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This riding covers an area of 12,665 km2. The driving distance between Parliament Hill and Portage-Lisgar is approximately 2,120 km or about 23 hours by car; for a bird, the straight-line flight is 1,750 km.
The northern part of the riding borders the southern shore of Lake Manitoba. The southern part borders North Dakota.
Whether it be the Pembina Valley that runs through the west, the Assiniboine River flowing through Portage la Prairie, or the Red River which cuts a path through the east side of the riding, the riding has a diverse landscape.
Within the riding are many different animals such as deer, moose, and black bears, plus an array of fish species, including pickerel, or northern pike, better known here as a jack fish.
About 14.5% of the riding’s population are immigrants, with some of the largest populations born in Mexico, Germany, and Russia.
German and Russian are the most common non-official mother tongues in the riding.
Approximately 11.5% of the riding’s population identify as Aboriginal.
Average individual income is $40,917.
Stephenfield Provincial Park is a popular destination for fishing, swimming, boating, and camping.
The riding also boasts access to Beaudry Provincial Park and Pembina Valley Provincial Park, which provides canoeing, cross country skiing, hiking, and wildlife viewing.
Residents of any of the towns in the riding also have access to many local facilities, providing additional recreational options.
Ed Belfour, an NHL hall-of-fame goalie, grew up in Carman.
A stretch of highway along the Assiniboine River, Hoop and Holler Bend, has some interesting theories as to how its name came to be. It was either the site of a series of local dances and gatherings where the locals came to “whoop and holler,” or it got its name from buggy passengers who liked to whoop when they came to the sharp bend in the road. Another theory is that drivers whooped in buggies to warn other drivers of oncoming traffic when they reached the bend.
Portage-Lisgar’s economy is mainly agricultural, but the riding is becoming known for manufacturing as well. Wheat fields and canola blooms can be seen almost anywhere, and dairy and pork production have both become thriving industries in the area.
The industries that employ the largest numbers of people in this riding include manufacturing, health care and social assistance, agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and retail trade.
You can find the St. Leon Wind Farm, Manitoba’s first wind farm, on the west side of the riding.
Several pipelines run through Portage–Lisgar.
The province also has a sustainable development strategy which includes a climate change and air quality branch, environmental programs, integrated watershed management, and a wildlife branch.
Nellie McClung, a member of the Famous Five and world-renowned Canadian feminist, resided in the small community of Manitou. It was in Manitou where McClung first became involved with the temperance movement which was her first foray into community activism. The family later moved to Winnipeg where McClung would become involved in the suffrage movement and provincial politics, before moving again to Alberta and eventually becoming a member of the provincial legislature there.
Another notable person to reside in Portage-Lisgar was former Prime Minister Arthur Meighen. Prime Minister Meighen was the ninth Prime Minister of Canada and represented the former federal riding of Portage la Prairie. After two short tenures serving as Prime Minister, Aurthur Meighen was later appointed to the Senate of Canada where he served until his resignation in 1942.
Indigenous communities in this riding include:
Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council Inc.
Swan Lake
Long Plain
Dakota Tipi
Dakota Plains
