The new electoral riding of Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek is gearing up to be an interesting race now that long-time Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott is not running.
Kelly Block, Conservative MP for the old riding of Saskatoon–Rosetown–Biggar, is taking Vellacott’s place. Her former constituency, which encompassed parts of Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek, also included parts of the new Sask-atoon West riding, where in the 2011 election she won by a narrow margin of slightly more than 500 votes.
“Kelly Block moved from a riding where she won by a relatively slim margin to this one, which she realized was a relatively safe riding. So that was a strategic move on her part to become the candidate for this,” said Joseph Garcea, a political science professor at the University of Saskatchewan.
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Block declined a telephone interview and would only agree to provide email comments.
She said she felt the new riding was a good fit.
“I have spent the last seven years representing a significant portion of the new rural riding of Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek and had previously lived for many years in both Warman and Waldheim, both located within the riding of Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek.”
The electoral boundaries were redrawn to reflect changes in Canada’s population. The old Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek constituency, Saskatoon-Wanuskewin, included part of Saskatoon. Garcea said it has been a historically Conservative riding with most people believing that support stemmed from the rural part of the riding.
“If (the Conservatives) lose this one, this constituency, then they really would be vulnerable in many other constituencies because this one’s a hard one for the Conservatives to lose,” Garcea said.
Block said the new boundaries will not have a major effect on the election.
Liberal candidate Alex Slusar believes the new boundaries will bring a better focus to rural issues.
“I think before there was a strong rural vote, but I think a lot of the policies and actions have been directed more towards the urban, and now we’ve got an opportunity to really make our voices heard as a rural community,” Slusar said.
NDP candidate Glenn Wright said voters have been telling him they want change, and he thinks that Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek will be one of the ridings to watch on election night.
“When I go on doorsteps I hear an awful lot of people who are undecided, and as many folks as there are that are dyed in the wool Conservative supporters, there are just as many saying to me that it’s anything but the Conservatives,” Wright said.
Green party candidate Lynn Oliphant is hoping the redrawn boundaries will mean that one of the non-Conservative candidates will win.
“(The redrawn boundaries) probably means that we’re going to have other parties represented, which I think is a good thing. It is more reflected of the will of the voters, if you will,” Oliphant said.
Garcea said support for the Conservatives would have to notably decline for a different party to win the riding.
“Even if the Conservative vote is greatly diminished, they could still win as a result of people who are anti-Conservative being split between the other two parties.”
