MELVILLE-SALTCOATS

Candidates:

NDP: Ron Osika   SASK: Bob Bjornerud   Liberal: Brian Tochor   IND: Grant Schmidt

Current MLA: Ron Osika (independent) is the MLA for Melville. Bob Bjornerud (Sask) is the MLA for Saltcoats.

Constituency Profile: Riding in east central Saskatchewan has an economy based primarily on mixed farming and potash production at the K1 and K2 IMC mines near Gerald and Yarbo. There is also some honey production in the riding. City of Melville is also the agricultural service center for the region. In Dec 1994, United Grain Growers established $1.3 million mustard seed cleaning plant in Melville.

Major communities include: Melville, Saltcoats, Esterhazy, Langenburg.

Political History: This is a new riding. The Melville-Saltcoats constituency includes polls from the Melville and Saltcoats ridings.
Recently, there has been controversy in the Melville constituency, because Grant Schmidt was nominated as the Saskatchewan Party candidate, but the party refused to let the nomination stand. Schmidt was the PC MLA for the riding between 1982 and 1991, and was known for his outspoken views on welfare, legal aid, homosexuals, and women's issues. The Saskatchewan party justified its decision to remove him, saying members were concerned about Mr. Schmidt's insistence on supporting policies that were his own, rather than the Saskatchewan Party's position.

Melville:

1999:     1995-1999: LIB   1991-1995: NDP   1982-1991: PC   1967-1982: NDP

Saltcoats:

1999-2003: SASK   1995-1999: LIB   1991-1995: NDP   1982-1991: PC   1971-1982: NDP