# Cape Breton—Canso

Cape Breton—Canso is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004. Its population in 2011 was 75,247. It is the successor to Bras d'Or (later known as Bras d'Or—Cape Breton), which was represented in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2004.

## Demographics

From the 2016 census
Languages (mother tongue): 90.8% English, 6.5% French, 1.2% Mi'kmaq, 0.4% German, 0.2% Dutch, 0.1%Mandarin, 0.1% Arabic, 0.1% Scottish Gaelic, 0.1% Tagalog
Average age: 46.4
Average household size: 2.3

## Geography

The district includes eastern Guysborough County, and the western, southern and eastern coasts of Cape Breton Island. Communities include Glace Bay, Louisbourg, Inverness, Chéticamp, St. Peters, Port Hawkesbury, Mulgrave, Guysborough, Dominion and Canso. The area is 9,438 km$^2$.

## Political geography

In 2008, the Liberals won most of their support on Cape Breton Island, whereas the mainland portion of the riding voted Conservative with a few Liberal and NDP pockets The Conservatives and the NDP both won a small handful of polls on the island, and the Greens won a poll containing Judique.

## History

The riding of Bras d'Or was created in 1996 from parts of Cape Breton Highlands—Canso and Cape Breton—East Richmond ridings.
Bras d'Or was renamed "Bras d'Or—Cape Breton" in 1998. It was abolished in 2003. Most of its territory (except for the community of Sydney River) was incorporated into a new riding called "Cape Breton—Canso", and it also added a portion of Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough on the mainland.
Under the 2012 federal electoral redistribution, this riding gained 9% of its new territory from Central Nova.
Following the 2022 Canadian federal electoral redistribution, this riding will largely be replaced by Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish. It will gain the remainder of Antigonish County from Central Nova, and exchange territory with Sydney—Victoria, gaining Victoria, the remainder of Inverness and the rural western part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, and losing the urban part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality from Sydney Forks to Morien, including the Glace Bay area.

### Members of Parliament

| Parliament | Years | Member | Party |
| Bras d'Or Riding created from Cape Breton Highlands—Canso and Cape Breton—East Richmond |||||
| 36th | 1997–2000 | Michelle Dockrill | New Democratic |
| Bras d'Or—Cape Breton |||||
| 37th | 2000–2004 | Rodger Cuzner | Liberal |
| Cape Breton—Canso |||||
| 38th | 2004–2006 | Rodger Cuzner | Liberal |
| 39th | 2006–2008 | Rodger Cuzner | Liberal |
| 40th | 2008–2011 | Rodger Cuzner | Liberal |
| 41st | 2011–2015 | Rodger Cuzner | Liberal |
| 42nd | 2015–2019 | Rodger Cuzner | Liberal |
| 43rd | 2019–2021 | Mike Kelloway | Liberal |
| 44th | 2021–present | Mike Kelloway | Liberal |

## Election results
### Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish

2021 federal election redistributed results :
| Party | Vote | % |
| Liberal | 19,259 | 45.43 |
| Conservative | 14,882 | 35.11 |
| New Democratic | 6,252 | 14.75 |
| People's | 1,676 | 3.95 |
| Green | 206 | 0.49 |
| Others | 116 | 0.27 |

### Cape Breton—Canso
#### 2021

vte2021 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Mike Kelloway | 18,288 | 46.46 | +7.58 | $84,296.86 |
| | Conservative | Fiona MacLeod | 13,805 | 35.07 | +0.55 | $87,677.71 |
| | New Democratic | Jana Reddick | 5,618 | 14.27 | -0.53 | $7,070.64 |
| | People's | Brad Grandy | 1,649 | 4.19 | +2.04 | $0.00 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 39,360 | 99.19 | +0.57 | $107,460.21 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 350 | 0.81 | -0.57 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,710 | 65.57 | -6.13 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 60,559 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +3.52 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||

#### 2019

vte2019 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Mike Kelloway | 16,694 | 38.88 | -35.51 | none listed |
| | Conservative | Alfie MacLeod | 14,821 | 34.52 | +20.07 | $99,102.26 |
| | New Democratic | Laurie Suitor | 6,354 | 14.80 | +6.59 | none listed |
| | Green | Clive Doucet | 3,321 | 7.73 | +4.77 | $23,886.83 |
| | People's | Billy Joyce | 925 | 2.15 | - | $0.00 |
| | Independent | Michelle Dockrill | 685 | 1.60 | - | none listed |
| | National Citizens Alliance | Darlene Lynn LeBlanc | 140 | 0.33 | - | $0.00 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 42,940 | 98.62 | | $102,831.89 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 601 | 1.38 | +0.75 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,541 | 71.73 | +0.15 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 60,699 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -27.79 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||

