Winnipeg South

Winnipeg South is a federal electoral district covering the southernmost portion of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The riding includes affluent suburban neighbourhoods such as Whyte Ridge, Fort Richmond, Waverley Heights, and Linden Woods, as well as the University of Manitoba campus and parts of the Pembina Highway corridor. It is one of the wealthier ridings in Manitoba, characterized by newer residential subdivisions, good schools, and proximity to major retail and commercial areas.

Candidates

Rod Bruinooge (Conservative)* — Bruinooge was born in Thompson, Manitoba, and is of Métis descent. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Manitoba and worked as an internet entrepreneur, founding Abject Modernity Internet Creations Ltd. in the late 1990s. He was first elected to represent Winnipeg South in the 2006 federal election and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development from 2006 to 2008. He was known for his socially conservative views, particularly his anti-abortion advocacy, and chaired the Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus.

Terry Duguid (Liberal) — Duguid is a Winnipeg native and the son of professional curling champion Don Duguid. He holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Master's degree in environmental science. He served on Winnipeg City Council from 1989 to 1995 and was executive director of the Manitoba Liberal Party in the 1980s. He later served as president and CEO of Gateway North International, overseeing the transfer of the Port of Churchill rail line, and was founding president of the International Centre for Infectious Diseases from 2004 to 2009. He would go on to win the Winnipeg South seat in 2015.

Dave Gaudreau (NDP) — Gaudreau ran as the NDP candidate in Winnipeg South in the 2011 federal election. He was also active in Manitoba provincial politics and won the provincial St. Norbert riding for the NDP in the 2011 Manitoba election later that year, defeating his Conservative opponent by just 31 votes.

Caitlin McIntyre (Green Party) — McIntyre ran as the Green Party candidate in Winnipeg South.

About the Riding

Winnipeg South is one of Manitoba's most closely watched bellwether ridings, having elected an MP from the party that formed government in every federal election since the riding was re-established in 1988. Its suburban character sets it apart from the more urban and working-class ridings in central and north Winnipeg: the riding features newer housing developments, shopping centres, and the sprawling University of Manitoba campus, which is one of the largest employers in the area with thousands of students, faculty, and staff.

The riding's economy is anchored by the university, several research institutions, retail corridors along Pembina Highway and Kenaston Boulevard, and a substantial professional workforce. Fort Richmond and Waverley Heights are established middle-class neighbourhoods, while Whyte Ridge and Linden Woods are among Winnipeg's more affluent communities, with average household incomes well above the city median. The riding also includes the Investors Group Field (now IG Field), which opened in 2013 as the new home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

In the 2011 campaign, the contest was primarily between incumbent Bruinooge and Liberal challenger Duguid. Local issues included infrastructure investment, transit improvements along Pembina Highway to serve commuters and university students, and the economic development of southern Winnipeg's rapidly growing suburban fringes. Bruinooge's social conservative positions, particularly on abortion, generated debate but did not significantly erode his support in the riding's socially moderate but fiscally conservative electorate.

Bruinooge won re-election comfortably with approximately 52 percent of the vote, benefiting from the strong national Conservative wave that delivered Stephen Harper a majority government. Duguid finished second, while the NDP's Gaudreau placed third. The riding's bellwether pattern held true once again, as it sided with the winning party. Bruinooge chose not to seek re-election in 2015, and Duguid went on to win the seat for the Liberals in that election.