ESTEVAN - The writ has dropped and the candidates are out looking for the public's support in Estevan-Big Muddy in the upcoming provincial election.
Saskatchewan residents are scheduled to go to the polls on Oct. 28. As of Monday morning, there were five candidates to choose from in this constituency. Lori Carr of the Saskatchewan Party is being challenged by Andrew Cey of the Saskatchewan United Party, Billy Patterson of the Saskatchewan Green Party, Phil Smith of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party and Phil Zajac of the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan. Zajac is also the party's leader.
The Progressive Conservatives and the Progress Party (formerly the Liberal Party) had not declared a candidate for the constituency.
Carr, who was first elected in April 2016, is seeking her third term as Estevan's MLA. She said there have been some good announcements of late for the riding, including moving forward with the MRI project at St. Joseph's Hospital and the new regional nursing home in Estevan. There has also been money for highways and Estevan has been picked as the site for Saskatchewan's first small modular reactor (SMR).
Thanks to the redesign of the provincial boundaries, the size of the Estevan constituency has doubled, and the additional territory means it is now known as Estevan-Big Muddy. Radville, Lake Alma, Minton and Gladmar are among the communities added.
"I've had the opportunity to go out to Radville and Lake Alma and meet some of the people there already. It's more travelling for me, but really and truly, I'm hearing similar concerns that people have, and I'm trying to help address them," said Carr.
Carr has a team in place, and the majority of them have been with her since her first election. She also has a campaign office in Scotsburn Square in Estevan, and people are welcome to stop in at any time, she said.
Patterson, a former Estevan resident now living in Regina, said he has been working hard since he became the party's Estevan-Big Muddy candidate in the summer. He has a finance manager, and he's touting the party's platform that was released Sept. 27.
"It's nice to be able to … start to talk to people," said Patterson.
If elected, he said the Greens would do politics differently, and he's pleased the party is able to have a full field of 61 candidates, even though it now costs $500 instead of $100 for a candidate to run.
The party's platform looks to help farmers, he said, as the party sees them as stewards of the land, and it wants full-cost accounting, factoring in social and natural costs associated with government decisions.
He reiterated the party's opposition to spending billions of dollars on small modular reactors, even though the provincial government has said the first such reactor would be in the Estevan area. Patterson believes it's time for incentives for the solar industry, and he believes Estevan's status as one of the sunniest cities in North America makes it an ideal location for more solar power.
"I'm just pro with all of the way better opportunities that God has gifted us with in this sunny, solar resource in our own backyard," he said.
Smith is originally from Carlyle but now lives in Regina, and has family members who previously lived in Estevan. His mother was born in the city, but he hasn't been here for five years.
"It was always a place I enjoyed, and I look fondly back on, so when the opportunity came up and there wasn't a rep for Estevan, I threw my hat in the ring and decided to go for it," he said.
Smith is expecting to be in Estevan this week. He has been in contact with people in the city, and there are people in Regina helping him, too, as this is his first foray into politics.
He decided to run for the NDP because he agrees with the NDP's policies and what they've been saying on education, health care and affordability. Health is definitely important to him, as he has seen his own family struggle with the current system.
He would also advocate for the MRI unit that has been committed to St. Joseph's Hospital. He recognizes it will be difficult to win the constituency, but sometimes change happens quickly.
"If the Estevan people are feeling similarly towards the Sask. Party [as me], then maybe a wave goes that way and then I do wind up in office," he said.
Zajac also ran for the Buffalo Party in 2020, finishing second behind Carr. He said it will be different this election than the last one because he is a party leader.
"Supporting other candidates around the province is important as well, so you have to find a balance between your local riding and helping the team," said Zajac. "You get a lot more phone calls when you're the leader of the party, so it's … broadened responsibilities."
The Buffalo Party expects to run at least 22 candidates for the provincial election.
The party has passed a policy to ensure all of the coal-fired power plants in Saskatchewan will be retrofitted to give them another 30 years of life. CCS will also be added.
Zajac hopes to have a campaign office, but with the construction on Fourth Street ongoing, he said there isn't a lot of highly-visible space available. He has a team in place.
He has been to meetings dealing with physician recruitment, emergency room closures and other issues.
"It's a a big problem all over the province, and it's something that's got to get fixed. We have an aging population in the province and we need good medical care, so it's time to find the solutions," said Zajac.
Cey could not be reached for comment. In his bio on the party's website, it was noted that Cey currently manages a wood elevator handling organic grains, and he enjoys working with farmers and truckers from all across the Prairies.
After receiving a diploma in agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan in 1990, Cey has worked all across small-town Saskatchewan.
"He is thankful for his 32-year career in agriculture, learning from others, and having a chance to mentor those working with him," his bio states.
"Andrew has been blessed with having been able to homeschool and successfully raise five children and is now enjoying nine grandchildren. Andrew has devoted his spare time to volunteering at summer Bible camps, various volunteer fire departments, and local service club branches, as well as volunteering to help farmers overseas get established.
"He looks forward to working to steward and use the abundant resources that our province has been gifted with for the benefit of the people of Saskatchewan, and to bring back the values that Saskatchewan was built on, namely truth, freedom and justice."
The Estevan Chamber of Commerce is slated to host a candidates' forum on Oct. 23. Carr, Zajac, Patterson and Smith all said they hope to be at the event.
When the election was called, the Sask. Party held 42 of 61 seats. The NDP had 14, the SUP had one and there were three independents. One seat was vacant.
The Sask. Party is seeking its fifth straight majority government.
For regular updates on the election, be sure to visit our provincial news hub at sasktoday.ca.
