Steinbach

One of the fastest growing in the province in recent years, the Steinbach riding shrunk geographically in the new boundary make-up.

Population growth is largely due to an influx of immigrants. Almost 18 per cent of residents are immigrants to Canada and more than a third of them are recent arrivals.

Situated mostly around the city of Steinbach, the riding counts more than a third of its population as having German heritage.

Residents here are also more likely to have a religious affiliation than most other ridings.

It has one of the lowest divorce rates and one of the lowest numbers of people living in common-law relationships.

It also has one of the youngest populations with half of residents being younger than 32.

 

Stats

Population: 19,415

median age: 31.5

Immigrants: 17.8 per cent

Aboriginal population: 4.0 per cent

Living in poverty: 10.6 per cent

Median income: $22,885

 

Politics

Steinbach is considered to be the safest riding in the province for the Progressive Conservatives.

Kelvin Goertzen, the MLA since 2003, had the biggest margin of victory for any candidate in any riding in the 2007 election, with a margin of victory in excess of 5,500 votes.

The Tory dominance is so great in the last election the NDP and Liberals combined spent less than three per cent of what Goertzen spent on his campaign (Read: they didn’t really run campaigns).

Goertzen is running again and as of late August, the NDP and Liberals did not yet have candidates nominated.

 

2007 results

Kelvin Goertzen, PC 6,144

Rawle Squires, NDP 641

Jonathan Thiessen, LIB 351

Janine Gibson, GRN 268

Turnout: 49.99 per cent