Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek is a diverse and vibrant district with a strong agricultural tradition and a thriving arts and culture scene. The district faces several challenges, including agricultural uncertainty due to tariffs, affordable housing issues, and economic development obstacles. However, it features resilient and engaged communities that are dedicated to finding solutions to these problems and building a brighter future for all residents.
The Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek electoral district was created from the 2012 Electoral Boundaries Commission Recommendations that redrew the electoral map across Canada and ended the urban-rural split in ridings, before the 2015 election. Formerly, voters in the constituency voted as Saskatoon-Humboldt, Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, or Saskatoon-Wanuskewin. The NDP’s Stan Hovdebo held the Saskatoon-Humboldt until he retired from politics in 1993. The riding was then held by the Liberals for one term, before being held through two elections by Reform-Alliance-Independent candidate Jim Pankiw. In 2004, the Conservatives claimed victory and have held the seat through its transition to today’s Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek.
Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek’s boundary was redrawn in 2023, meaning that many will be voting in a different constituency in 2025 than they did in the last election in 2021. The diversity of the riding remains largely the same, but the footprint is altered. Instead of extending along the west side of the South Saskatchewan River south to Rosetown, the riding now cuts off at Delisle and encircles Saskatoon. On the northeast edge of the riding, the rural municipalities of St. Louis, Invergordon, Fletts Springs, and Lake Lenore have been included in this latest redistribution.
Included in its boundaries are the cities of Warman, Martensville, and Humboldt; the towns of Aberdeen, Allan, Asquith, Blaine Lake, Borden, Bruno, Cudworth, Dalmeny, Delisle, Duck Lake, Hafford, Hague, Hepburn, Langham, Osler, Radisson, Rosthern, Vonda, Wakaw, and Waldheim; the villages of Annaheim, Alvena, Beatty, Bradwell, Clavet, Englefeld, Krydor, Laird, Lake Lenore, Leask, Marcelin, Maymont, Middle Lake, Muenster, Parkside, Pilger, Prud’homme, Richard, St. Benedict, St. Brieux, St. Gregor, St. Louis, and Vanscoy; the hamlets of Domremy, Yellow Creek, Balone Beach, Blumenthal, Crystal Springs, Cudsaskwa Beach, Furdale, Hoey, Meskanaw, Neuanlage, St. Isidore-de-Bellevue, and Tway; the Resort Villages of Pebble Baye and Wakaw Lake; and unorganized hamlets and farms in the all or part of the Rural Municipalities of Douglas, Meeting Lake, Leask, Duck Lake, St. Louis, Invergordon, Fletts Springs, Lake Lenore, Three Lakes, Hoodoo, Fish Creek, Rosthern, Blaine Lake, Redberry, Great Bend, Glenside, Eagle Creek, Corman Park, Vanscoy, Blucher, Aberdeen, Grant, Bayne, Humboldt, and St. Peter.
In 2021, there were six contenders on the ballot: Conservative Kelly Block (incumbent), Green Party Cherese Reemaul, Liberal Harrison Andruschak, Maverick Party Diane Pastoor, NDP Shannon O’Toole, and People’s Party of Canada Mike Bohach. This time around, there are only three: Conservative Kelly Block, Liberal Katelyn Zimmer, and NDP Cheryl Loadman. In that election, Kelly Block received 68 percent of the vote, equating to 26,780 votes. Her nearest competitor, Shannon O’Toole of the New Democrats, received 5,249.
During the 2021 federal election, several economic and social issues dominated the political conversation in CTEC. One of the most important was the impact of climate change on the agriculture industry, with many farmers expressing concerns about drought conditions and extreme weather events. Another major issue was the lack of affordable housing in the area and a shortage of daycares. The change in the political relationship between Canada and the United States, led by President Trump’s efforts to fulfill his campaign promise to “Make America Great Again,” has arguably made Canada’s economic health and sovereignty a major issue in voters’ minds in this election.
