Manitoba Ridings To Watch: Churchill

Overview

Churchill is one of the largest ridings in the country, spanning the entire northern area of the province. In 2008, NDP candidate Niki Ashton defeated Liberal Tina Keeper by 3,422 votes, but in the election previous, in 2006, Ashton was defeated by Keeper, which was an upset for the NDP party, as they had held the riding for close to a decade.

The major sources of employment in Churchill come from education, health and social services, mining and retail trade. Seventy per cent of the population of 75,232 people are Aboriginal, which is the highest proportion in the country. The average family income is $61,071, the unemployment rate is 15.6 per cent, and just nine per cent of the population are over the age of 25 and hold a university degree or certificate. Sixty-one per cent speak English, while 23 per cent speak Cree.

Candidate profiles

Wally Daudrich – Conservative

Daudrich is the owner and operator of the Lazy Bear Lodge and Café, and previously worked as a mechanic. He volunteers his time with the Big Brother/Big Sister program and Destination Churchill, a tourism promotion body, and is very involved with his church.

Sydney Garrioch – Liberal

Garrioch began his political career as a Councillor with the Pimichikamak Cree Nation, and served as Chief for eight years. He was also the Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, serving as the political voice of 30 First Nations in northern Manitoba. He resigned from that position so he could run in the federal election.

Niki Ashton – NDP

Ashton has been an MP since elected in 2008, and was appointed critic for Youth, Post-Secondary Education and Rural and Community Development. She is a former instructor with the University College of the North, and is the second youngest woman elected in MP history.

Alberteen Spence – Green

Spence is a band member of the Tataskweyak Cree Nation and has worked as the Community Addictions Specialist under the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program for Health and Welfare Canada. She believes Canada needs to review the current election system, saying the First Past the Post system doesn’t seem to be working.