By Megan Hederson
People who live in Radisson describe the area as busy, yet peaceful. For the upcoming election on October 3rd, many voters in Radisson are calling on the provincial government to work on improving education and healthcare in the province.
The Radisson electoral district is in the northeastern area of Winnipeg with a population of around 28,900 people. It’s bordered by the ridings of Transcona, Springfield, Southdale, River East, Rossmere, Concordia, and St. Boniface. New Democratic Party (NDP) MLAs typically win this riding, but the Progressive Conservatives (PCs) have won in recent years.
The candidates:
James Teitsma for the PC party (incumbent)
Teitsma has been an MLA since 2016. He is the Minister of Consumer Protection and Government Services and has lived in Radisson for over 30 years.
Jelynn Dela Cruz for the NDP
She works for a non-profit called L’Arche Winnipeg. The non-profit works to create homes and opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. Dela Cruz was born and raised in the riding.
Jean Luc Bouché for the Manitoba Liberals.
He’s a retired locomotive engineer for CNR. He’s lived in the Radisson riding since 2016.
2019 election results
- James Teitsma for PCs won with 46.75 per cent of votes in the last election. Teitsma beat the NDP candidate by 989 votes.
- Raj Sandhu for NDP received 36.53 per cent of the votes.
- Tanya Hansen Pratt for the Manitoba Liberals received 10.35 per cent of the votes.
Riding facts by the numbers:
- 2019 Voter Turnout: 56.5 per cent
- Registered Voters (April 2023): 17,150
- Number of voting areas: 43
- Personal care homes: 1
- Schools: 7
- Total population: 28,930
- Median age: 37.2
- Per cent of Canadian citizens: 86.5
- Median household income: $95,000
- The riding has no hospitals, no post-secondary institutions, and no correctional facilities.
Sourced from: Elections Manitoba
Voter viewpoints
Barbie Franz, 64, is a Registered Dental Hygienist. She’s lived in Radisson for seven years and took to the advance polls on Saturday, September 23 to cast her vote early.
“Being my age demographic, healthcare is going to become a bigger issue down the road. We need better home care facilities. Not that I want to go into a home — but it’s eventually going to happen. [The government should] make sure home care workers are better paid so that they stay in the field. They’re looking after our loved ones.”
Yen Cong, 46, is an ICU Nurse who lives in the Radisson riding with her husband and three children.
“We have three kids that are all in different schools: elementary, middle, and high school. I find the elementary school could use walls because they have partitions for classrooms. There are so many kids enrolled there that there isn’t enough classroom space. It’s quite loud.”
Ben McLeod, 37, is an engineer living in the Radisson riding with his wife and young son.
“The bus shacks need to be cleaned up. The one near Mastermind Toys (on Regent Avenue West) can get a little dangerous at times. There’s a little bit of the downtown atmosphere spilling into Radisson … The healthcare system affects me because my wife is a nurse. It’s not the best work environment. It seems like a broken system and they’re short-staffed.”
Dan Potenza, 53, is one of the managing partners of the Aura Hair Group which occupies 2 storefronts in Kildonan Place and has 17 other locations across Manitoba and Vancouver.
“I just feel that the PCs will be the government that’s more conducive to businesses. I think they can attract and keep more businesses running. And I’m gonna hold the PC Party up to their promise that eventually, they’re going to get rid of the payroll tax. Manitoba is the only province in the country that has a payroll tax.”
Meagan Acquisto, 32, is a Library Technician at RRC Polytech who owns a home in the Radisson district.
“It’s a very family-orientated area, so it’s something I want to raise my child in. But right now, I would say there are no library techs within the school divisions.” Acquisto says the Manitoba government needs to “add more funding for the schools, staff, and the education system.”
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