Manitoba PCs retain seat in Spruce Woods

Colleen Robbins won by 70 votes over the closest challenger, Elections Manitoba says

Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives held on to the seat in Spruce Woods in the Aug. 26 provincial byelection.

Colleen Robbins won the seat on Tuesday evening with 2,805 votes. The next closest challenger, NDP candidate Ray Berthelette, received 2,735 votes, Elections Manitoba’s results show.

That’s a difference of only 70 votes.

“I promise to be a representative that listens, that works hard every single day, and who never forgets this role is about service and not power,” she told supporters, CBC reported. “To those that did not support me, I want you to know that my door is open to you all.”

Tuesday’s results don’t change the overall landscape of Manitoba’s legislature.

The NDP still has a majority government with 34 of 57 seats. The PCs have 21, and an Independent and Liberal have one seat each.

The provincial riding of Spruce Woods includes multiple rural municipalities.

These include Cornwallis, Elton, Glenboro-South Cypress, Riverdale, and Souris-Glenwood, where agriculture is a key industry.

In Souris-Glenwood, for example, 95 per cent of farming in the area focuses on cereals, oil seeds and pulses, the RM’s website says.

“Today’s agriculture trade and supporting agri-business ventures continue to be a cornerstone of the community,” the website states. “Grain farming is just a part of the landscape now which includes a wide variety of livestock – cattle, swine, sheep among them.”

The need for the August byelection in Spruce Woods came after former Manitoba Conservative MLA Grant Jackson resigned in March to run federally in the riding of Brandon-Souris.

He won the riding in the April federal election with 28,624 votes, or more than 62 per cent of riding support.