,038 | 40.46 | -4.37 | ||||
| Total | 5,037 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1963). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2018. | ||||||||
1960
| 1960 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Harvey Veniot | 2,744 | 52.28 | 1.43 | ||||
| Liberal | W. A. Brody | 2,353 | 44.83 | -4.33 | ||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | W. E. Salsman | 152 | 2.90 | – | ||||
| Total | 5,249 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1960). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2018. | ||||||||
1956
| 1956 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Harvey Veniot | 2,644 | 50.85 | 0.93 | ||||
| Liberal | Stewart W. Proudfoot | 2,556 | 49.15 | -0.93 | ||||
| Total | 5,200 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1956). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2018. | ||||||||
1953
| 1953 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Stewart W. Proudfoot | 2,628 | 50.09 | -4.96 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Harvey Veniot | 2,619 | 49.91 | 4.96 | ||||
| Total | 5,247 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1953). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2018. | ||||||||
1949
| 1949 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Stewart W. Proudfoot | 2,817 | 55.04 | – | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Donald R. Gilchrist | 2,301 | 44.96 | – | ||||
| Total | 5,118 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Pictou West" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1949). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2018. | ||||||||