Premier credits pandemic policy for Sask. Party's byelection upset
CBC
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is crediting his government's "come back together" approach to the pandemic for its stunning upset in a Tuesday byelection in the province's north.
The Saskatchewan Party's Jim Lemaigre defeated the NDP's Georgina Jolibois, a former Member of Parliament, and two other candidates to win Tuesday's vote in Athabasca — a constituency the Saskatchewan Party has never held before.
Following a preliminary count of ballots, Lemaigre had 1,146 votes (51.4 per cent) of votes counted so far, while Jolibois had 900 votes (40.4 per cent).
The NDP had held the seat since 1998, and it has only ever been held by the NDP, CCF or Liberals.
Calling the Saskatchewan Party victory "historic", Moe told reporters on Wednesday that it was "divisive policies" of other parties that contributed to his party's win.
"As you look at this byelection and the results of this byelection, it really highlights the different approaches that we're seeing with the political parties in this province," Moe said.
In a statement on the byelection released on Wednesday, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili didn't address why he thought his party lost the seat.
Meili congratulated Lemaigre and said he will need to be a "dissenting voice within his own government."
"Whether it's lack of cell coverage, lack of available health services, or crumbling roads, Northerners need a strong advocate in the legislature to bring their voice to Regina," Meili said.
Moe said Lemaigre will be a "very strong voice" for the north in the Saskatchewan Party government.
"I think he'll also be a very strong voice within the government with respect to how we continue down the path of, yes, reconciliation with, our Indigenous, the Indigenous people in our province," Moe said.
Long-time NDP MLA Buckley Belanger created the need for a byelection when he resigned from the seat last summer to run federally.
"I'm not holding my breath for the Sask. Party to do anything significant [for the north]," Belanger said.
However, Belanger said in order for Lemaigre to prove his value as a member of the governing party as he argued during the campaign, northwest Saskatchewan communities will need to see their forestry rights restored, among other things.
New government regulations can be hard to get excited about — but not if you're a drone pilot like Ian Wills.
Alberta RCMP have ramped up the use of body-worn cameras for front-line officers as a push is underway to have 90 per cent of the national police force use the cameras within the coming year.
This weekend, one of the season's first strong winter storms is coming for Newfoundland and Labrador.
Periods of snow are forecast to start overnight in western Cape Breton before a winter wallop moves into the rest of the island and part of mainland Nova Scotia on Sunday.
Four new cases of measles in Quebec have been confirmed as of Jan.3 in connection with an outbreak that began in December, public health authorities say.
A vacant three-storey apartment block is set to be demolished, after Winnipeg firefighters were called Friday night to the third fire at the Mountain Avenue building since August 2023.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in the waters of a Port Moody, B.C., marina on New Year's Day.
Parts of Prince Edward Edward Island could receive up to 15 centimetres of snow Sunday and into Monday.
A Liberal MP from London, Ont., is joining several of his caucus colleagues in publicly calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign as leader of the party — and he says the number of Liberals who want Trudeau to step down will likely get even bigger.
U.S. President Joe Biden bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the U.S., to Canadian actor Michael J. Fox and others on Saturday.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre gave a lengthy interview to psychologist and media personality Jordan Peterson, touching on his vision for Canada and how he plans to implement it.