Constituency Profile: Yorkton

Yorkton constituency is outlined in red on the map above.

For more information on Yorkton constituency, please click on this link.For more information on Yorkton constituency, please click on this link.

With the exceptions of the 1938 and 1960 provincial elections, Yorkton constituency has always elected a government MLA. This makes Yorkton a fairly reliable bellwether riding.

The first MLA for Yorkton was Thomas Garry. He was the Liberal MLA for Yorkton for the most important years of the Saskatchewan Liberal dynasty, from 1905 to 1929. He was replaced in 1929 by Alan Stewart, an Independent who became Minister of Highways in the Anderson Coalition government. Stewart was defeated by Liberal Vincent Smith in 1934, but made a comeback in 1938 as a Unity party MLA. Stewart was defeated in the CCF landslide by Arthur Swallow. The CCF continued to hold Yorkton when Frederick Neibrandt was elected here in 1956. In 1960 Bernard Gallagher of the famous Gallagher family of Yorkton won for the Liberals, and remained the MLA until 1971. The NDP recaptured Yorkton in 1971 with Irving Carlson, and he was replaced by fellow New Democrat Randall Nelson in 1975. Nelsonw as defeated by Lorne McLaren of the PC Party in the 1982 'Monday Night Massacre'. McLaren was Minister of Labour in the Devine Government from 1982 to 1985, and Government Caucas Chair after that. He was defeated in 1991. McLaren was later convinted in connection with the Tory Fraud Scandal of the Devine Government and was sentenced to 3 and half years in prison.

In 1991 Clay Serby of the NDP won Yorkton in the "Monday Night Massacre Part 2". Serby was on Yorkton City Council but spent hsi first term on the NDP backbenches. But when the rest of his colleagues from east central Saskatchewan were defeated in 1995, Serby began to rise within the Romanow Government. It would take forever to list all of Serby's cabinet positions, but it is safe to say that wherever there was a fire burning in the Romanow Government, Serby was dispatched to put it out! Serby got to be very good at stickhandling the most difficult files in the government, so he kept getting tough assignments. Finally when Lorne Calvert succeeded Roy Romanow as Premier in 2001, Serby was named Deputy Premier and Minister of Agriculture. For the remainder of the time that the NDP were in power, Serby remained a pillar of strength in the government during a time when the NDP were starting to lose their grip on power. When Serby was diagnosed with cancer in 2003, it was news that hit everyone in Saskatchewan very hard. But he perserved and recovered, only to be diagnosed with cancer again. Serby didn't seek re-election in 2007, and thus Greg Ottenbreit of the Saskatchewan Party won the Yorkton constituency.

Ottenbreit is seeking re-election on November 7 and faces a stiff challenge from the NDP. During the campaign Ottenbreit apologized for comments he made in a debate regarding Aboriginal people. It's not clear at this point if his comments will have any impact on the outcome of Yorkton constituency on November 7. But since Yorkton is a bellwether riding and the polling shows the Sask Party is headed for a second term of power, it is very likely that Ottenbreit will also be re-elected this time.