Constituency Profile: Saskatoon Sutherland

Saskatoon Sutherland constituency is outlined in red on the map above.

For more information on Saskatoon Sutherland constituency, please click on this link.

As far as the short history of urban constituencies in Saskatchewan go, that of Saskatoon Sutherland is rather interesting. While it could never be called a bellwether seat, it is a seat that generally reveals the future direction of provincial politics in Saskatchewan; as Saskatoon Sutherland goes, so will the overall political direction. The first time that Saskatoon Sutherland was contested was in the pivotal 1975 provincial election. By this time the dilletantes already had their fangs sunk deeply into the Saskatchewan Liberal Party and were already well on their way to driving the proverbial dagger into the party the first time around. But in spite of themselves, the Liberals actually won this constituency, with popular City Councillor Evelyn Edwards as the candidate. But unfortunately for Edwards, she passed away suddenly the following year. In the subsequent by-election, PC candidate Harold Lane won, an event which fuelled the rise of the Tories in provincial politics, and also fuelled the demise of the Liberals. But in 1978, Saskatoon Sutherland switched MLAs again, this time going with Peter Prebble of the NDP. It would be the only time Prebble was elected in Saskatoon Sutherland, but definitely not his last term as an MLA!

In 1982 Prebble ran for re-election in another constituency and lost. The new MLA elected for Saskatoon Sutherland amid the "Monday Night Massacre" was PC candidate Paul Schoenhals. Schoenhals served in the Devine Cabinet during his term, and after his defeat in 1986 he became the President and CEO of the newly-privatized Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan. Schoenhals was defeated by Mark Koenker of the NDP, a Lutheran Pastor. Koenker was re-elected in 1991 and 1995 and retired in 1999. Another New Democrat, Graham Addley, won in Saskatoon Sutherland in '99,and was re-elected in 2003. Addley served as Minister of Investment Saskatchewan and ISC in the Calvert Government until his defeat in 2007 to Joceline Schreimer of the Saskatchewan Party. Schreimer decided not to run for re-election in 2011. In her place, the Sask Party has nominated Paul Merriman, the son of former Saskatoon Northwest Sask Party MLA Ted Merriman. The NDP candidate is Naveed Anwar, the Green candidate is Larry Waldinger and Kaleb Jeffries is the Liberal candidate.

It is likely that the Sask Party will hold Saskatoon Sutherland and possibly add to their margin of victory from 2007 by taking from the Liberal column. Schreimer won with 43 percent of the vote in 2007, so Merriman could capture up to 50 percent of the vote or more this time around. Waldinger is also an active Green candidate; it will be very interesting to see how he finishes in this contest.