Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa

Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa occupies a broad swath of western Manitoba, stretching from the agricultural towns of the Parklands region northward through the Swan River Valley and south to the community of Neepawa. Riding Mountain National Park, nearly 3,000 square kilometres of protected boreal and aspen parkland atop the Manitoba Escarpment, anchors the riding's geography. The economy is predominantly agricultural, with farms producing grains, oilseeds, honey, and livestock including cattle, sheep, and hogs.

Candidates

Robert Sopuck (Conservative) — The incumbent MP, first elected in a 2010 by-election to represent the predecessor riding of Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette. A biologist by training with a Master of Science from Cornell University, Sopuck had previously worked as a district biologist for the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and as a fisheries biologist for the Province of Manitoba. He was known as an advocate for hunting and angling, having founded the Conservative Hunting and Angling Caucus, and wrote a hunting and outdoors column for the Winnipeg Free Press.

Ray Piché (Liberal) — A retired RCMP officer who had served at postings across Manitoba after settling in Emerson in his early twenties. After retiring from the RCMP in 2006, Piché operated small businesses at CFB Shilo with his wife. He had also served as a councillor in Emerson.

Laverne M. Lewycky (NDP) — The NDP candidate in the riding.

Inky Mark (Independent) — A former Conservative MP who had represented the predecessor riding of Dauphin—Swan River from 1997 to 2010. Born in Taishan, China, Mark came to Manitoba as a child and settled in Gilbert Plains. Before entering politics he was a high school teacher and small businessman, and he served as mayor of Dauphin before winning his federal seat. He ran as an independent in 2015 after leaving the Conservative Party.

Kate Storey (Green Party) also sought election.

About the Riding

Dauphin, the riding's largest town, hosts the annual Countryfest music festival and serves as the commercial centre for the Parklands region. The Swan River Valley to the north is home to Ukrainian and Polish communities that have farmed the area for generations. Neepawa, to the south, is known as the "Beautiful Plains" town and was the childhood home of novelist Margaret Laurence. Agriculture, health care, retail trade, and educational services are the leading employers. In 2015, the race featured the unusual dynamic of two former Conservative MPs — the incumbent Sopuck and the independent Mark — competing alongside Liberal and NDP challengers in a riding with a long tradition of right-of-centre voting.