# 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 area dotted with small municipalities and First Nations reserves. It was named after the town of Churchill, Manitoba, which resides on Churchill River. It is the fifth-largest riding in all of Canada.

## History

The riding was created in 1933 when Nelson riding was abolished. The entire area of Nelson was transferred into the new riding of Churchill.
This riding gained territory from Selkirk—Interlake and was renamed "Churchill—Keewatinook Aski" during the 2012 electoral redistribution. "Keewatinook Aski" (ᑮᐍᑎᓄᕽ ᐊᐢᑭᐩ kîwêtinohk askiy) means Northern region in Cree language.

## Demographics

The riding has the highest percentage of First Nations people (61.1%) in Canada, as well as the highest percentage of Cree speakers – both those whose mother tongue (21.6%) is Cree and those that use it as a home language (16.6%).
Panethnic groups in Churchill—Keewatinook Aski (2011−2021) :
| Panethnic group | 2021 | 2021 | 2016 | 2016 | 2011 | 2011 |
| Panethnic group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Indigenous | 61,455 | 76.49% | 65,415 | 76.33% | 61,930 | 73.99% |
| European | 15,845 | 19.72% | 17,915 | 20.91% | 20,470 | 24.46% |
| South Asian | 1,655 | 2.06% | 1,185 | 1.38% | 520 | 0.62% |
| African | 455 | 0.57% | 455 | 0.53% | 240 | 0.29% |
| Southeast Asian | 420 | 0.52% | 310 | 0.36% | 285 | 0.34% |
| East Asian | 210 | 0.26% | 255 | 0.3% | 95 | 0.11% |
| Middle Eastern | 120 | 0.15% | 45 | 0.05% | 70 | 0.08% |
| Latin American | 95 | 0.12% | 70 | 0.08% | 55 | 0.07% |
| Other/multiracial | 90 | 0.11% | 55 | 0.06% | 40 | 0.05% |
| Total responses | 80,340 | 98.87% | 85,695 | 98.6% | 83,700 | 98.3% |
| Total population | 81,258 | 100% | 86,908 | 100% | 85,148 | 100% |
| Notes: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses. Demographics based on 2012 Canadian federal electoral redistribution riding boundaries. |||||||

## Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following members of Parliament:
| Parliament | Years | Member | Party |
| Churchill Riding created from Nelson |||||
| 18th | 1935–1940 | Thomas Crerar | Liberal |
| 19th | 1940–1945 | Thomas Crerar | Liberal |
| 20th | 1945–1949 | Ronald Moore | Co-operative Commonwealth |
| 21st | 1949–1953 | George Weaver | Liberal |
| 22nd | 1953–1957 | George Weaver | Liberal |
| 23rd | 1957–1958 | Robert Simpson | Progressive Conservative |
| 24th | 1958–1962 | Robert Simpson | Progressive Conservative |
| 25th | 1962–1963 | Robert Simpson | Progressive Conservative |
| 26th | 1963–1965 | Robert Simpson | Progressive Conservative |
| 27th | 1965–1968 | Robert Simpson | Progressive Conservative |
| 28th | 1968–1972 | Robert Simpson | Progressive Conservative |
| 29th | 1972–1974 | Charles Keith Taylor | Progressive Conservative |
| 30th | 1974–1979 | Cecil Smith | Progressive Conservative |
| 31st | 1979–1980 | Rod Murphy | New Democratic |
| 32nd | 1980–1984 | Rod Murphy | New Democratic |
| 33rd | 1984–1988 | Rod Murphy | New Democratic |
| 34th | 1988–1993 | Rod Murphy | New Democratic |
| 35th | 1993–1997 | Elijah Harper | Liberal |
| 36th | 1997–2000 | Bev Desjarlais | New Democratic |
| 37th | 2000–2004 | Bev Desjarlais | New Democratic |
| 38th | 2004–2005 | Bev Desjarlais | New Democratic |
| 38th | 2005–2006 | Bev Desjarlais | Independent |
| 39th | 2006–2008 | Tina Keeper | Liberal |
| 40th | 2008–2011 | Niki Ashton | New Democratic |
| 41st | 2011–2015 | Niki Ashton | New Democratic |
| Churchill—Keewatinook Aski |||||
| 42nd | 2015–2019 | Niki Ashton | New Democratic |
| 43rd | 2019–2021 | Niki Ashton | New Democratic |
| 44th | 2021–present | Niki Ashton | New Democratic |

### Current member of Parliament

Its member of Parliament (MP) is Niki Ashton. She is a member of the New Democratic Party.

