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Leadership campaign update: Cheveldayoff back in NB

The Battlefords and area continues to be an active area for the campaigns of leadership contenders in both political parties. On Friday, Dec.
Ken Cheveldayoff
Ken Cheveldayoff was back in the Battlefords again recently for a noon-hour event with fundraisers and supporters, as he continued his campaign for the Sask Party leadership.

The Battlefords and area continues to be an active area for the campaigns of leadership contenders in both political parties.

On Friday, Dec. 1, Sask Party leadership candidate Ken Cheveldayoff was back in North Battleford, this time for a noon-hour event with fundraisers and other supporters in the Northwest Community Futures building near Frontier Centre.

It was one of a number of events Cheveldayoff had planned for the Northwest, as part of what has been billed his “hometown tour.”

Cheveldayoff was scheduled to go to Meadow Lake later that day to meet with Meadow Lake Tribal Council. The next day, Saturday, saw several events on the schedule for the Northwest region, with stops in Edam Saturday morning, Spiritwood and Hafford that afternoon.

The tour was due to wrap up that evening with a Ukrainian dinner of “borscht and perogies and cabbage rolls in my home town of Blaine Lake,” Cheveldayoff said. 

In speaking to the News-Optimist, Cheveldayoff noted the importance of a looming deadline of Dec. 8 for Sask Party membership sales, the final cutoff to be eligible to vote in the leadership contest. 

“We’re going from early morning to late at night, trying to talk to each and every potential voter because that’s who’s going to be choosing the next Premier,” said Cheveldayoff.

“It’s not about endorsements, it’s not about the Establishment or the Establishment candidate, it’s about each and every voter.”

Meanwhile, the one Northwest-area MLA in the race was touting a new addition to his list of endorsements.

Scott Moe, MLA for Rosthern-Shellbrook, welcomed the endorsement of Christine Tell, MLA for Regina Wascana Plains, in a news release this week.

That brings to 22 the number of MLAs endorsing Moe, the largest number of any candidate in the race. Moe also had the endorsement of Kevin Phillips, the Melfort MLA who recently passed away.

“Since day one, I have been proud of the team we have built to stand with Saskatchewan,” said Moe in a statement. “Our team has grown to include thousands of members across the province, and I am excited to welcome MLA Christine Tell to our team.”

The big event of the week for Sask. Party candidates was the leadership debate in Weyburn Thursday night, with all six leadership contenders taking part.

It was also the first debate to include Rob Clarke, the former federal Conservative MP who is the latest Sask Party leadership contender to join the race.

Meanwhile, the two provincial New Democrat leadership contenders had been taking turns actively campaigning in North Battleford recently.

Trent Wotherspoon had appeared in North Battleford for a meet-and-greet event earlier in November. A week later, on Saturday, Nov. 25, it was Ryan Meili’s turn to visit the city.

The MLA for Saskatoon Meewasin was in North Battleford for a campaign event with supporters at The Gog called “Dreaming Big: An Evening with Ryan Meili.” 

Meili also showed up for Winter Fest in downtown North Battleford that day, and also did some campaigning for federal NDP candidate Matt Fedler.