Former Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Deputy LeaderParty leader Shaun Harris has announced his intention to contest Ward 5 in the next municipal election.
Harris announced the decision on Thursday.
“It’d be nice to have a business-minded person on council for a change,” Harris said. “I’m not taking anything away from the people who are hear already, but not all of them are business-minded.”
Harris is a grain farmer and runs a trucking and logging business. He has been involved in provincial politics for a while, but is a businessman in Prince Albert, and wanted to run at the municipal level.
“To try and spur economic growth and bring businesses to town, it helps to have someone who’s involved in forestry, and construction, and mining, and oil and gas,” he said.
“It would be kind of nice to have somebody sitting in council who has a pretty strong inkling of what goes on in these industries,” he added.
Harris said in the last couple years has been involved in multiple community organizations. He sits on the Prince Albert Exhibition Association board, the Prince Albert slow pitch executive, and the East End Curling Club board.
He said running for council is a good stepping stone for getting more involved in the community.
“I’ve had it rumored and widely speculated that I was going to let my name stand for mayor, which was never ever the case,” he said. “Anybody that knows me will verify that I never ever wanted to run for mayor. I don’t believe in it.
“I honestly believe you should have to sit on council to maybe aspire to be the mayor one day. That’s not to say somebody who figures they’re qualified shouldn’t be able to run for that chair and be judged in the election. That’s how democracy’s work, but I honestly totally believe you have to sit on council for one term.”
Aside from business, Harris said crime is his main concern. He said Ward 5 isn’t a high crime area, but it’s starting to creep forward more and more into the area.
“I own several businesses and we’re always affected by break-and-enters and vandalism and I’ve had enough in this town. I want to curb it before it gets any worse,” he said.
“I want to be tough on crime,” he added. “I want to clean up this town, I’m sick of all the crime…. The town is starting to turn into a war zone and a lot of the people that sit on council are well-meaning, but a lot of people are scarred to voice what they really want to say for fear that there might be repercussions with their job or the possiion they hold, and that’s not a fear with me. I own my own businesses. I answer to myself, and should I be elected, I’ll answer to my constituents. I’m not scared to voice my opinion.”
Harris is the only candidate to declare his intention to run in Ward 5. Incumbent Coun. Dennis Ogrodnick has announced he will not run for re-election.
Nominations open on Sept. 23 and close on Oct. 9. The election is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 13.
editorial@paherald.sk.ca
Correction: a previous version of this story incorrectly referred to Harris as the former leader of the Saskatchewan Progressive Conservatives. He was the deputy leader.
