Provencher

This riding is in the southeast corner of Manitoba, bordering Ontario in the east and the United States in the south. The city of Winnipeg forms part of the boundary in the west. The riding includes Lac du Bonnet, Steinbach, Altona, Lorette, Pinawa and several native reserves. Whiteshell Provincial Park is in the northeastern part of the riding.

Manufacturing and agricultural employ a major part of the workforce in this riding, followed by the service sector.

This area was once the home of Métis leader Louis Riel. Mennonites of Dutch-German ancestry are now the riding's largest ethnic group. In the 2006 census, 36 per cent of residents listed German as their ethnic origin. Almost 11 per cent of the population listed French as their mother tongue, while 18 per cent listed German.

The average family income is $68,486 and the unemployment rate is 3.7 per cent.

In 1996, 10 per cent of Selkirk-Red River was added to Provencher. In 2004, it added four per cent of Churchill riding.

Population: 87,737 (2006 census; an increase of 7.1% since 2001)

Political History

In the 2006 election, Conservative Vic Toews won his third term, taking the seat over Liberal candidate Wes Penner with almost 50 per cent of the votes. In the previous election, Toews defeated Liberal Peter Epp with 63 per cent of the vote. Toews was appointed president of the Treasury Board in January 2007 after serving as justice minister.

Sir George-Étienne Cartier was acclaimed in this riding in 1872. He died, and in 1874, Riel was acclaimed. On April 16, 1874, the House of Commons passed a motion expelling Riel from the House. A new writ was issued and Riel was returned by acclamation. On Feb. 25, 1875, a resolution was passed by the House declaring him an outlaw. A new writ was issued and Liberal Andrew Bannatyne was acclaimed.

The riding was Conservative from 1878 to 1904, then Liberal or Liberal Progressive from 1904 to 1957.

PC Warner Jorgenson held Provencher from 1957 to 1968, when Liberal Mark Smerchanski defeated him.

In 1972, Smerchanski lost to PC Jake Epp by 4,773 votes. Epp was re-elected in 1974, 1979, 1980, 1984 and 1988. He served as minister of Indian affairs and northern development under Joe Clark and minister of health and welfare and minister of energy, mines and resources under Brian Mulroney.

Liberal David Iftody was elected over Reform candidates in 1993 and 1997, but he was defeated in 2000 by Toews, running under the Canadian Alliance banner.

• 1935-53 inclusive - LIB/LIB PROG
• 1957-65 inclusive - PC
• 1968 - LIB
• 1972-88 inclusive - PC


• 1993, 1997 - LIB


• 2000 - CA


• 2004, 2006 – CON