Manitoba Premier Gary Doer announced on Aug. 27 that he was stepping down as party leader after 21 years. (CBC)

Manitobans will get a new premier on Oct. 17.

That's the date the NDP has set for a vote to replace outgoing Premier Gary Doer. Party executives held a meeting on Monday to arrange a leadership convention Oct. 16-17.

It will be the first time in 21 years that the party has had to choose a new leader. Doer, who took the helm in 1988, surprised many political observers by announcing on Aug. 27 that he was stepping down.

The next day he was introduced in Ottawa by Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Canada's next ambassador to the United States.

Provincial party president Lorraine Sigurdson said the convention — to be held at the Winnipeg Convention Centre — will not only be a time for choosing a new leader, but also an opportunity to thank Doer for his decades of service.

Doer first became an MLA in March 1986 and has represented the riding of Concordia ever since. He was chosen as party leader at a convention in 1988 and led the NDP to power in 1999.

The party has been in charge of the province since then, gaining more seats with every successive election.

Leadership hopefuls to declare by Sept. 17

The deadline for leadership hopefuls to throw their hats into the ring is Sept. 17. The party will use a delegate system for voting, said Sigurdson.

"The only people that will have a vote in determining the leadership of the party are those who are selected as delegates. I'm sure, though, that the public will have a role in terms of giving their opinion to members of the party that they know and will have their opportunity to be heard that way," she said.

No one has yet stepped forward to declare his or her candidacy for leadership.

'You'll see lots of good Canadian views there as you would expect, and maybe a Canadian beer or two.'—Premier Gary Doer

Doer has not announced his last day as premier but suggested it would likely be around the same time as the convention.

As for his new role in Washington, Doer said he intends to promote Canadian views — and perhaps, brews.

"You'll see lots of good Canadian views there as you would expect, and maybe a Canadian beer or two," he joked.

Getting serious, Doer said it is important that he helps illustrate the ties between American and Canadian issues to the governors, senators and congressional representatives south of the border.

"If you can't connect the issues back to their constituents, the job in Selkirk working in a steel plant that sells steel to Caterpillar in Illinois or Wisconsin, that in turn sells it back to Canada in terms of mining equipment — if you can't make that connection in Illinois or in Wisconsin, you're not going to be effective on [Capitol] Hill," he said.

He was less enthusiastic about stepping into the health-care debate currently raging in the U.S. and offer the Canadian view.

"I think the best people actually to talk about the Canadian health-care system are nurses and doctors, not politicians meddling in the affairs of another country," he said.