By Barry Wilson, Ottawa bureau
Four weeks of election travel from Prince Edward Island to Alberta, many hours on airplanes and 7,500 kilometres of solitary driving through more than 30 rural ridings produces lots of time to think.
With the 41st federal election campaign swirling all around, the thoughts of a political history nerd often turned to remarkable moments in federal election history on the Prairies and in Western Canada.
As the days tick down to the May 2 election when history again will be made (it always is), this is a chance to test your knowledge of federal election milestones and remarkable ridings or characters that have populated the West through Canadian history.
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1) Only five times has a sitting prime minister been defeated in their own riding by their own voters. Four times, those voters were in the West and in one case, voters in the same constituency did it twice. Which riding did the honours twice? What other western ridings also rejected prime ministers?
2) In the early decades of Canada, party grandees could run in several ridings simultaneously to make sure they snagged a seat in at least one. Two prairie constituencies can boast that they elected a prime minister who later chose to represent another riding. Which ridings and who were the prime ministers?
3) Except for two prime ministers who governed from the Senate, only one prime minister in Canadian history did not represent any Canadian riding in the House of Commons during his term. Who was it and what is the western connection? What is his other electoral distinction?
4) This prairie riding was represented consecutively by a towering Québec figure in the Confederation debates and Canada’s most famous traitor/patriot.
5) Two Prairie ridings have sent two prime ministers to Ottawa. Name them.
6) Canada’s youngest prime minister came from the Prairies. Who was it and at what age did he assume office?
7) Canada’s first female prime minister represented what western riding?
8) This iconic Manitoba riding elected a Liberal last year for only the second time in its history. For 59 of its 85 years as a riding, it was represented by two towering figures in the history of the New Democratic Party. What is the riding and were the MPs?
9) Prairie voters have four times shaken up Parliament by electing new populist parties to the House of Commons in significant numbers. What were the parties and when did they first breech parliamentary gates?
10) A Manitoba MP brought down the government of Sir John A. Macdonald in 1873 over corruption charges and later drove the last spike to complete Macdonald’s great national railway dream. Who was he?