## Election results
### Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, 2015–present

vte2021 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Niki Ashton | 7,632 | 42.6 | -7.7 | $55,604.26 |
| | Liberal | Shirley Robinson | 4,514 | 25.2 | +5.3 | $52,797.79 |
| | Conservative | Charlotte Larocque | 4,330 | 24.2 | +0.5 | none listed |
| | People's | Dylan Young | 899 | 5.0 | +3.8 | $0.00 |
| | Green | Ralph McLean | 552 | 3.1 | -1.7 | $0.00 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 17,927 | 98.8 | – | $122,781.65 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 210 | 1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,137 | 36.6 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 49,579 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | -6.5 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
2021 federal election redistributed results :
| Party | Vote | % |
| New Democratic | 7,628 | 42.56 |
| Liberal | 4,512 | 25.18 |
| Conservative | 4,331 | 24.17 |
| People's | 899 | 5.02 |
| Green | 552 | 3.08 |
vte2019 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Niki Ashton | 11,919 | 50.3 | +5.26 | $62,221.20 |
| | Conservative | Cyara Bird | 5,616 | 23.7 | +13.38 | none listed |
| | Liberal | Judy Klassen | 4,714 | 19.9 | -22.1 | $59,410.31 |
| | Green | Ralph McLean | 1,144 | 4.8 | +3.01 | none listed |
| | People's | Ken Klyne | 294 | 1.2 | | $0.00 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 23,687 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 190 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,877 | 48.8 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 48,949 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | -4.06 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
vte2015 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Niki Ashton | 13,487 | 45.04 | -6.65 | $107,253.16 |
| | Liberal | Rebecca Chartrand | 12,575 | 42.00 | +22.13 | $108,676.93 |
| | Conservative | Kyle G. Mirecki | 3,090 | 10.32 | -15.81 | – |
| | Green | August Hastmann | 537 | 1.79 | -0.52 | – |
| | Libertarian | Zachary Linnick | 255 | 0.85 | – | – |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 29,944 | 100.00 | | $233,135.69 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 252 | 0.83 | – |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,196 | 61.58 | – |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 49,036 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | -14.39 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
2011 federal election redistributed results :
| Party | Vote | % |
| New Democratic | 10,962 | 51.70 |
| Conservative | 5,540 | 26.13 |
| Liberal | 4,212 | 19.86 |
| Green | 491 | 2.32 |

