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Former MLA Lyle Stewart dies at 73; politicians post condolence messages

A former longtime Sask. Party MLA has lost his battle with cancer. Lyle Stewart passed away on Tuesday at the age of 73.

Stewart was first elected to the Assembly in 1999 and represented the areas of Thunder Creek and Lumsden-Morse for 23 years. He served as the interim leader of the Saskatchewan Party and was known for serving as the Minister of Agriculture from 2012-2018.

He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014 and stepped down from cabinet in 2018 to focus on his health. Stewart resigned as MLA in 2023 and revealed he had been living with cancer for a number of years and had recently worsened. In his farewell address to the Assembly, Stewart said, “Many of the members who sit in these seats are among my best and most trusted friends. I hope to keep up these relationships. So goodbye for now and God bless.”

The news was delivered by Premier Scott Moe on the X platform, saying, “Another difficult day as we have lost another friend and colleague. Lyle Stewart, long-time Saskatchewan Party MLA and former Agriculture Minister has passed away at the age of 73 following a lengthy battle with cancer. Lyle was the MLA for Thunder Creek and Lumsden-Morse and a key member of our team for nearly 24 years, from 1999 until his retirement from politics last year. Lyle was a man of few words, which is unusual for a politician, but you always knew where he stood. His quiet strength and dedication to the people he served were an example to all of us who served with him. Lyle was a good friend and I will miss him a lot. On behalf of the our government and the province, I want to express my deepest condolences to the family and many friends of Lyle Stewart. Flags at the Legislature will be lowered to half-mast in his honour.”

Former Premier Brad Wall shared, “Lyle was one of the most consequential Ag ministers this province has had. He led crop insurance expansion, was a great prov rep negotiating the suite of fed/prov ag programs and was a tireless trade mission traveler to both steward and open new markets for our producers. He was proud to represent the people of ThunderCreek and LumsdenMorse. He was generous including to hitch hikers but Clint Eastwood when they turned out to be car jackers. He was confidant who gave me honest and wise counsel. He was my friend. I will miss him greatly.”

Longtime MLA who served with Stewart, Don Morgan, said, “Lyle Stewart was my seat mate, my colleague and my friend. He battled cancer with dignity, grace and all the ferocity that he used on a would be carjacker. He will be missed. Sandy and I send our sympathies and prayers to his family and friends. Today is a sad day for all of us.”

Tributes continue to come in and the flags at the Saskatchewan Legislature will be lowered to half-mast.

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PA firefighter announces Sask. Party bid in Carlton

At least one candidate has officially stepped forward to run for the Saskatchewan Party in Prince Albert Carlton.

Jeff Reeder has spent two decades with the Prince Albert Fire Department, and 25 years as a frontline worker in public safety. He is also the co-founder of the River Valley Resilience Retreat, a Saskatchewan-based non-profit. Reeder said, “I think I have a lot of experience in that realm of dealing with the retreat and providing some resources to be able to help people overcome those obstacles and I want to be able to shift that focus and strengthening in the community and help solve some of those issues.” Reeder also served as the President of the Local 510 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Union.

Reeder told Sask. Today that he is one of two candidates seeking the Sask. Party nomination.

Incumbent MLA Joe Hargrave was originally nominated last year, but later rescinded his nomination to spend more time with family. Local pastor and business owner Megan Mayer announced her intentions to seek the nomination, but later withdrew and apologized for putting a student in blackface in a school play.

The NDP nominated local nurse Carolyn Brost Strom as their candidate over a year ago.

Prince Albert is a battleground this election as both parties are looking to win both seats.

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Each week leading up to the 2024 election, The SKoop Political Briefing will highlight a constituency that has nominated a candidate from at least both major parties. Today, we look at Saskatoon Silverspring. This riding is new in name loses the Sutherland neighbourhood, and includes Silverspring and Forest Grove.

The incumbent: Paul Merriman was first elected as a Saskatchewan Party MLA in 2011 and was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. Before entering politics, Merriman served as the executive director of the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre. He has served in various cabinet roles including Social Services, Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now as the Minister of Corrections and Policing.

The challenger: Hugh Gordon is a small business owner and retired RCMP officer. He spent 24 years with the RCMP as a front-line officer and financial crime investigator in Saskatchewan. He is currently the owner and operator of Gordon Special Investigations and also helps manage his wife's small business.

The takeaway: Current polling shows this riding as a toss-up, favouring Merriman and the Sask. Party. It will be tough for the NDP to unseat a longtime incumbent, but the NDP have their sights set on making major pickups in the two large centres.

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2024 Election Candidate Tracker