Turtle Mountain (electoral district)

Turtle Mountain is a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Manitoba. 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

Manitoba electoral district
Provincial electoral district
Legislature	Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
MLA	Doyle Piwniuk Progressive Conservative
District created	1881
First contested	1881
Last contested	2019
Demographics
Population (2016)	23,165
Electors (2019)	16,206
Area (km²)	13,120
Pop. density (per km²)	1.8

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.[1]

The riding is named for Turtle Mountain Provincial Park.[2]