### Churchill, 1935–2015

vte2011 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Niki Ashton | 10,262 | 51.12 | +3.36 | – |
| | Conservative | Wally Daudrich | 5,256 | 26.18 | +5.68 | – |
| | Liberal | Sydney Garrioch | 4,087 | 20.36 | -8.38 | – |
| | Green | Alberteen Spence | 471 | 2.35 | -0.94 | – |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 20,076 | 100.00 | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 107 | 0.53 | -0.02 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,183 | 45.35 | +5.20 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 44,509 | – | – |
vte2008 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Niki Ashton | 8,734 | 47.76 | +19.35 | $79,086 |
| | Liberal | Tina Keeper | 5,289 | 28.74 | -11.94 | – |
| | Conservative | Wally Daudrich | 3,773 | 20.50 | +8.95 | $45,616 |
| | Green | Saara Harvie | 606 | 3.29 | +1.69 | $28 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 18,402 | 100.00 | | $91,452 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 102 | 0.55 | +0.19 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,504 | 40.15 | -13.48 |
| | New Democrat gain from Liberal | New Democrat gain from Liberal | Swing | + | |
vte2006 Canadian federal election: Churchill :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Tina Keeper | 10,157 | 40.68 | $75,179.50 |
| | New Democratic | Niki Ashton | 7,093 | 28.41 | $70,290.02 |
| | Independent | Bev Desjarlais | 4,283 | 17.16 | $23,042.68 |
| | Conservative | Nazir Ahmad | 2,886 | 11.56 | $23,875.20 |
| | Green | Jeff Fountain | 401 | 1.61 | $2,837.23 |
| | Independent | Brad Bodnar | 146 | 0.58 | $68.69 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 24,966 | 100.00 | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 90 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,056 | 55.70 | |
| Electors on lists | Electors on lists | Electors on lists | 44,982 | | |
| Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada. |||||||
vte2004 Canadian federal election: Churchill :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Bev Desjarlais | 8,612 | 43.44 | $45,503.18 |
| | Liberal | Ron Evans | 7,604 | 38.35 | $61,955.23 |
| | Conservative | Bill Archer | 2,999 | 15.13 | $10,398.38 |
| | Green | C. David Nickarz | 612 | 3.09 | $646.91 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 19,827 | 100.00 | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 88 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,915 | 41.40 | |
| Electors on lists | Electors on lists | Electors on lists | 48,106 | | |
| Percentage change figures are factored for redistribution. Conservative Party percentages are contrasted with the combined Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative percentages from 2000. |||||||
| Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada. |||||||
vte2000 Canadian federal election: Churchill :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Bev Desjarlais | 10,477 | 44.94 | $41,854.47 |
| | Liberal | Elijah Harper | 7,514 | 32.23 | $55,871.45 |
| | Alliance | Jason Shaw | 4,126 | 17.70 | $7,444.04 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Doreen Murray | 1,198 | 5.14 | $2,722.40 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 23,315 | 100.00 | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 98 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,413 | 51.05 | |
| Electors on lists | Electors on lists | Electors on lists | 45,860 | | |
| Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada. |||||||
vte1997 Canadian federal election: Churchill :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Bev Desjarlais | 9,616 | 41.17 | $45,525 |
| | Liberal | Elijah Harper | 6,852 | 29.33 | $59,373 |
| | Reform | Corky Peterson | 4,438 | 19.00 | $11,803 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Don Knight | 2,452 | 10.50 | $10,729 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 23,358 | 100.00 | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 158 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,516 | 50.25 | |
| Electors on lists | Electors on lists | Electors on lists | 46,801 | | |
| Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada. |||||||
vte1993 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Elijah Harper | 9,658 | 40.7 | +17.7 |
| | New Democratic | Rod Murphy | 8,751 | 36.9 | -19.5 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Don Knight | 2,438 | 10.3 | -10.3 |
| | Reform | Wally Daudrich | 2,275 | 9.6 | |
| | National | Charles Settee | 590 | 2.5 | – |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 23,712 | 100.0 |
vte1988 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Rod Murphy | 14,168 | 56.4 | +10.8 |
| | Liberal | Rodney Spence | 5,800 | 23.1 | +5.1 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Nazir Ahmad | 5,164 | 20.5 | -13.2 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 25,132 | 100.0 |
vte1984 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Rod Murphy | 10,829 | 45.6 | +2.3 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Harvey Hanson | 8,010 | 33.7 | +8.2 |
| | Liberal | Jack Kennedy | 4,272 | 18.0 | -11.8 |
| | Independent | Andrew Kirkness | 377 | 1.6 | – |