#### 2015

vte2015 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Rodger Cuzner | 32,163 | 74.39 | +30.29 | $69,357.97 |
| | Conservative | Adam Daniel Rodgers | 6,246 | 14.45 | –18.17 | $36,970.92 |
| | New Democratic | Michelle Smith | 3,547 | 8.20 | –11.84 | $3,803.75 |
| | Green | Maria Goretti Coady | 1,281 | 2.96 | –0.28 | – |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 43,237 | 99.37 | | $205,381.80 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 274 | 0.63 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,511 | 71.58 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 60,785 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +24.23 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
2011 federal election redistributed results :
| Party | Vote | % |
| Liberal | 17,196 | 44.10 |
| Conservative | 12,719 | 32.62 |
| New Democratic | 7,818 | 20.05 |
| Green | 1,265 | 3.24 |

#### 2011

vte2011 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Rodger Cuzner | 16,478 | 46.45 | -1.65 | $63,928.72 |
| | Conservative | Clarence Derrick Kennedy | 10,873 | 30.65 | +7.15 | $75,474.80 |
| | New Democratic | Marney Simmons | 6,984 | 19.69 | -1.43 | $2,528.46 |
| | Green | Glen Carabin | 1,141 | 3.22 | -4.06 | $346.95 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 35,476 | 100.0 | | $83,274.40 |
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 336 | 0.94 | +0.14 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,812 | 62.47 | -0.84 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 57,331 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -4.40 |
| Sources: |||||||

#### 2008

vte2008 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Rodger Cuzner | 17,447 | 48.10 | -5.09 | $35,405.44 |
| | Conservative | Allan Murphy | 8,524 | 23.50 | -0.68 | $51,511.90 |
| | New Democratic | Mark MacNeill | 7,660 | 21.12 | +0.98 | $6,483.40 |
| | Green | Dwayne MacEachern | 2,641 | 7.28 | +4.78 | $5,315.05 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 36,272 | 100.0 | | $80,776 |
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 292 | 0.80 | +0.09 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,564 | 63.31 | -3.21 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 57,753 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -2.20 |

#### 2006

vte2006 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Rodger Cuzner | 21,424 | 53.19 | -0.07 | $62,038.40 |
| | Conservative | Kenzie MacNeil | 9,740 | 24.18 | +3.94 | $47,590.43 |
| | New Democratic | Hector Morrison | 8,111 | 20.14 | -4.18 | $7,662.93 |
| | Green | Rob Hines | 1,006 | 2.50 | +0.33 | $323.17 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 40,281 | 100.0 | | $76,321 |
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 288 | 0.71 | -0.24 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,569 | 66.52 | +2.72 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 60,984 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -2.00 |

#### 2004

vte2004 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Rodger Cuzner | 20,139 | 53.26 | -0.33 | $63,078.17 |
| | New Democratic | Shirley Hartery | 9,197 | 24.32 | +5.44 | $21,160.51 |
| | Conservative | Kenzie MacNeil | 7,654 | 20.24 | -7.19 | $49,919.36 |
| | Green | Seumas Gibson | 820 | 2.17 | – | none listed |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 37,810 | 100.0 | | $73,856 |
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 361 | 0.95 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,171 | 63.80 | -3.38 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 59,825 |
| | Liberal notional hold | Liberal notional hold | Swing | Swing | -2.88 |
| Changes from 2000 are based on redistributed results. Conservative Party change is based on the combination of Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party totals. |||||||
2000 federal election redistributed results :
| Party | Vote | % |
| Liberal | 21,200 | 53.59 |
| Progressive Conservative | 9,291 | 23.49 |
| New Democratic | 7,469 | 18.88 |
| Alliance | 1,558 | 3.94 |
| Others | 42 | 0.11 |

### Bras d'Or–Cape Breton
#### 2000

vte2000 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Rodger Cuzner | 20,815 | 54.85 | +16.41 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Alfie MacLeod | 8,114 | 21.38 | +1.12 |
| | New Democratic | Michelle Dockrill | 7,537 | 19.86 | -21.44 |
| | Alliance | John Currie | 1,483 | 3.91 | – |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 37,949 | 100.00 |
| | Liberal gain from New Democratic | Liberal gain from New Democratic | Swing | Swing | +18.93 |

### Bras d'Or
#### 1997

vte1997 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | New Democratic | Michelle Dockrill | 17,575 | 41.30 |
| | Liberal | David Dingwall | 16,358 | 38.44 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Frank Crowdis | 8,620 | 20.26 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 42,553 | 100.00 |