The Green Party of Canada has announced its candidate for Souris-Moose Mountain in the Oct. 21 federal election.
Wood Mountain resident Judy Mergel will represent the Greens. Previously a candidate for the party in the Wood River constituency in the last provincial election, Mergel said in a news release that she was inspired to do more after hearing federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May speak at the University of Regina this past spring.
“It's no secret that the Greens don't generally fare well at the ballot box in ‘oil & gas’ country,” Mergel wrote in the news release. “However, the Greens believe in a gradual transition to renewable energy and will support large-scale retraining.”
Although the party is universally equated with the environment, she said their platform addresses much more and will be visible on the Green Party’s website once the platform is launched.
Originally born and raised in rural Manitoba, Mergel has lived and worked in five provinces, primarily as a recreation therapist. After moving to Saskatchewan in 1982, she became employed in tourism and took up farming after marrying a Wood Mountain rancher, Vernon Mergel.
The mother of two and a grandmother of three, she has made Wood Mountain her home.
Four years ago, Mergel retired from full-time cattle ranching and now keeps busy gardening, teaching tai chi and running a private animal sanctuary called The HideOut.
“The Greens are a unique grassroots organization that I'm proud to be part of,” she said. “Our vision for Canada promises a future where no one will be left out or left behind.”
Mergel joins a field that includes Conservative Party candidate Robert Kitchen, People’s Party of Canada candidate Phil Zajac and Canadian Nationalist Party candidate Travis Patron.
Kitchen is the incumbent MP in the riding.
The Liberals and the New Democratic Party have yet to announce their candidates.
The next edition of the Mercury will have more on the federal election.
