Former PA Carlton MLA acclaimed as reeve in Corman Park

Joe Hargrave -- Submitted photo.

Former Prince Albert Carlton MLA Joe Hargrave is back in politics after being acclaimed reeve in Saskatchewan’s largest Rural Municipality.

Hargrave was the only candidate to seek the position in the RM of Corman Park, a 2,100 sq km rural area that’s home to roughly 9,000 residents. He takes over from longtime reeve Judy Harwood, who held the position for the last 12 years.

“I gave it a lot of thought and talked to my wife and she said, ‘we’ll, it’s the kind of politics where at least you’re home every night. You’re not in Regina half the time,’” Hargrave said in a phone interview on Nov. 8. “At my age—I’m 68, almost 69-years-old—I just didn’t want to be on the road back and forth to Regina and Prince Albert, so it was like, I got some gas left in the tank. I think I can help out.”

The RM completely surrounds the City of Saskatoon, with boundaries that stretch north of the Town of Osler, and just south of the Beaver Creek Conservation Area. Hargrave said his priority as reeve will be “controlled growth” and continuing the work Harwood started.

“There’s lots of growth and development in the RM,” he said. “There’s more and more subdivisions looking to be built throughout the RM, and of course, that’s not that simple. They need water, they need sewer systems, they need all that nice stuff, and you’ve got to make sure that it’s good development. In the commercial sector, there’s lots of businesses looking to locate in the RM, and again, growth is good, but controlled growth is better.”

Hargrave represented PA Carlton for two terms as a Saskatchewan Party MLA and won the party’s nomination for a third term in November 2023. However, he stepped down a few months later, citing age as one of several factors.

Hargrave said he was reluctant to run for reeve after moving to Corman Park, but changed his mind after a few residents and a couple of mayoral candidates in Saskatoon encouraged him to seek the position. Hargrave said he also talked with candidates who were thinking about running for reeve, but told him they would not run if he did.

Hargrave announced his intention to run on Aug. 16, according to a candidate profile in Clark’s Crossing Gazette. He filed papers when nominations opened on Sept. 13 and listed his home as Casa Rio, a hamlet south of Saskatoon.

“It’s a huge area,” Hargrave said. “I’ve driven it, and it’s sort of like, ‘wow, this is a lot different than Prince Albert Carlton.’ You’re on the road a lot in there, but it’s good.”

Hargrave said he’s looking forward to the non-partisan nature of RM politics.

“You work together just like the mayor and council in Prince Albert, instead of ‘us against them,’” Hargrave said. “It will be a nice change for me, and I’m looking forward to sitting down with each councillor and working with each councillor.”

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