| | Libertarian | Ketih B.P. Muirhead | 281 | 1.2 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 23,769 | 100.0 |
vte1980 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Rod Murphy | 10,319 | 43.3 | -8.4 |
| | Liberal | Alan Ross | 7,092 | 29.7 | +13.5 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Cec Smith | 6,084 | 25.5 | -6.6 |
| | Rhinoceros | Roland Campbell | 352 | 1.5 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 23,847 | 100.0 |
| lop.parl.ca |||||||
vte1979 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Rod Murphy | 12,544 | 51.7 | +21.0 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Cecil Smith | 7,802 | 32.1 | -8.8 |
| | Liberal | Andrew Kirkness | 3,936 | 16.2 | -10.1 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 24,282 | 100.0 |
vte1974 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Cecil Smith | 11,225 | 40.9 | +6.4 |
| | New Democratic | Dan Reagan | 8,415 | 30.7 | -2.4 |
| | Liberal | Jean René Allard | 7,212 | 26.3 | -4.9 |
| | Social Credit | Ed Heinrichs | 577 | 2.1 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 27,429 | 100.0 |
vte1972 Canadian federal election: Churchill :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Keith Taylor | 9,462 | 34.6 | -7.2 |
| | New Democratic | Don Duff | 9,059 | 33.1 | +10.4 |
| | Liberal | Bruce Dunlop | 8,536 | 31.2 | -4.4 |
| | Independent | R. Jim Henry | 327 | 1.2 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 27,384 | 100.0 |
vte1968 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Robert Simpson | 9,009 | 41.8 | -9.2 |
| | Liberal | Frank Dembinsky | 7,673 | 35.6 | +8.6 |
| | New Democratic | Brian Koshul | 4,888 | 22.7 | +7.0 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 21,570 | 100.0 |
vte1965 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Robert Simpson | 10,773 | 51.0 | -2.3 |
| | Liberal | F.L. Jobin | 5,694 | 27.0 | -6.1 |
| | New Democratic | Ken MacMaster | 3,306 | 15.6 | +2.0 |
| | Social Credit | Curt R. Shielman | 1,352 | 6.4 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 21,125 | 100.0 |
vte1963 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Robert Simpson | 11,707 | 53.3 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal | Bruce Dunlop | 7,253 | 33.0 | +2.5 |
| | New Democratic | Florence Matthews | 2,990 | 13.6 | -4.5 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 21,950 | 100.0 |
vte1962 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Robert Simpson | 10,943 | 51.3 | -13.4 |
| | Liberal | Francis Laurence Jobin | 6,511 | 30.6 | +7.2 |
| | New Democratic | Florence Matthews | 3,858 | 18.1 | +6.2 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 21,312 | 100.0 |
Note: NDP vote is compared to CCF vote in 1958 election.
vte1958 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Robert Simpson | 11,506 | 64.7 | +25.9 |
| | Liberal | Lorne Paterson Ferg | 4,159 | 23.4 | -7.9 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Jack Freedman | 2,118 | 11.9 | +0.2 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 17,783 | 100.0 |
vte1957 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Robert Simpson | 6,191 | 38.8 | +20.8 |
| | Liberal | George Dyer Weaver | 4,993 | 31.3 | -9.1 |
| | Social Credit | Bruce Moore | 2,891 | 18.1 | -2.1 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Gerald Robert Clarkson | 1,870 | 11.7 | -6.9 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 15,945 | 100.0 |
vte1953 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Dyer Weaver | 4,984 | 40.4 | -5.2 |
| | Progressive Conservative | William George Thompson | 2,567 | 20.8 | -3.0 |
| | Social Credit | Delbert Leroy Downs | 2,490 | 20.2 | |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Ronald Stewart Moore | 2,293 | 18.6 | -12.0 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 12,334 | 100.0 |
vte1949 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Dyer Weaver | 6,847 | 45.6 | +13.2 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Ronald Stewart Moore | 4,595 | 30.6 | -8.2 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Robert Franklin Milton | 3,570 | 23.8 | -5.1 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 15,012 | 100.0 |
vte1945 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Ronald Moore | 5,226 | 38.8 | |
| | Liberal | George Dyer Weaver | 4,359 | 32.4 | -30.1 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Cecil Ruddock Neely | 3,884 | 28.8 | -8.7 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 13,469 | 100.0 |
Note: Progressive Conservative vote is compared to "National Government" vote in 1940 election.
vte1940 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Crerar | 8,276 | 62.5 | +22.5 |
| | National Government | Will Blakeman Scarth | 4,963 | 37.5 | +3.2 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 13,239 | 100.0 |
Note: "National Government" vote is compared to Conservative vote in 1935 election.
vte1935 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Thomas Crerar | 3,603 | 40.0 |
| | Conservative | Barney M. Stitt | 3,091 | 34.3 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Alexander Stewart | 2,313 | 25.7 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 9,007 | 100.0 |