Constituency Profile: Melville Saltcoats

Melville-Saltcoats constituency is outlined in red

For more information on this constituency, please click here.

The Melville-Saltcoats constituency is a relatively new creation in Saskatchewan politics. It was formed for the 2003 provincial election from a merger of the old Melville and Saltcoats constituencies. 

Melville constituency goes back to the 1934 provincial election. Giants in Saskatchewan Liberal politics stand out in this seat's glorious past, including the legendary Jimmy Gardiner and his son Wilf Gardiner. A third notable Liberal from Melville's storied past is Ron Osika, who was first elected in 1995 and served in the infamous Coalition Government as Speaker and later Minister of SaskWater, the SLGA and SPMC. He lost in 2003.

Saltcoats was one of the first constituencies in 1905. It also boasts many big names from Saskatchewan Liberal lore. The first MLA for Saltcoats was Thomas MacNutt, who was also the first Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature. MacNutt, Saskatchewan is named after him. MacNutt was followed by James Calder, the number 2 man in the Saskatchewan Liberal dynasty and defacto Deputy Premier. Asmundur 'Mindy' Loptson was the MLA here from 1934 until 1960 and was briefly interim Leader. Jim Snedker was Speaker of the Legislature during the Thatcher Government. Bob Bjornerud was first elected as a Liberal in 1995.

One New Democrat MLA stands out in Saltcoats, that being Edgar Kaeding, who served as Minister of Agriculture in the Blakeney Government. One Tory MLA stands out from the Melville riding, that being Grant Schmidt, who was Minister of Social Services in the Devine Government.

Bjornerud was one of the founding Saskatchewan Party MLAs in 1997, and is Minister of Agriculture in the Wall Government. Bjornerud beat Osika in the newly created Melville-Saltcoats in 2003, 39 to 32 percent, with Schmidt running as an independent and getting 18 percent. In 2007, Bjornerud  won with 62 percent of the vote. Bjornerud is running for re-election on November 7. There will be no Liberal candidate in this riding, which is remarkable given its past. It is espected that Bjornerud will be easily re-elected here, in the neighbourhood of 70 percent of the vote possibly more.