Agassiz

This is a newly renamed and rejigged riding in southwestern Manitoba. It is made up mostly of the riding formerly known as Ste. Rose with some parts of the former ridings of Turtle Mountain, Russell and Minnedosa.

It runs along the western side of Lake Winnipeg and includes the communities of Neepawa, Gladstone, MacGregor, McCreary and Carberry.

Almost one in five residents here are aboriginal, one of the highest aboriginal populations outside the north.

Agriculture accounts for nearly a third of its economy. It has one of the lowest median incomes of any riding in Manitoba and more than 60 per cent of the adult, working-age population has a high school diploma or less.

It also has one of the lowest average incomes of all ridings.

Stats

Population: 20,805

Median age: 38.2

Immigrants: 4.2 per cent

Aboriginal population: 19.2 per cent

Living in poverty: 17.5 per cent

Median income: $17,772

Politics

The former riding of Ste. Rose, most of which is now included in the newly renamed Agassiz riding, has been held by the Liberals, NDP and the Progressive Conservatives since it was created in 1914. However it has been in the hands of the Tories since 1986. Only two MLAs have represented St. Rose since then, Glen Cummings between 1986 and 2007 and Stu Briese, since 2007.

2007 results for Ste. Rose

Stu Briese, PC 3,599

Denise Harder, NDP 2,022

Janelle Mailhot, LIB 465

Turnout: 50.71 per cent