WEYBURN - Seth Lendrum is running as the NDP candidate for the Weyburn-Bengough riding in the upcoming provincial election.
Lendrum works in the local oilfield, and has had training as a medic, with a goal to one day complete schooling as a paramedic. He ran once before for the NDP, in the Estevan riding during the previous election campaign.
The son of a Weyburn Comp teacher and a SE Cornerstone board member, education is one of his priorities as a candidate.
“I’m a coach for football, for the U10 players. I think back to what it was like for me 20 years ago, and I wonder what’s it going to be like for them 20 years from now? So, education is a big thing for me. We need to bring more money back into the education system,” said Lendrum.
“There are a lot of younger families on my block, and they’re wondering, ‘what’s going on with the teachers?’ When you take $2 billion out of the system over the last 12 years, you can see where the teachers get upset,” he added.
He noted that families learned how important and crucial teachers are during the COVID pandemic, as they found out teaching their kids at home during the lockdowns was not a substitute for good teachers.
He is also concerned for elder care and health care, as he thinks about his parents possibly needing care in 20 years’ time.
“I’m a field medic and have some education as a paramedic,” he said, noting he has concerns about health care in Weyburn, as the hospital currently only has one anesthesiologist, plus Weyburn has had challenges retaining doctors here.
He’s also concerned that the Health ministry is talking about moving the microbiology lab out of Weyburn and not be housed in the new hospital that is currently under construction.
“They want to have all of that shipped to Regina. Why are we trying to get rid of a service that is used here all the time?” he asked.
As for why he wants to run in this election, Lendrum noted that both his grandfather and father have always told him, “If you want something done, you have to get your fingers in the pie.”
