As Winnipeg South goes, so goes the nation: in the trenches of Canada’s most reliable bellwether riding

The Globe is visiting communities across the country to hear from Canadians about the issues affecting their lives, their futures and their votes in this federal election.The thing to remember about Winnipeg is that it used to be the next big thing. In the early 1900s, when my grandfather came here from southern Ontario, the city was booming. Between 1891 and 1911 its population tripled, making it the third-largest city in Canada. Vast fortunes were being made in the grain trade, in finance, and in railways, where Winnipeg’s advantageous mid-continental location made it the Gateway to the West.