Election 2021 Riding Profile: Brandon-Souris

Challengers aim to upset in PC-stronghold riding Mason DePatie reports on a traditional Tory riding where challengers hope to leverage a changing demographic for an election night upset.

WINNIPEG — Manitobans can find out more information on the riding of Brandon-Souris, including who is running, the riding's political history and demographics.

Candidates

Note: a * indicates an incumbent candidate.

2019 Federal Election

Tory incumbent Larry Maguire won the election with 63 per cent of the vote. Larry first became the MP for Brandon-Souris in a 2013 by-election.

History

The riding was created in 1953 with the joining of the Brandon and Souris ridings.

Progressive Conservative Walter Dinsdale was elected MP of the Brandon riding in 1951. He was re-elected in the new Brandon-Souris riding.

Dinsdale won 11 consecutive elections, serving as an MP for 31 years as well as the minister of northern affairs in 1960. He died in 1982.

Dinsdale’s death prompted a by-election. Progressive Conservative Lee Clark was elected.

Liberal’s MP Glen McKinnon was elected in 1993. He served one term. McKinnon was the only non-Conservative candidate in the riding’s history to be elected.

The riding was won back by the Progressive Conservatives in 1997. It has remained a Tory riding ever since.

Boundaries

The riding covers the southwest corner of Manitoba, with the U.S. border to the south, and the Saskatchewan border to the west.

It’s the second-largest riding in Manitoba.

It includes Brandon, Souris, Killarney, Virden, Elkhorn, Wawanesa, Glenboro, Waskada, and Turtle Mountain.

Industries

The riding includes Spruce Woods Provincial Park.

A large employer in the riding is Maple Leaf Consumer Foods, with more than 2,000 employees.

It includes the Canadian Forces Shilo Base.

There are large agriculture and farm fertilizer industries within this riding.

Demographics

Note: All information according to Statistics Canada’s 2016 census data