Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER · CC0Only 57% of electors voted in St. John's East in 2021, fewer than in 78% of Canada’s ridings
Locally, Torbay is run as a town. This page names no head of council for Torbay, as no open list of councils exists in Newfoundland and Labrador. Federally, Torbay sits in St. John's East, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Joanne Thompson of the Liberal Party of Canada. No provincial riding is named for Torbay, because the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador’s boundary file gives no terms of reuse.
What stands out in how Torbay is governed
A close federal race
The 2021 winner in St. John's East finished 10.9 points ahead of the runner-up (New Democratic Party), a closer race than 71% of Canada’s 338 ridings. How Torbay has voted ↓
Low federal turnout
In 2021, St. John's East voted in smaller numbers than 78% of the ridings. The 2021 turnout ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Torbay, a town in Newfoundland and Labrador, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
assembly.nl.ca ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
The census places Torbay in Division No. 1, a division that governs nothing; no county council sits above the town’s.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Torbay, from the most recent elections.
- 1Torbay councilTown
- 2House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador–
- 3House of CommonsSt. John's East
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
When Torbay votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Torbay council | 30 September 2025 | 25 September 2029 |
| House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador | 14 October 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Provincially the last general election was on 14 October 2025, for the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador; federally, on 28 April 2025. After the 30 September 2025 election, Torbay council next goes to the polls on 25 September 2029. It is the last Tuesday in September every four years, as the Municipal Elections Act provides. Why not 2025? Elections Canada publishes those counts under non-commercial terms, and its open data stop at the 2021 election.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
The House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador: riding not placed
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MHA.
Find your MHA on the legislature’s site
assembly.nl.ca ↗Legislatures: their own member pages
Joanne Thompson represents St. John's East in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
St. John's East · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2021
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada4
- Conservative Party of Canada3
As Wikidata records them.
Joanne Thompson’s party, the Liberal Party of Canada, has 4 of the 7 seats from Newfoundland and Labrador.
The MP’s record
Joanne Thompson has sat in the Commons since 2021, now for the 2nd Parliament. Mapped onto today’s St. John's East, the 2021 vote gives the Liberal Party of Canada 45%; in 2025 Joanne Thompson kept the seat in the same hands.
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
St. John's East changed hands in 2021, to Joanne Thompson (Liberal Party of Canada)
St. John's East as it stood from 2013: the 2019 and 2021 counts, before the riding was redrawn for 2025.
In 2019 the riding had gone to Jack Harris (New Democratic Party) with 47%. Joanne Thompson (Liberal Party of Canada) took St. John's East in 2021 with 45% of the vote, 4,149 votes ahead of Mary Shortall (New Democratic Party).
All 4 candidates in St. John's East, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joanne Thompson | Liberal Party of Canada | 17,239 | 45.2% |
| Mary Shortall | New Democratic Party | 13,090 | 34.3% |
| Glenn Etchegary | Conservative Party of Canada | 7,119 | 18.7% |
| Dana Metcalfe | People's Party of Canada | 723 | 1.9% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Having a say in how Torbay is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.gov.nl.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Not on this page. Council budgets, band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Election results. Ridings changed in 2023: the 2019 and 2021 results are on the old map, and the 2021 vote on today’s map is Elections Canada’s own estimate from polling divisions.
- Which riding. A riding is listed when 5% or more of the place’s 2021 Census residents live in it; the largest share comes first.
- Who holds each seat. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
Questions about how Torbay is run
Who is the MP for Torbay?
For Torbay, it’s Joanne Thompson (Liberal Party of Canada), who holds St. John's East.
Which party won Torbay in the 2021 federal election?
The Liberal Party of Canada: Joanne Thompson won St. John's East in 2021 and still holds it.
Who is the MHA for Torbay?
This page can’t say which riding Torbay is in; the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador lists every MHA with theirs.
Who heads the council in Torbay?
Torbay, a town, lists its council on its own pages; no open list names the head here.
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).