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Alfie MacLeod was once a shepherd. As Cape Breton tried to boost its economy in 1975, it imported 1,500 sheep from Scotland, and MacLeod was hired to look after them during their years of quarantine.

As the federal Conservative candidate in the riding of Cape Breton-Canso, MacLeod has built a profile from his history of eclectic roles – coal mine inspector, pro bono auctioneer, justice of the peace, member of the provincial legislature of 16 years. To Cape Bretoners, he is the man who can solemnize your marriage, auction off your horse and slow dance at your local dance despite an infection in 2014 that led to the amputation of his left foot.

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“Just business as usual, just sometimes it took longer to do things in a wheelchair,” says MacLeod of his initial recovery. After five months, he recalls, “I went and got a prosthetic and just kept going.”

Conditions are choice for Conservatives to win certain seats in Nova Scotia, despite the Liberal’s blanket success of all 32 seats in Atlantic Canada in the last election. Liberal incumbents are retiring, voters are conflating the unpopular Liberal premier with the federal party, and most importantly to a region where the candidate factor weighs so strong, the Tories have recruited candidates with established names.