Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
Katelyn Zimmer is a second-generation veterinarian and lives with her husband Joe, a civil engineer, and their two children, Stan and Hazel.
Their acreage in the Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek riding, where they moved last year, is also home to three dogs, a horse, a pony, two miniature donkeys, and a flock of chickens. Living near Craven for the 2021 election, she ran for the Liberal Party in the Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan riding.
Katelyn has strong prairie ties. Her parents were born and raised in Regina; her mother trained as a nurse at the Regina General Hospital, and her father attended the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. Katelyn moved to Saskatoon in 2005 to finish her Bachelor of Science degree in physiology and ended up staying in Saskatchewan after falling in love with the province and her husband! She graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. She has worked in mixed and small animal practice, including at Norsask Veterinary Clinic in Warman and Rosthern, as well as a locum veterinarian.
Her husband of almost 17 years was born and raised on a multigenerational farm in west-central Saskatchewan. He takes every opportunity to help his dad and brother at seeding and harvest, and the farm is, in Katelyn’s words, “our 9-year-old son’s version of Disneyland. My appreciation for farmers and the knowledge I’ve gained about Saskatchewan agriculture is thanks to my in-laws. My connection to farming communities is personal, and it is one of the reasons why I am passionate about running as a candidate in a rural riding.”
Katelyn was actively involved with the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association, serving on council and as a representative on various committees. As a wife and a working mother, Katelyn understands the struggles of finding daycare in rural areas and how important having access to affordable daycare is to families. She now sits on the School Community Council for her children’s school.
Katelyn says she loves connecting with and getting to know people and building relationships through her work as a veterinarian, and this translates from the exam room to the doorstep. This love for connecting with people drew her to politics, especially rural politics. Despite some friendly advice to run in the city, Katelyn felt it was important to seek election from the community she lives in and connects to. To her, the campaign is not just about trying to get elected, it is about being elected by her neighbours, her community, and the people she connects with on a daily basis. She feels strongly that representation is vital to a thriving democracy. Voters, she said, deserve a “meaningful choice” on the ballot, and she aspires to provide that option for them. “Lately,” she continued, “I’ve been feeling especially patriotic, and I need to know I’ve done everything I can to ensure the strength and unity of our country.”
Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek is a large and diverse riding made up of cities, towns, First Nations communities, acreages, and farms. Katelyn says she and her team are doing their best to connect with as many voters as possible, given the limited time and resources available. Creativity is key; in addition to in-person events, phone calls, and door knocking, they have also held a virtual meet and greet and are active on social media. She feels extremely fortunate to have an experienced Campaign Lead who stepped forward, and a growing number of generous donors and energetic volunteers helping to get the message out.
When asked about the significant disconnect between the federal and provincial governments, and how she saw that changing if her party forms government on the 28th, Katelyn said she feels excited for and optimistic about a Mark Carney-led Liberal government. Under his leadership, the Liberal Party of Canada will work to remove interprovincial trade barriers, create one trading nation, and open new trade corridors. This will benefit Saskatchewan because of our central geographical location and the number of natural resources produced in our province. Mark Carney has the character and experience to stand up to Donald Trump, and he is the leader we need to unify our country.
Saskatchewan only holds 14 seats out of the 343 that will be filled in the House of Commons after the upcoming election. When questioned about how much influence those seats can have, Katelyn replied that their voices, and the voters whom they represent, matter. She believes that individual Western Canadian MPs have great strength in addressing rural concerns because they are the ones with first-hand experience and are therefore most qualified to speak to the issues. They represent the same number of voters as those from Ontario and Quebec, but from a much larger and more diverse geographic area of the country. As efforts increase to efficiently transport resources from coast to coast, those rural and prairie perspectives will become increasingly important.
Voters often look to the leaders of political parties when determining who they will vote for. If faced with a comment such as, ‘I would vote for you as an MP, but I can’t align myself with your party leader,’ Katelyn said while she recognizes many factors influence the way a person votes, including the candidate, the party, the platform, as well as the leader, these factors can change from year to year. If she is elected as Member of Parliament, the constituents and she will have a direct line of communication and a closer, working relationship than with the party leader. Her job is to express the people’s needs, voice their concerns and advocate for the people of Carton Trail-Eagle Creek.
With four First Nations in the riding, engagement with them is important, and Katelyn shared that one of her first actions after being announced as the Liberal candidate for Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek was to write an open letter to the leadership and members of the First Nations communities in our riding. “I am committed to learn from their perspectives, understand their priorities, and explore ways we can work together to build a stronger future for everyone in Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek. Our shared future depends on respect, partnership, and a willingness to walk the path of reconciliation together.
Katelyn wanted voters to know that she is a free thinker, who is guided by her values and strong in her beliefs, but is also thoughtful, open-minded and respectful of others. She is not afraid to speak up and says she will always advocate for the people and province of Saskatchewan, both as a Liberal candidate and within the Liberal Party. Katelyn believes she is someone that the residents of Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek can relate to, and she is eager to represent and advocate for rural Saskatchewan. “To the residents of Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek: I am committed and prepared for the hard work that will be required leading up to this election and beyond.”
