Its creation was very controversial, as it included areas with both large anglophone and francophone populations, while neighbouring communities were placed in other ridings.

In the 1997 election, the Liberals were alleged to have rigged their meeting to choose Pierrette Ringuette, the Member of Parliament for the defunct Madawaska—Victoria riding.

The meeting was held in Grand Falls, near her hometown and at the far northern end of the riding.

In the 2004 election, the Conservative Party selected Adam Richardson, who had run for the Canadian Alliance in the 2000 election, but the national head office refused to sign his nomination papers, apparently because of Richardson's demands that party leader Stephen Harper apologize for allegedly derogatory comments about Atlantic Canadians.

The eventual Conservative candidate, Mike Allen, lost to Liberal incumbent Andy Savoy.