# Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor

Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor (formerly Bonavista—Exploits) was a federal electoral district in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 until 2015. 81.0% of its population was Protestant, the highest proportion in Canada. In the 2011 federal election, this riding had the highest percentage of Liberal votes in the nation, with nearly 60% of voters backing Liberal candidate Scott Simms.

## Demographics

Ethnic groups:
    98.4% White¹
    1.6% First Peoples
Immigrant population: 0.92%
Languages:²
    97.0% English
    3.0% bilingual
Religions:
    81.0% Protestant
    16.4% Catholic
    1.9% no affiliation
    0.6% other Christian
The riding had the highest proportion of Protestants in Canada.
Post-secondary education: 31.3%
Average individual income: $19 829
Average household income: $40 677
Unemployment: 28.9%
¹ Statistics Canada's category of "Non-visible minority" includes First Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit), and has been reduced accordingly.
² Based on ability to speak.

## Geography

The neighbouring ridings were Avalon, Random—Burin—St. George's, and Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte.
According to Elections Canada, the geographic definition of this riding was:
    "All that area consisting of that part of the Island of Newfoundland lying generally easterly and northerly of a line described as follows: commencing at a point midway between the towns of Triton and Leading Tickles in Notre Dame Bay; thence southerly in said bay to Seal Bay; thence southerly in a straight line to Frozen Ocean Lake at approximate latitude 49°11'N and approximate longitude 55°41'W; thence westerly in a straight line to Hinds Lake; thence southerly in a straight line to the mouth of Lloyds River at the westernmost extremity of Red Indian Lake [now Beothuk Lake]; thence southerly in a straight line to a point in Victoria Lake at latitude 48°15'N and approximate longitude 57°21'W; thence easterly to the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway (Route No. 1) with Route No. 230; thence easterly along Route No. 230 to Route No. 230A; thence easterly in a straight line to Ocean Pond; thence southeasterly in a straight line to British Harbour at the entrance of Smith Sound on the north shoreline of Trinity Bay; thence southeasterly to said bay. Including Exploits Islands, North and South Twillingate Islands, New World Island, Change Islands, Fogo Island, Funk Island, Cottel Island and all other islands adjacent to the shoreline of the above-described area."

## History

The electoral district was created in 2003: 68.6% from Gander—Grand Falls and 31.4% from Bonavista—Trinity—Conception. Following the 2012 electoral redistribution, this riding was dissolved and divided between Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame (67%) and Bonavista—Burin—Trinity (33%), with the new boundaries taking effect at the 2015 federal election.

### Member of Parliament

This riding elected the following members of Parliament:
| Parliament | Years | Member | Party |
| Bonavista—Exploits Riding created from Gander—Grand Falls and Bonavista—Trinity—Conception |||||
| 38th | 2004–2006 | Scott Simms | Liberal |
| Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor |||||
| 39th | 2006–2008 | Scott Simms | Liberal |
| 40th | 2008–2011 | Scott Simms | Liberal |
| 41st | 2011–2015 | Scott Simms | Liberal |
| Riding dissolved into Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame and Bonavista—Burin—Trinity |||||

## Election results
### Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, 2003 representation order

2011 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Scott Simms | 17,977 | 57.70 | -12.57 | $31,255.40 |
| | Conservative | Aaron Hynes | 8,595 | 27.59 | +12.36 | $54,357.10 |
| | New Democratic | Clyde Bridger | 4,306 | 13.82 | +1.31 | $9.50 |
| | Green | Robyn Kenny | 279 | 0.90 | -1.08 | none listed |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 31,157 | 100.0 | – | $95,488.47 |
| Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | 151 | 0.48 | -0.02 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,308 | 36.24 | -4.91 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 86,394 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -12.46 |
| Sources: |||||||
2008 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Scott Simms | 20,089 | 70.27 | +18.23 | $24,766.21 |
| | Conservative | Andrew House | 4,354 | 15.23 | -25.05 | $31,582.25 |
| | New Democratic | Jason Holley | 3,577 | 12.51 | +5.52 | none listed |
| | Green | Robert O'Connor | 568 | 1.98 | +1.29 | none listed |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 28,588 | 100.0 | – | $92,537 |
| Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | 145 | 0.50 | ±0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,733 | 41.15 | -13.05 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 69,828 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +21.64 |
2006 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Scott Simms | 19,866 | 52.04 | +3.84 | $44,893.75 |
| | Conservative | Aaron Hynes | 15,376 | 40.28 | -1.33 | $70,473.24 |
| | New Democratic | Sandra Cooze | 2,668 | 6.99 | -1.06 | $960.36 |
| | Green | Judy Davis | 265 | 0.69 | -0.42 | none listed |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 38,175 | 100.0 | – | $86,380 |
| Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | 190 | 0.50 | -0.03 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,365 | 54.20 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 70,782 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +2.58 |

### Bonavista—Exploits, 2003 representation order

2004 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Scott Simms | 15,970 | 48.20 | -7.12 | $45,455.39 |
| | Conservative | Rex Barnes | 13,786 | 41.61 | +7.11 | $78,934.75 |
| | New Democratic | Samuel Robert McLean | 2,667 | 8.05 | -2.14 | $1,870.00 |
| | Green | Ed Sailor White | 367 | 1.11 | – | $275.00 |
| | Independent | John Lannon | 344 | 1.04 | – | none listed |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 33,134 | 100.0 | – | $84,760 |
| Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | 178 | 0.53 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,312 | 46.30 | -6.67 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 71,944 |
| | Liberal notional hold | Liberal notional hold | Swing | Swing | -7.12 |
| Changes from 2000 are based on redistributed results. Change for the Conservatives is based on the combined totals from the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance. |||||||
2000 federal election redistributed results :
| Party | Vote | % |
| Liberal | 21,079 | 55.32 |
| Progressive Conservative | 11,358 | 29.81 |
| New Democratic Party | 3,882 | 10.19 |
| Alliance | 1,788 | 4.69 |