Published Apr 25, 2025 • Last updated 10 hours ago • 4 minute readThe riding of South Shore-St. Margarets takes in all of Shelburne, Queens and Lunenburg counties and also a small portion of Halifax Regional Municipality . ELECTIONS CANADAIn this federal election, electors will have five candidates to choose from when determining who will represent the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets.In advance of the April 28 federal election, we asked candidates to fill out a bio template form, sharing what they see as the top issue(s) in the riding and what they hope to accomplish as the riding’s MP. They were given a 50-word count on each of those questions.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentAs an added point of interest, we asked them to share something about themselves people might not know.Election Day is April 28. Aside from Election Day on April 28, advance voting takes place on April 18, 19, 20 and 21.RIDING PROFILE• Population: 79,130 (based on the 2021 census data)• Riding description: The riding is made up of the counties of Shelburne and Lunenburg and the Regional Municipality of Queens. Part of the Halifax Regional Municipality is also included. The riding is 8,068 square kilometres in size. Major centres include Barrington, Shelburne, Liverpool, Bridgewater, Chester and Lunenburg.• Key issues: The fisheries, impacts of tariffs, housing, affordability, health care.THE CANDIDATESArticle contentAfter nominations closed on April 7, the following candidates had registered:Conservative Party of Canada: Rick PerkinsGreen Party: Mark EmbrettLiberal party: Jessica-Fancy LandryPeople’s Party of Canada: Patrick Shea BoydIndependent: Hayden HendersonHere are the candidate bios listed in alphabetical order according to their party that had we received by our April 9. We did not have a bio for the independent candidate at the time of this posting. Rick Perkins is the Conservative Party of Canada candidate in the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets.Conservative Party of CanadaRick Perkins• Age: 63• Occupation: Has served as MP on the south shore since 2021. Prior to politics had a background in business.• Top issue: Affordability. 59 per cent of Nova Scotians surveyed agree and after the last 10 years of this Liberal government, it is clear to see why. Two million Canadians are lined up at food banks annually, home prices have doubled, and generations of Canadians are falling behind.Article content• What do you want to accomplish as an MP? I want to bring back law and order to our fisheries to ensure that harvesters can bring home powerful paycheques for them and their families. DFO’s failure to crack down on this chaos has left families scared and left our fisheries in ruins. It’s time for that to change.• What is something people might not know about you? I worked as a roadie on George Thorogood’s Bad to the Bone Tour in the early 80s. Great music and a pretty fantastic job to have. Mark Embrett is the Green Party candidate in the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets.Green PartyMark Embrett• Age: 44• Occupation: Lead Implementation Scientist• Top issue: Housing and affordability is the top issue because people are being priced out of their communities. Rents are rising, homes are out of reach, and it’s harder to build a life here. Without secure housing, families, seniors, and workers can’t thrive, and our local economy suffers.Article content• What do you want to accomplish as an MP? I’ll champion South Shore as a renewable energy powerhouse: creating good local jobs, lowering emissions, and building energy independence. With our natural resources and skilled communities, we can lead Canada’s clean energy future while protecting what makes our region so special. Let’s power up our potential.• What’s one thing people might not know about you? I love writing Google Reviews for local businesses, especially restaurants. I try to be honest but constructive. I think it improves the visibility of local businesses and helps inform people what to expect and where to go. Plus I love trying new restaurants. Jessica Fancy-Landry is the Liberal candidate in the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets.Liberal partyJessica Fancy-Landry• Age: 41• Occupation: TeacherArticle content• Top issues: The top issues constituents are emphasizing are the positivity in the Liberal leadership and plan for economic growth and development. The threat of tariffs, their impacts, and how to support local industries like fisheries and small businesses are top of mind. Increasing affordable housing options, implementing measures to reduce living expenses, and climate change impacts are also critical issues.• What’s one thing you want to accomplish as MP? Empowering communities is a strong and impactful focus I want to champion. Engaging constituents and focusing on initiatives that strengthen local decision-making, improve access to resources, and support grassroots organizations will help empower communities. This includes increasing funding for community-led projects, enhancing rural infrastructure, and ensuring local voices are heard in federal policy decisions.Article content• What’s one thing people might not know about you? I am an avid gardener who likes to grow my own veggies and is obsessed with flowering shrubs. Pat Boyd is the People’s Party of Canada candidate in the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets.People’s Party of CanadaPat Boyd• Age: 45• Occupation: Consultant• Top issue: Neighbors and constituents across the South Shore-St. Margarets riding are concerned with the corrosive effects of unskilled mass immigration; increasingly inaccessible and degraded health-care services; and unsustainable cost of living. The policies that created these issues are plain as day. The solutions to these issues are equally clear. Put Canada First.• What’s one thing you want to accomplish as MP? End mass immigration, starting with closing the unskilled category of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. We don’t need to import people to flip burgers, pour coffee, or stock shelves. Instead, we should be importing people with in-demand skills where we have shortages. Immigration works for all involved when done properly.• What’s one thing people might not know about you? I’ve been a ‘city guy’ on the west coast where I grew up and am now more of a ‘country guy’ on the east coast where I have a small hobby farm with sheep and chickens, and a new-found appreciation for living closer to the land and more connected to nature. Outside of work, I’m a volunteer firefighter and medical first responder.Article content
Meet the candidates for the South Shore-St. Margarets riding
