Rural residents in the areas to the immediate west and north of Saskatoon are in for a big change in this 2015 federal election.
Those residents will be voting for the first time in a new riding, Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek, the electoral district created from the 2012 electoral boundaries commission recommendations that redrew the electoral map across Canada this election.
One of the key changes brought in by the commission was the ending of the practice of split urban-rural seats, which included a portion of the riding in Saskatoon along with a significant rural area.
Saskatoon had previously been represented by four of these split urban-rural ridings: Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, Saskatoon-Waneskewin, Saskatoon-Humboldt and Blackstrap.
With the boundary changes, Saskatoon has been divided into three urban or mostly-urban ridings: Saskatoon West on the west side; Saskatoon-University to the east; and Saskatoon-Grasswood on the south end. The latter still encompasses a rural portion to the south, but the other ridings are completely urban.
The rural portions, meanwhile, are mainly being split between two newly created ridings. One of them is Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan, a large riding that will include a large rural area formerly belonging to Blackstrap.
Most other rural communities surrounding Saskatoon will be in Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek, a massive riding spanning from Rosetown and Biggar to Martensville and Warman and east past Humboldt.
Simply put, this new electoral district consists of the vast majority of the rural portions of Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, Saskatoon-Wanuskewin and, to a lesser extent, Saskatoon-Humboldt.
Under the old boundaries, Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar was located just south of Highway 16 and included Rosetown, Biggar, Perdue, Asquith, Delisle and other communities situated along “potash row.” These communities now form one part of the new electoral district.
To the north of that riding was Saskatoon-Wanuskewin. The riding bordered Battlefords-Lloydminster just west of Ruddell, and included the stretch of Highway 16 all the way to Saskatoon.
The old riding included communities such as Richard, Hafford, Krydor, Blaine Lake, Maymont, Radisson, Borden and Langham, as well as the town of Rosthern and the cities of Warman and Martensville to the east. All of these communities are included within the new electoral boundaries, with Martensville and Warman being the riding’s two largest cities.
A significant potion of the old Saskatoon-Humboldt rural area is also included in the new seat. That former riding bordered the South Saskatchewan River and included towns such as Humboldt, Wakaw, Cudworth and Bruno, among others — all of which will join the new riding.
But some northern and eastern portions of this former riding are not joining. Quill Lake area voters are now in Yorkton-Melville, for example, while voters in St. Louis are now part of the riding of Prince Albert.
For the vast majority of residents throughout Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek, the election will mean representation by a new Member of Parliament regardless of which party wins.
Saskatoon-Humboldt was represented in the last House by Conservative MP Brad Trost. Trost is seeking re-election in Saskatoon-University, which includes the urban portion of his old riding.
Saskatoon-Wanuskewin was represented for years by Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott. He announced long before the election that he was retiring from politics.
Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar has been represented in the House of Commons by Conservative Kelly Block since 2008.
Block has served in various capacities, including as chair of the Saskatchewan Conservative Caucus between 2011 and 2013 and most recently as parliamentary secretary to the minister of Natural Resources.
Her electoral hold on the riding has been tenuous, however. In particular, the west side of Saskatoon has been a traditional stronghold of support for the NDP.
In the last two federal elections Block faced NDP candidate Nettie Wiebe. Despite widespread predictions of a Conservative defeat, Block pulled off razor-thin wins in both votes. She won by 262 votes in 2008 and 538 votes in 2011.
Each time, it was strong support from the rural polls that saved the Conservatives and gave Block victory.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, when it came time for Block to decide whether to run again in Saskatoon West or in the new Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek riding, Block chose the rural portion, which has been a bedrock of support for Conservative and Reform-Canadian Alliance candidates in several elections.
While technically an “incumbent,” the reality is that throughout the northern portion of the riding Block is basically a new candidate who will need to work to gain familiarity with voters. However, she does have ties to the old Waneskewin portion of the riding, having previously served as mayor of Waldheim.
Block has been in place as the Conservative candidate for just over a year, and has a campaign website now up at kellyblock.conservative.ca. Her campaign office is at 4 - 620 Central St. in Warman and was scheduled to open this week.
The three other parties in the House of Commons face an uphill battle given the area’s Conservative history. Nevertheless, they are mounting active campaigns and candidates are now in place.
Running for the NDP is Glenn Wright, who last ran as the party’s provincial candidate in Biggar in 2011. According to his campaign website, Wright has worked as mill manager for the McClean Lake uranium mine, has been a successful farmer and an outdoor adventure leader with the Vanscoy 4-H Club. He holds degrees in mechanical engineering and is a lifelong Saskatchewan resident.
His website is up at glennwright.ndp.ca and he is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GlennWrightNDP.
The Liberals have recently announced on the party’s national website that their candidate is Alex Slusar. His background includes work as a political consultant and since last October he has been national field organizer for the Liberal Party of Canada.
He was educated at the University of Saskatchewan and holds a master’s degree from Carleton University.
The Green Party candidate is Lynn Oliphant. According to the party’s website Oliphant is a retired veterinary professor at the University of Saskatchewan who lives outside of Saskatoon. He holds a PhD in zoology and has been involved in several environmental and conservation groups including with the Craik Sustainable Living Project.
Oliphant’s full bio can be found at the Green party of Canada’s website at www.greenparty.ca.
