The original St. James riding was established at the province's creation in 1870, and lasted until the election of 1879. It was located in what was then a separate community on Winnipeg's periphery.
The modern St. James riding was created by redistribution in 1957 out of part of Assiniboia, and has formally existed since the provincial election of 1958. The riding is located in the western section of Winnipeg.
The riding's population in 1996 was 20,417. In 1999, the average family income was $47,842, and the unemployment rate was 6.20%. Almost 19% of St. James's population is over 65 years of age, and almost 38% of dwelling units are rented.
The service sector accounts for 15% of St. James's industry, following by government services (14%) and manufacturing (13%).
St. James was a marginal Progressive Conservative/NDP riding for most of its history to 1988. It was won in that year by LiberalPaul Edwards, who was elected leader of his party in 1993. The NDP recaptured the seat in 1995.
Recent boundary changes
The St. James riding underwent a dramatic redistribution in 1999. Previously, the space the riding occupied roughly the same space as the riding of Minto, which was newly created that year and, as of 2019, exists as Notre Dame. In fact, the original plan of the Manitoba Electoral Boundaries Commission in 1999 was to rename St. James as Minto, and create a new riding called King Edward to its immediate west (primarily from the old riding of Sturgeon Creek). Instead, the boundaries legislation passed by the Manitoba legislature in 1999 determined that the new riding would be called St. James.
Although the current riding has some territory in common with its predecessor of the same name, it is probably more accurately regarded as the successor riding to Sturgeon Creek. The NDP captured this seat from the Tories in 1999, and retained it in 2003.
