Winnipeg South

Winnipeg South occupies the southern reaches of the city, stretching from the established residential neighbourhoods along Pembina Highway southward through Fort Richmond, Waverley Heights, and St. Norbert to the Perimeter Highway. The riding encompasses the University of Manitoba—western Canada's first university, with an enrollment exceeding 30,000—and the adjacent SmartPark research and technology campus. Under the 2022 redistribution, the riding lost several neighbourhoods to Winnipeg South Centre, including Wildwood Park, Crescent Park, and parts of the Pembina Strip, while gaining Whyte Ridge and Linden Ridge. The result is a riding that blends suburban family neighbourhoods, student housing clusters near the university, and the francophone heritage community of St. Norbert at its southern tip, where the Red and La Salle rivers meet.

Candidates

Terry Duguid (Liberal) is the incumbent, first elected in 2015. Born in Winnipeg and the son of professional curler Don Duguid, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master's degree in Environmental Science. Before federal politics, Duguid served as a Winnipeg city councillor from 1989 to 1995, was president and CEO of Gateway North International overseeing the transfer of the Port of Churchill, and chaired Manitoba's Clean Environment Commission from 2000 to 2004. He helped establish the blue-box recycling program in Winnipeg and successfully advocated for the creation of the Canada Water Agency, securing its headquarters in Winnipeg. He served in multiple cabinet roles including Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada.

Janice Morley-Lecomte (Conservative) grew up on a cattle farm in Ste. Rose du Lac and spent most of her career in social services in Winnipeg. She served two terms as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Seine River from 2016 to 2023, including a stint as Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness, before being defeated in the 2023 provincial election.

Joanne Bjornson (NDP) was born and raised in Gimli, Manitoba, and studied Hotel and Restaurant Management at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. She has lived in South St. Vital for over 20 years and worked in tourism promotion alongside Tourism Winnipeg, while also serving as a CUPE lead steward and community volunteer.

Johann Rempel Fehr (People's Party) ran on the People's Party platform.

Manjit Kaur (Green Party) stood as the Green Party candidate.

About the Riding

The University of Manitoba is the riding's most significant institution, employing thousands and anchoring a research ecosystem that includes the National Research Council's facilities, the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine, and SmartPark's technology firms. The university's presence gives the riding a younger demographic profile than much of suburban Winnipeg and makes post-secondary education funding, student housing, and research investment locally consequential issues.

St. Norbert, at the riding's southern boundary, retains a distinct Franco-Manitoban identity and is home to the St. Norbert Heritage Park and the historic Trappist Monastery ruins. The neighbourhood sits at the confluence of the Red and La Salle rivers and is prone to spring flooding, making flood protection infrastructure a recurring concern.

In 2025, the campaign in Winnipeg South centered on affordability, with rising housing costs particularly affecting younger families and students in the riding's rental-heavy neighbourhoods near the university. Environmental policy carried weight in a riding represented by a minister with deep roots in the environmental movement, and the future of the Canada Water Agency—a signature Duguid achievement—was a point of local pride and debate. US trade tensions added uncertainty for the research and agricultural sectors tied to cross-border commerce.