Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River (; formerly known as Churchill River) is a federal

electoral district An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

, Canada, that has been represented in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

since 1997.

Geography

This is a rural riding located in northern Saskatchewan. The riding encompasses the northern half of the province and is the third largest federal riding, that is located in a province, in Canada, trumped only by

Churchill—Keewatinook Aski Churchill—Keewatinook Aski (formerly Churchill) is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1935. It covers the northern four-fifths of Manitoba, a vast wilderness are ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

and

Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou (formerly known as Abitibi, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik and Nunavik—Eeyou) is a federal riding in the province of Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 19 ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. The territorial ridings of

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...

and

Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...

are also larger. The 2023 redistribution order removed most of the territory outside of the

Northern Saskatchewan Administration District The Northern Saskatchewan Administration District (NSAD) is the unincorporated area of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It encompasses approximately half of Saskatchewan's land mass. Despite its extent, the majority of Saskatchewanians live in the ...

from the riding, reducing its population considerably.

Demographics

:''According to the

2011 Canadian census The 2011 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population on May 10, 2011. Statistics Canada, an agency of the Canadian government, conducts a nationwide census every five years. In 2011, it consisted of a mandatory short form ...

; 2013 representation'' Languages: 64.6% English, 21.3% Cree, 10.8% Dene, 1.3% French
Religions: 76.8% Christian (41.5% Catholic, 18.5% Anglican, 4.1% United Church, 2.5% Lutheran, 1.6% Pentecostal, 8.5% Other), 2.7% Traditional Aboriginal Spirituality, 20.4% No religion
Median income (2010): $18,910
Average income (2010): $28,554 Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River boasts the following demographic records: * Highest % of people of the Métis aboriginal group (16.4%) * Highest % of people of Métis ethnic origin (12.0%) * Highest % of people with

Dene The Dene people () are an Indigenous group of First Nations who inhabit the northern boreal, subarctic and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languages and it is the common Athabaskan word for "people". The term ...

as their mother tongue (10.5%)

History

The electoral district was created as "Churchill River" in 1996 from

Prince Albert—Churchill River Prince Albert—Churchill River was a federal electoral district in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1997. This riding was created in 1987 from parts of Mackenzie, Princ ...

Mackenzie Mackenzie, Mckenzie, MacKenzie, or McKenzie may refer to: People * Mackenzie (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Mackenzie (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Clan Mackenzie, a Sc ...

and

The Battlefords—Meadow Lake The Battlefords—Meadow Lake was a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1997. This riding was created in 1976 from parts of Battleford—Kindersley, Meadow Lake ...

ridings. In 2004, it was renamed "Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River". This riding lost territory to

Prince Albert Prince Albert most commonly refers to: *Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria *Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco Prince Albert may also refer to: Royalty * Alb ...

and a fraction to

Yorkton—Melville Yorkton—Melville is a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography The district is in east-central Saskatchewan. History ...

, and gained a fraction of territory from Prince Albert during the 2012 electoral redistribution.

2006 election controversy

In the 2006 federal election,

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

candidate

Gary Merasty Gary Merasty (born September 22, 1964, in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian politician and former Liberal Member of Parliament for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan. A former two-time Grand Chief of the Prince ...

defeated incumbent

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

Jeremy Harrison Jeremy Harrison (born January 29, 1978) is a Canadian politician who has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan since 2007, representing the electoral district of Meadow Lake as a member of the Saskatchewan Party. He has serv ...

by a slim margin of 68 votes after trailing much of the election night, despite Harrison's vote increasing several points. Merasty's win raised issues of questionable tactics to increase voter turnout. However, an investigation conducted by

Elections Canada Elections Canada () is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering elections in Canada, Canadian federal elections and Referendums in Canada, referendums. History Elections Canada is an agency of the Parliament of Canada, and reports ...

determined that no wrongdoing had taken place.

2015 election recount

In the 2015 federal election,

New Democrat New Democrats may refer to: * New Democratic Party, a social democratic party in Canada * New Democrats (United States), the ideological centrist faction of the Democratic Party ** New Democrat Coalition, the related caucus in the United States H ...

candidate

Georgina Jolibois Georgina Jolibois (born 1968) is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2015 Canadian federal election to represent the riding of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River during the 42nd Canadian Parliament. Jolibois sought re-election in ...

defeated the

candidate, Lawrence Joseph, by a narrow margin of 71 votes. Joseph requested a judicial recount of the votes.

Geography

Demographics

History

2006 election controversy

2015 election recount

Members of Parliament

Election results

Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, 2004–present

Churchill River, 1997–2004

See also

References

Notes

External links