Swan River (electoral district) explained

Swan River
Province:Manitoba
Prov-Status:active
Prov-Rep:Rick Wowchuk
Prov-Rep-Link:Rick Wowchuk
Prov-Rep-Party:PC
Prov-Rep-Party-Link:Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party
Demo-Census-Date:2016
Demo-Pop:22220
Prov-Created:1903
Prov-Election-Last:2019
Demo-Electors:14790
Demo-Electors-Date:2019
Demo-Area:32095
Prov-Election-First:1903

Swan River is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created in 1903, in what was then the northwestern corner of the province. Manitoba's borders expanded significantly in 1912, and Swan River is now located in the centre of the province, close to its western border with Saskatchewan. The division has seen several redistributions.

The riding is bordered to the north by The Pas, to the south by Dauphin-Roblin, to the east by Lake Winnipeg and to the west by the province of Saskatchewan. Lake Winnipegosis runs through the riding.

The community of Swan River is located in the riding's southwest corner. Other communities in the riding include Birch River, Ethelbert, Minitonas, Camperville and Winnipegosis.

The riding's population in 1996 was 19,639. In 1999, the average family income was $35,209, and the unemployment rate was 10.70%. Twenty-eight per cent of the riding's residents are listed as low income, and over 25% of the population has less than a Grade Nine education (the third-highest rate in the province).

Thirty-six per cent of the riding's residents are aboriginal, and 10% are Ukrainian. Agriculture accounts for 22% of Swan River's economy, followed by the health and service sector at 12%.

Swan River's political identity has undergone a significant change in recent years. It was represented by the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba continuously for all but one term from 1932 to 1988, and was generally regarded as safe for the party during this period. The current MLA is Rick Wowchuk, who was elected in 2016, returning the seat to the Tories for the first time since 1990.

List of provincial representatives

This riding has elected the following MLAs:

ParliamentYearsMemberParty
8th1903–1907   James RobsonConservative
9th1907–1910
10th1910–1914   Daniel D. McDonaldLiberal
11th1914–1915   William SimsLiberal
12th1915–1920
13th1920–1922   Robert EmmondFarmer
14th1922–1927   Progressive
15th1927–1932   Andrew McClearyProgressive
16th1932–1936   George RenoufProgressive Conservative
17th1936–1941
18th1941–1945
19th1945–1949
20th1949–1953
21st1953–1958
22nd1958–1959   Albert CorbettProgressive Conservative
23rd1959–1962
24th1962–1966   James BiltonProgressive Conservative
25th1966–1969
26th1969–1973
27th1973–1977
28th1977–1981   Douglas GourlayProgressive Conservative
29th1981–1986
30th1986–1988   Len HarapiakNew Democratic Party
31st1988–1990   Parker BurrellProgressive Conservative
32nd1990–1995   Rosann WowchukNew Democratic Party
33rd1995–1999
34th1999–2003
35th2003–2007
36th2007-2011
37th2011–2016   Ron KostyshynNew Democratic Party
38th2016–2019   Rick WowchukProgressive Conservative
39th2019-

Electoral results

2023

References

52.802°N -100.228°W