Winnipeg South Centre

Winnipeg South Centre is a compact urban riding covering roughly 45 square kilometres in the heart of Winnipeg's south side. It stretches from the Assiniboine River in the north through the tree-lined streets of River Heights, Crescentwood, and Wellington Crescent, southward through Grant Park, Fort Garry, and Linden Woods toward the city's southern edge. The riding includes Osborne Village—Winnipeg's most densely populated neighbourhood—as well as the Corydon Avenue commercial strip, the Legislative grounds area, and several parks along the Assiniboine and Red rivers. Under the 2022 redistribution, the riding gained neighbourhoods including Wildwood Park and parts of the Pembina Strip from Winnipeg South. Winnipeg South Centre has historically been among the most affluent and highly educated federal ridings in Manitoba.

Candidates

Ben Carr (Liberal) is the incumbent, first elected in a June 2023 by-election following the death of his father, Jim Carr, who had held the seat since 2015. The elder Carr served as federal Minister of Natural Resources and Minister of International Trade Diversification. Ben Carr worked as a high school teacher, coach, and school administrator, and as vice president of Indigenous Strategy Alliance, a consulting firm. He also served as a staffer to former Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly.

Royden Brousseau (Conservative) holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from Queen's University and an MBA from the Ivey Business School. He built a career in the energy and resource sectors and corporate finance, most recently serving as VP of Corporate Development Strategy for a national insurance provider headquartered in the riding.

Jorge Requena Ramos (NDP) is a filmmaker, musician, and community advocate. A first-generation immigrant, he co-founded Prairie Boy Productions and is the frontman of the award-winning band The Mariachi Ghost. He also serves as artistic director of the West End Cultural Centre.

Chris Petriew (Green Party) stood as the Green Party candidate.

Jaclyn Cummings (People's Party) ran on the People's Party platform.

Cam Scott (Communist) represented the Communist Party of Canada.

About the Riding

Winnipeg South Centre's character is defined by its established residential neighbourhoods, cultural amenities, and proximity to the legislative and institutional core of the province. River Heights and Wellington Crescent feature some of Winnipeg's most expensive homes, while Osborne Village and the Corydon corridor offer a denser, younger, and more eclectic urban environment with independent shops, restaurants, and galleries. The riding includes several major green spaces, including Assiniboine Park and the Forks of the Assiniboine.

The riding has been a Liberal stronghold for most of the past half-century, and the Carr family name carries deep local recognition. Jim Carr's decades of public service—first as a provincial MLA, then as a federal minister—established strong institutional connections, and his son's entry into politics via a 2023 by-election carried an element of dynastic continuity.

In 2025, the campaign touched on national themes filtered through a local lens. Affordability pressures, while less acute here than in lower-income Winnipeg ridings, were felt in rising property taxes and condominium costs. The arts and cultural sector—a significant employer and identity marker for Osborne Village and the Exchange District—faced funding uncertainty. US trade tensions and their potential ripple effects through Manitoba's economy added a layer of anxiety, even in a riding whose residents are somewhat insulated from direct trade exposure by their professional and institutional employment base.