REGINA - Voting has already begun for three provincial by-elections happening this month.
Polls have opened starting today, August 3, and with the exception of Aug. 7 and 9, they will be open every day until the polls close on the evening of August 10 in the ridings of Regina Coronation Park, Regina Walsh Acres and Lumsden-Morse.
The byelections were called following the resignations earlier this year of MLAs Mark Docherty (Coronation Park) and Lyle Stewart (Lumsden-Morse) and the death of Derek Meyers (Walsh Acres). All three ridings have been held for the last several years by the Saskatchewan Party, although the most recent elections in Coronation Park and Walsh Acres have been close ones.
This by-election is widely considered to be a test of the strength of Premier Scott Moe and the Sask Party as well as of the NDP and their new Regina-based leader, Carla Beck. It is also considered a first test of strength for the parties currently without seats in the Legislature such as the Greens and Progressive Conservatives, as well as brand-new parties such as the new Saskatchewan United Party and the recently renamed Saskatchewan Progress Party (formerly the Saskatchewan Liberals).
Here is a look at the candidates running in each one of the byelections.
Regina Walsh Acres
Nevin Markwart is a former Regina Pat player who was drafted by the Boston Bruins and played nine seasons in the NHL. After his hockey career he worked in the global investments management industry for over 25 years. Markwart is now Chief Information Security Officer with FutureVault, a cloud-based document management company.
Jared Clarke is a teacher in the Regina Public School system and a biologist who actively volunteers in the community. He has been a board member for the Friends of Wascana Marsh and has been field trip coordinator for Nature Regina.
Rose Buscholl, the current interim leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan, is also on the ballot in Regina Walsh Acres. According to her website, Buscholl is a published writer who has written two movie scripts; she has been involved in provincial politics since 2016.
Joseph Reynolds has been announced as the candidate for the Saskatchewan Green Party; he ran previously for the party in The Battlefords and is an activist who has attended rallies and events with the SK Coalition Against Racism, End Poverty Regina and Making Peace Vigil. According to the party’s Facebook page, Reynolds believes in clean air, clean energy and a clean environment.
Regina Coronation Park
Riaz Ahmad won a contested nomination to be the Sask Party candidate in Coronation Park. According to the party’s website, before coming to Canada Ahmad studied Accounting Management at the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan. He works alongside his brother at their family-owned pest control business.
Noor Burki, a small business owner, a driving instructor, and community member, won a contested nomination to be the candidate for the New Democrats. Burki was the party’s nominee in the 2020 vote.
Olasehinde Ben Adebayo is running for the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. He has lived in several Saskatchewan communities but now calls Regina home. According to his Facebook feed, he says a vote for him is a vote for effective and functional healthcare, a functional educational system that meets the needs of society, a safe and secured society, and an inclusive, equitable and accessible community.
Kendra Anderson is running for the Saskatchewan Green Party. She is an Educational Assistant with the Public School System who also works with foster children through Saskatchewan Foster Families; she also is on the Saskatchewan Green Party executive as one of two youth representatives.
Reid Hill is the candidate for the Sask Progress Party. Hill is born and raised in Regina and a graduate of the University of Regina, and has been active on community projects as well as on the board with Royal Canadian Legion Branch 001.
Lumsden-Morse
The Saskatchewan Party announced Blaine McLeod as their candidate in the Lumsden-Morse race. He is a longtime dairy farmer who operates Caroncrest Farms Ltd. with his son, and serves as the Saskatchewan Director with Dairy Farmers of Canada.
The New Democrats nominated Kaitlyn Stadnyk to run in Lumsden-Morse. Stadnyk grew up on the family farm near Lumsden and is currently completing a Bachelor of Human Justice degree at the University of Regina. She has also been involved with numerous non-profits including the John Howard Society.
The Saskatchewan United Party announced Jon Hromek as their nominee. Hromek, who lives in the Lumsden area with his wife Jenn and four children, has worked as an executive in Saskatchewan’s energy sector and has founded and managed oil exploration and production companies.
Les Guillemin is running for the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan. According to his website he was raised on a mixed family farm near Forget, Saskatchewan and after living in Weyburn for a few years, moved to Regina where he and wife Patricia have raised four children. He is currently employed with a prominent crane company in Regina.
Isaiah Hunter is running for the Saskatchewan Green Party. He previously ran here in the 2020 provincial election and was also a federal candidate in 2021.He currently attends SaskPolytech studying for Computer Automated Systems Technician. Isaiah is the son of the Green Party leader Naomi Hunter.
