Central Nova candidates covering a lot of ground to reach voters in far-reaching riding

In the Nova Scotia federal riding of Central Nova, Liberal candidate Sean Fraser says he's taking nothing for granted in the election campaign despite his three previous electoral wins.  

"In my lifetime, you've only seen one person before me actually successfully elected as a Liberal in this riding," Fraser said.

"This is not exactly a safe seat for Liberals. In fact, when [Brian] Mulroney needed a safe Conservative seat to run in when he became the member of Parliament here, it was Central Nova that he chose to run."

Much has changed since the Mulroney era of the 1980s.

As the population grows in the Halifax Regional Municipality, rural ridings like Central Nova are getting larger — geographically — as their population dwindles. Central Nova now covers a large swath of the province ranging from Pictou across the mainland to Ecum Secum and other communities on the Eastern Shore and then all the way down to Porters Lake and parts of Cole Harbour.

A lot of ground to cover

Jim Bickerton, a political science professor at St. Francis Xavier University, said the municipality will eventually absorb more of the province's 11 ridings.

"It's inevitable," Bickerton said. "I don't see any way out of the fact that these rural ridings are going to continue to get a little bigger with time unless they start to hold their own or gain a little in population."

As a result, the candidates in Central Nova have a lot of ground to cover in order to reach voters.

The NDP's Jesiah MacDonald said he's doing his best with limited resources to cover that ground. But he knows he faces an uphill battle against the incumbent Fraser.

'I like to be visible'

MacDonald said there are NDP voters in the riding, but they're too nervous to say so out loud. The 37-year-old, a janitor and former bakery owner in New Glasgow, is transgender and doesn't mind sharing his story with anyone curious enough to ask.

"I began my own transition in 2008. I like to be visible and use that visibility for as much benefit to the community as I can. Just because personally I've not been afraid to put myself out there in that capacity. And not a lot of people can," MacDonald said.

"I don't take that visibility for granted. And I also don't take for granted that I'm able to live in a community where I'm safe to be open and out."

MacDonald also talks candidly about his criminal conviction in 2013 for cannabis production. MacDonald told the court at the time he was using the money from the cannabis to pay for a reassignment surgery. He was handed probation and a $1,000 fine, the judge noting that he was going through a life-altering and difficult process.

"It was for production of cannabis and if you were to look up the documents, I killed most of the plants. So I have tried to be a better gardener since then and haven't succeeded," he said with a laugh.

Affordibility key issue for Conservative candidate

The Conservative candidate is Brycen Jenkins. He was born and raised in Pictou County and worked as a welder and welding inspector before switching careers to become a real estate agent, according to his campaign website. He didn't reply to a request from CBC News for an interview but has outlined some of his priorities on his Facebook page.

"Young people who can't afford a home. Seniors who can't afford to pay their bills. I know how hard you work each and every day and I know that you deserve better. And that's why I got into politics," one Facebook post reads.

Jenkins enjoyed some high-profile support in April from Conservative Peter MacKay — the Central Nova MP for 18 years — who posed for a photo after installing a Jenkins campaign sign. The federal Conservative party's deputy leader, Melissa Lantsman, knocked on doors in Porters Lake with Jenkins on April 10. The two posted a video on Facebook saying people in the area are focused on affordability and change in Central Nova.

Last year, Fraser said he was not going to run for re-election in Central Nova, saying he wanted to spend more time with his young family.

Then along came Mark Carney. Carney's staff called Fraser earlier this year to say the Liberal leader wanted him back in the race in Central Nova. His staff suggested Fraser be ready for a direct call from Carney.

The two came to an agreement, with Carney publicly assuring Fraser he'd get to spend more nights at home than in hotel rooms.

Trump casting shadow over campaign

Fraser said it's cynical for anyone to think he's back in the race only because the Liberals' fortunes in the polls have taken a 180-degree turn since Donald Trump started talking about Canada as the 51st state.

"If you were interested in a safe ride into elected politics, running as a Liberal in Pictou County isn't probably the place you'd pick to do."

As for what the candidates are hearing from voters, it should come as no surprise that the American president has cast a long shadow over the campaign.

"Most people are beside themselves," Fraser said, adding voters are more engaged and are paying more attention.

MacDonald said he hears that too. He said voters are still thinking about more traditional election issues as well.

"People want to talk about affordability, groceries, utilities, housing. So affordability is definitely the top priority around here," MacDonald said.

Three other candidates are also running in the riding. Charlie MacEachern is representing the People's Party of Canada, Gerald Romsa is running for the Greens and Alexander MacKenzie is running as an Independent.