Blackstrap

Located in south-central Saskatchewan, this riding borders the South Saskatchewan River in the west. It contains the part of Saskatoon that is east of the South Saskatchewan River and south of 8th Street East. It also takes in the area south and east of Saskatoon. The northern boundary is Highway 5. The riding includes the communities of Dundurn (home to a Canadian Forces base), Watrous, Outlook and Kenaston, as well as the White Cap reserve.

According to the 2006 census, aboriginals make up 19 per cent of the populations and immigrants 7.5 per cent. English is the mother tongue of 87 per cent of residents.

This riding has a diversified economic base, with grain farming and cattle ranching providing about seven per cent of jobs. The major source of employment is the service sector, followed by retail trade. The average family income is $85,450 – the second-highest in the province – and unemployment is 4.1 per cent.

The Blackstrap riding was created in 1996 from 68 per cent of the old Saskatoon-Dundurn riding and 20 per cent of Moose Jaw-Lake Centre.

Population: 76,273 (2006 census; an increase of 3.5% since 2001)

Political History

Lynne Yelich and the Conservatives dominated yet again in 2006, taking 47 per cent of the vote.

In 2004, Yelich defeated Liberal Tiffany Paulsen. Yelich was first elected in 2000 as a Canadian Alliance candidate. In 1997, voters chose Allan Karpan of the Reform party, who nudged out Liberal Morris Bodnar by 3,137 ballots. Bodnar had won in 1993.

New Democrats held the old Saskatoon-Dundurn riding through the 1979 and 1980 elections, while a Tory narrowly won in 1984. The NDP returned for a single term in 1988.

Saskatoon East:

• 1979, 1980 - NDP
• 1984 - PC

Saskatoon-Dundurn:

• 1988 - NDP
• 1993 - LIB

Blackstrap:

• 1997 - REF
• 2000 - CA
• 2004, 2006 - CON