Manitoba Election 2016: La Verendyre riding

Summary: The NDP’s Echo Asher will try and reclaim this southeastern riding from the Progressives Conservatives’ Dennis Smook who easily took the riding in 2011. The Liberal and Green Party candidates will try and take the riding for the first time for their respective party.

Boundaries: Highway 201 runs east/west along the southern border of this riding with Buffalo Point marking the farthest southeastern point and Gardenton marking the southwestern. Melrose sits in the northwestern corner and a portion of the Whiteshell Provincial Park takes up the northeastern corner.

Last Election: Progressive Conservatives’ Dennis Smook re-took the riding for his party with 63 per cent of the votes after three back-to-back NDP terms. Maurice Tallaire with the NDP followed up with 26 per cent. The Liberal and Green Party candidates took in under five per cent each.

History: The La Verendyre riding has an interesting history of changing leadership from Progressive Conservative to NDP and back. It was a Progressive Conservative stronghold from the 1970’s until 1999 when Ron Lemieux won the vote with 166 more votes than the incumbent. The NDP kept the riding until 2007. The Progressive Conservatives’ Dennis Smook reclaimed the riding in 2011.

Candidates

NDP: Echo Asher, Royal Canadian Mint tour guide

Progressive Conservative: Dennis Smook, incumbent MLA

Liberal: Bill Paulishyn,President of the Manitoba Goat Association

Green: Janine Gibson, organic inspector