Saint Boniface—Saint Vital

Saint Boniface—Saint Vital encompasses the southern portion of Winnipeg east of the Red River, taking in the historic Franco-Manitoban neighbourhood of Saint Boniface and the largely residential community of St. Vital. Saint Boniface is the largest francophone community in Western Canada. The Cathédrale de Saint-Boniface, the Musée de Saint-Boniface, and the Festival du Voyageur anchor the area's cultural life.

Candidates

Dan Vandal (Liberal) — A longtime Winnipeg city councillor who represented the St. Boniface ward from 1995 to 2004 and again from 2006 to 2014. Vandal held a degree in social work from the University of Manitoba. Before entering politics he had been a professional boxer, becoming the top-ranked Canadian middleweight in 1983, and later worked as a youth worker at Winnipeg's Mamawiwichiitata Centre. He served as deputy mayor of Winnipeg in 2003.

François Catellier (Conservative) — The president of a Manitoba-based international marketing and agricultural management consulting firm, Catellier was a bilingual candidate who had run his business since 1995.

Erin Selby (NDP) — A former Manitoba provincial cabinet minister who had represented the riding of Southdale in the Manitoba legislature. Before entering politics, Selby co-hosted Breakfast Television on Citytv Winnipeg. She held a bachelor's degree in communications studies from Concordia University and had served as Manitoba's Minister of Advanced Education and Literacy under Premier Greg Selinger.

Glenn Zaretski (Green Party) — The Green Party candidate in the riding.

About the Riding

Saint Boniface was established as a francophone settlement in the early 19th century and retains its bilingual character, with French-language schools, health services, and cultural institutions. St. Vital, to the south, is a sprawling residential area centred on St. Vital Centre mall and Bishop Grandin Boulevard. The riding has a significant Métis population, reflecting the area's history as the heartland of the Métis Nation. Major employers include the health care sector, with St. Boniface Hospital being one of Winnipeg's largest, as well as retail, education, and government services. The riding has traditionally leaned Liberal, and in 2015 the contest drew attention as a three-way race in which affordability, bilingual services, and Indigenous reconciliation were prominent issues.