Dawson Trail

This is a new riding made up mainly from part of the old riding of La Verendrye. It is just south and west of Winnipeg and has the second largest francophone population in the province (after Saint Boniface).

Numerous francophone communities such as Ste. Anne, St. Adolphe and Ile des Chenes, moved into Dawson Trail from La Verendrye.

It is the second wealthiest riding outside of the city of Winnipeg (number 17 province-wide) and thanks to lower costs of living it has one of the fourth lowest poverty level of any riding in Manitoba.

Many residents here live close enough to Winnipeg to commute to the city for work, but enjoy a more rural lifestyle at home.

 

Stats

Population: 19,530

Median age: 35.7

Immigrants: 6.5 per cent

Aboriginal population: 12.3 per cent

Living in poverty: 6.1 per cent

Median income: $27,381

 

Politics:

Carved out of growing ridings south and west of Winnipeg, the politics of Dawson Trail are yet to be entirely known.

Longtime NDP cabinet minister Ron Lemieux has chosen to run here rather than in his current riding of La Verendrye because most of the francophone communities where Lemieux drew his largest levels of support are now in Dawson Trail.

He was considered vulnerable in 2007 but managed a decently-sized victory.

It is considered a somewhat open riding and will be targeted by all parties in this election.

 

2007 results: (La Verendrye)

Ron Lemieux, NDP 4,018

Bob Stefaniuk, PC 2,973

Roland Chaput, LIB 490

Jay Murray, IND 379