Keewatinook Explained

Keewatinook
Province:Manitoba
Prov-Status:active
Prov-Rep:Ian Bushie
Prov-Rep-Party:NDP
Demo-Census-Date:2016
Demo-Pop:20815
Prov-Created:1915
Prov-Election-Last:2023
Demo-Electors:13422
Demo-Electors-Date:2019
Demo-Area:155157
Prov-Election-First:1915

Keewatinook (previously spelt "Kewatinook") is a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Manitoba.

The riding existed previously under the name Rupertsland; however, starting with the 2011 general election, the riding was renamed Kewatinook which means 'from the north' in Cree. Effective as of the 2019 election, the spelling was corrected to Keewatinook.[1]

Currently the largest riding in the province, Keewatinook is a sprawling northern constituency occupying a large portion of eastern Manitoba. Its current area stretches from the Ontario border in the southeast to the Nunavut border in the north; it is also bordered by the ridings of Lac Du Bonnet to the south and Flin Flon, The Pas, and Thompson to the west.

, Ian Bushie is the MLA for this riding.

History

The division, originally named Rupertsland, was created in 1915 from territories that were added to the province of Manitoba four years earlier and has existed continuously since that time. The area had been part of the Grand Rapids and Churchill and Nelson electoral districts for the 1914 Manitoba general election.

Before 1966, elections in this riding were usually deferred until a later date than the rest of the province, due to the increased time it took to run elections in the region.

The riding's was originally smaller than its current size until 1989, when it gained a significant amount of territory from the former riding of Churchill.

As part of the 2008 riding redistribution by the Manitoba Boundaries Commission, its name was changed to Kewatinook (Cree for 'from the north') beginning with the 2011 general election. Effective as of the 2019 election, the spelling was corrected to Keewatinook.

Prior to the 2016 election, the New Democratic Party represented the riding from 1969 to 2016, when Judy Klassen of the Liberal Party defeated longtime MLA Eric Robinson. The NDP would regain control of the seat in 2019, with Ian Bushie defeating Liberal Jason Harper.

Demographics

Keewatinook's population in 2006 was 15,560.[2] In 1999, the average family income was $33,787 (the fourth-lowest in Manitoba), and the unemployment rate was 25%. Over 34% of the riding's population have less than a Grade 9 education, the highest such rate in the province. Government services account for 21% of the riding's industry, followed by education services at 17%.

Eighty-seven per cent of Keewatinook's residents are Indigenous, the highest percentage in the province. Over half of the population list Cree as their mother tongue. In 1999, there was only a 1% immigrant population.

List of provincial representatives

AssemblyYearsMemberParty15th1915-1920John MorrisonIndependent
16th1920-1922Liberal
17th1922-1927Francis BlackProgressive
18th1927-1932Herbert BeresfordIndependent Progressive
19th1932-1936Ewan McPhersonLiberal–Progressive
20th1936-1941Michael RojeskiLiberal
21st1941-1945Daniel HamiltonLiberal–Progressive
22nd1945-1949
23rd1949-1953
24th1953-1958Roy Brown
25th1958-1959Joseph JeannotteProgressive Conservative
26th1959-1963
27th1963-1966
28th1966-1969
29th1969-1972Jean AllardNew Democratic
1972-1973Independent
30th1973-1977Harvey BostromNew Democratic
31st1977-1981
32nd1981-1985Elijah Harper
33rd1985-1988
34th1988-1990
35th1990-1992
1992-1995Eric Robinson
36th1995-1999
37th1999-2003
38th2003-2007
39th2007-2011
40th2011-2016Eric RobinsonNew Democratic
41st2016–2019Judy KlassenLiberal
42nd2019–2023Ian BushieNew Democratic
43rd2023–present

Electoral results

2016

2016 provincial election redistributed results[3]
Party%
 42.0
 40.7
 17.2

2023

References

55.453°N -93.779°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Manitoba Electoral Divisions Boundaries Commission Final Report 2018 . 11 July 2019.
  2. Web site: Boundaries Commission of Manitoba. Kewatinook Electoral District . 2010-11-22.
  3. Web site: New Manitoba election boundaries give upper hand to Progressive Conservatives, CBC News analysis finds. 2019-08-27. Marcoux. Jacques. CBC . 2019-09-14.