Editing Dufferin Roblin (section)

==Premier==
Under Roblin's leadership, the Tories became the largest party in the legislature at the [[1958 Manitoba general election|1958 provincial election]], winning 26 seats.  Roblin himself was elected for the new single-member constituency of [[Wolseley (Manitoba electoral district)|Wolseley]], located in the centre of Winnipeg. The [[Manitoba New Democratic Party|Manitoba CCF]] agreed to tolerate a Tory minority government, and Roblin became premier—ending 35 years of Progressive/Liberal-Progressive government in the province.

His government quickly enacted a series of progressive reforms, which were supported by the CCF.  Roblin was thereby able to build up a successful legislative record and won the support of many centre-left voters who were previously uncommitted. His government lost a parliamentary vote of confidence in 1959, but was re-elected with a decisive majority in the [[1959 Manitoba general election|ensuing election]] later in the year, taking 36 out of 57 seats.
[[File:St Vital Library opening photo.jpg|left|thumb|Roblin (centre left) cutting the ribbon at the 1963 opening of the St. Vital Library]]
Roblin's government upgraded highways, created parks, and built the [[Red River Floodway]] around Winnipeg, popularly known as "Duff's Ditch." It reintroduced [[French language|French]] instruction in schools, modernized hospitals, expanded social spending, and strengthened social welfare programs. It also improved postsecondary education and promoted urban development by consolidating the various municipalities in the Winnipeg area into a single metropolitan entity. For primary education, Roblin's ministry brought Manitoba's system of one-room schoolhouses into the modern era by building consolidated schools.

The Progressive Conservatives were re-elected with landslide mandates in the [[1962 Manitoba general election|1962]] and [[1966 Manitoba general election|1966 elections]], and Roblin never faced any serious competition in his own riding.