When it was first created, the riding took in the eastern half of Northeastern Ontario, including the towns of North Bay and Sudbury.

In 1892, it was redefined to consist of the townships of Airey, Appleby, Awrey, Badgerow, Ballantyne, Biggar, Bishop, Blezard, Bonfield, Boulter, Bower, Boyd, Broder, Butt, Caldwell, Calvin, Cameron, Canisbay, Chisholm, Clara, Deacon, Devine, Dill, Dryden, Dunnet, Ferris, Field, Finlayson, Fitzgerald, French, Freswick, Grant, Hagar, Hawley, Head, Hugel, Hunter, Kirkpatrick, Lauder, Lister, Lorrain, Lyell, Maria, Mattawan, McCraney, McKim, McLaughlin, Merrick, Mulock, Murchison, Neelon, Olrig, Osler, Papineau, Paxton, Peck, Pentland, Phelps, Ratter, Robinson, Sabine, Springer, Widdifield and Wilkes, and a broad swath of northeastern Ontario between Georgian Bay and Hudson Bay/James Bay.

In 1903, it was redefined to consist of the territorial district of Nipissing, and the townships of Clara, Head and Maria in the county of Renfrew.

In 1947, it was defined to consist of the eastern part of the territorial district of Sudbury and the territorial district of Nipissing, excluding he townships of Ballantyne, Wilkes, Pentland, Boyd and Cameron and all townships south of them.

This riding elected the following members of the House of Commons of Canada: On Mr. Gordon's resignation, 25 October 1911: On Mr. Garland's death, 14 March 1964: