Saskatchewan election results 2016: Sask. Party wins Melville-Saltcoats riding

Warren Kaeding of the Sask. Party has won the Melville-Saltcoats riding with 5,242 votes beating out the NDP’s Leonard Dales who got 1,609 votes.

Summary: A rural riding on Saskatchewan’s eastern border, Melville-Saltcoats will elect someone other than Bob Bjornerud for the first time in its history.

Boundaries: The riding is bordered by the Qu’Appelle River to the south, Melville to the west, and southern edge of Yorkton to the north. The largest communities in the riding, not surprisingly, are Melville and Saltcoats, but also includes Langenburg, Esterhazy and Churchbridge.

Last Election: Saskatchewan Party MLA Bjornerud defeated NDP candidate Len Dales by over 3300 votes, 73-24 per cent.

History: The riding has been held by the retiring Bjornerud since it was created prior to the 2003 election from the districts of Melville and Saltcoats. Prior to that, Saltcoats had been a bellwether riding between 1964 and 1995 before electing Bjornerud, who was a Liberal MLA before defected to the new Saskatchewan Party in 1997.

Candidates

Saskatchewan Party: Warren Kaeding, seed grower and executive director of the Saskatchewan Farm Stewardship Association.

NDP: Leonard Dales, farmer and health-facility maintenance power engineer.

Liberal: Igor Riabchyk 

PC: Diana Lowe, developer and facilitator of “The Tomorrows Woman Program” and “Journey of Discovery Finding Me” programs