Manitoba election deepens urban-rural divide

Manitoba’s urban-rural divide worsened Tuesday as the provincial election results provided the soon-to-govern NDP with only a couple of farming-related seats while taking away most of the Progressive Conservatives’ Winnipeg territory.

In a campaign in which agriculture and rural issues seldom grabbed attention, general issues such as health care, government services and crime were most prominent.

Premier-designate Wab Kinew recognized the gulf between Manitoba’s urban and rural populations in his victory speech.

“To people in rural Manitoba who haven’t voted for us yet, I would ask you to keep an open mind. If our team delivers, if after a few years we have improved your health care and we have made your life a bit more affordable, I would humbly ask that in four years time you send more people from your communities to sit with our team in the Manitoba legislature,” said Kinew.