Photo: William M. Monroe · Public domainPictou sends Sean Fraser (Liberal Party of Canada) to the Commons from Central Nova
11 of the 11 MPs from Nova Scotia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada. The Nova Scotia House of Assembly’s ridings aren’t published as open data we could find, so Pictou isn’t placed in one. Locally, Pictou is run as a town. No open list of councils exists in Nova Scotia, so no mayor of Pictou is named here.
Three governments, and who does what
Pictou, a town in Nova Scotia, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
nslegislature.ca ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Pictou, from the most recent elections.
- 1Pictou councilTown
- 2Nova Scotia House of Assembly–
- 3House of CommonsCentral Nova
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 Pictou votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Pictou council | 19 October 2024 | 21 October 2028 |
| Nova Scotia House of Assembly | 26 November 2024 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Elections Canada’s open records end with the 2021 election; its 2025 results are under terms that rule out commercial use. After the 19 October 2024 election, Pictou council next goes to the polls on 21 October 2028. That date comes from the Municipal Elections Act, which sets the third Saturday in October every four years. The Nova Scotia House of Assembly was last elected on 26 November 2024, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
The Nova Scotia House of Assembly: riding not placed
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MLA.
Find your MLA on the legislature’s site
nslegislature.ca ↗Legislatures: their own member pages
Sean Fraser represents Central Nova in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Central Nova · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada11
As Wikidata records them.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Central Nova would have gone to the Liberal Party of Canada with 44%, and Sean Fraser kept it for them in 2025. Sean Fraser was first elected in 2015; the current Parliament is Sean Fraser’s 4th. Wikidata records Sean Fraser as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (2021–2023).
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
Sean Fraser kept Central Nova for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021
Results in Central Nova as drawn in 2013, the boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections; the riding was redrawn for 2025.
In 2021, Central Nova went to Sean Fraser (Liberal Party of Canada) on 46%; Steven Cotter (Conservative Party of Canada) finished 5,622 votes behind. In 2019, Sean Fraser had won the same riding with 47%. 66% of electors in Central Nova voted in 2021, above the 63% turnout across Canada.
All 8 candidates in Central Nova, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Fraser | Liberal Party of Canada | 18,682 | 46.2% |
| Steven Cotter | Conservative Party of Canada | 13,060 | 32.3% |
| Betsy MacDonald | New Democratic Party | 6,225 | 15.4% |
| Al Muir | People's Party of Canada | 1,445 | 3.6% |
| Katerina Nikas | Green Party of Canada | 494 | 1.2% |
| Harvey Henderson | Independent | 365 | 0.9% |
| Chris Frazer | Communist Party of Canada | 138 | 0.3% |
| Ryan Smyth | Parti Rhinocéros Party | 65 | 0.2% |
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 Pictou is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
electionsnovascotia.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. Elections Canada redrew the ridings in 2023 and re-tallied the 2021 ballots onto the new map from polling divisions; that estimate, and the official 2019 and 2021 counts on the old map, are what you see.
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
- 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 Pictou is run
Who is the MP for Pictou?
For Pictou, it’s Sean Fraser (Liberal Party of Canada), who holds Central Nova.
Which party won Pictou in the 2021 federal election?
Sean Fraser (Liberal Party of Canada) took Central Nova in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MLA for Pictou?
The Nova Scotia House of Assembly’s website names each MLA by riding; the riding of Pictou has to be looked up there.
Who heads the council in Pictou?
Pictou is a town; its own website or the province’s municipal directory names the head of council.
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).