Turtle Mountain (electoral district)

Turtle Mountain is a provincial electoral district of Manitoba, Canada. It was created with the westward expansion of the province's boundaries in 1881, eliminated by redistribution in 1968, and re-established in 1979, formally returned to the electoral map with the provincial election of 1981, was dissolved for the 2011 election and returned once again for the 2019 Manitoba general election.

Turtle Mountain is located in the southwestern region of the province. It is bounded to the north by Ste. Rose, to the west by Minnedosa and Arthur-Virden, to the east by Pembina, Carman and Portage la Prairie, and south to the American state of North Dakota.

The riding is primarily rural. Communities in the riding included Killarney, Carberry, Glenboro, Pilot Mound and MacGregor.

The riding's population in 1996 was 18,569. In 1999, the average family income was $43,265, and the unemployment rate was 3.50%. Agriculture accounted for 37% of all industry in the riding, followed by health and social service work at 9%. Thirteen per cent of the riding's residents were German.

Turtle Mountain has been represented by the Progressive Conservative Party for most of its history, and is considered safe for that party. It was in Tory hands for all but six years after 1922 in its first incarnation, and has been held by the Tories at all times in its third incarnation. The MLA prior to the 2019 Manitoba general election was Cliff Cullen, who was elected in a 2004 by-election.

Following the 2008 electoral redistribution, the riding was dissolved into the new ridings of Agassiz, Midland, and Spruce Woods. This change took effect for the 2011 election. Cullen transferred to Spruce Woods.

Following the 2018 redistribution, Turtle Mountain will be re-created out of Arthur-Virden, Spruce Woods and Midland and will first be contested in the 2019 Manitoba general election. The riding will contain the municipalities of Two Borders, Melita, Grassland, Brenda-Waskada, Deloraine-Winchester, Boissevain-Morton (previously in Arthur-Virden), Prairie Lakes, Killarney - Turtle Mountain, Argyle, Cartwright-Roblin (previously in Spruce Woods) and Lorne, Swan Lake 7, Louise and Pembina (previously in Midland). As of the 2016 Census, 8,294 (36%) people were in the Arthur-Virden portion of the riding, 7,215 (31%) were in the Spruce Woods portion and 7,653 (33%) were in the Midland portion, for a total population of 23,612.

The riding is named for Turtle Mountain Provincial Park.

Members of the Legislative Assembly

Name	Party	Took office	Left office
J.P. Alexander	Cons	1881	1883
Finlay Young	Lib	1883	1888
John Hettle	Lib	1888	1897
James Johnson	Independent Conservative	1897	1903
	Cons	1903	1915
George William McDonald	Lib	1915	1922
Richard Willis	Cons	1922	1929
Alexander Welch	Cons/PC	1929	1945
Errick Willis	PC	1945	1959
Edward Dow	Lib-Prog	1959	1961
	Lib	1961	1962
Peter J. McDonald	PC	1962	1966
Edward Dow	Lib	1966	1969
Riding abolished
Brian Ransom	PC	1981	1986
Denis Rocan	PC	1986	1990
Bob Rose	PC	1990	1995
Merv Tweed	PC	1995	2004
Cliff Cullen	PC	2004	2011
Riding abolished
Doyle Piwniuk	PC	2019

Electoral results

1881 by-election

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1883

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1886

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1888

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1892

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1896

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1897 by-election

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1899

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1903

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1907

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1910

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1914

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1915

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1920

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1922

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1927

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1929 by-election

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1932

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1936

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1941

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1945

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1949

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1953

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1958

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1959

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1959 by-election

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1962

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1966

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1968 by-election

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1981

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1986

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1988

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1990

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1995

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2003

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2019

2016 provincial election redistributed results
Party		%
Template:Canadian party colour |	Progressive Conservative	76.1
Template:Canadian party colour |	New Democratic	8.7
Template:Canadian party colour |	Manitoba	7.4
Template:Canadian party colour |	Liberal	4.4
Template:Canadian party colour |	Green	3.4

See also

• List of Manitoba provincial electoral districts
• Canadian provincial electoral districts