A look at the six candidates vying for Sask. Party nomination

Kenneth Brown
of The Crossroads

Six people seek to be the Saskatchewan Party candidate for the upcoming byelection in the Kindersley constituency.

Each of the candidates for the Sask. Party nomination race in Kindersley have been asked a series of questions to present their reasons for running to be the party’s candidate in the byelection and to present other information about themselves. The six candidates, along with their responses, are being featured in alphabetical order.

The deadline for nominees to submit their papers was on Dec. 22. In order to vote for one of the candidates, people living in the Kindersley constituency need to renew or obtain a Saskatchewan Party membership by Jan. 2 at 4 p.m. The nomination meeting takes place on Jan. 8 at the Kindersley Inn.

The six candidates running for the nomination are Joseph Chiliak, Ken Francis, Tom Geiger, Isabelle Ryde, Jeremy Welter and Darwin Whitfield. The winner will be the party’s candidate in the byelection to replace former Kindersley MLA Bill Boyd, who had represented the Saskatchewan Party.

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Joseph Chiliak was born and raised in Alsask, where he has lived his whole life other than time he spent attending the University of Saskatchewan. He has worked on a farm in the Flaxcombe area since 2010.

Chiliak served as a director for the Saskatchewan Youth Parliament from 2013 to 2016, a position that allowed him to travel across the province to teach youth about the democratic system. He has helped to organize leadership conferences for students as a member of Team Sun West.

Chiliak was selected as a Community Difference Maker by the Rick Hansen Foundation in 2012 and he ran a leg of the foundation’s 25th anniversary cross-Canada relay as it passed through Saskatchewan.

He said Premier Brad Wall pointed to the need for renewal in the Saskatchewan Party when he announced that he was stepping down, and he chose to run for the nomination because he agrees with the outgoing premier. He said the Kindersley area is a great place to start the renewal process and move the province towards continued growth.

Chiliak said his passion for politics and passion for the community are his two main reasons for running.

He noted that he believes his time living and working in the area, paired with his time learning and teaching about the political system have given him a unique skill set to be a “highly effective” member of the Legislative Assembly.

If he is chosen as the party’s candidate, he said the members could expect him to continue reaching out to all voters whether they’re party members or not, and he would ensure the entire constituency is being represented in Regina.

Chiliak said he would also commit to holding two town hall meetings each year, fighting against a carbon tax, bringing forward legislation to incentivize the reduction of rural fire risk and promote mutual aid response, and pushing for policies to clean up and reduce abandoned oil well sites.

The candidate said he believes trust and community ties are important to be an effective politician. He noted that he believes communication and accountability are important issues in the constituency, along with expanding rural emergency response resources, maintaining health care facilities and fighting the carbon tax.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to represent our constituency,” Chiliak added, noting that he will continue to meet as many people in the area as possible. “As a candidate, I will work hard to ensure that our constituency has a strong, effective voice at the table.”

Ken Francis was born in Kindersley and raised on a family farm near Mantario. He attended a Land Agent Program at Olds College from 1985 to 1987.

He worked in Regina as a land agent for Crown corporations and oil companies before he worked in the land department for SaskPower and later moved home to start his own business.

Francis, who now lives in Kindersley and is the town’s deputy mayor, has served as a member of the Saskatchewan Surface Rights Board of Arbitration, Western Regional Landfill Inc. board, Eston-Kindersley Water board, Kindersley Regional Airport board and as a director for the Kindersley Chamber of Commerce. He has also spent time as a volunteer and coach in various minor sports.

He noted that he chose to run for several reasons, but his main reason is to give back to a community that he and his family have been fortunate to call home. He said he and his wife are from the area, and they moved back because they knew it was a great place to raise children and to operate a business.

Francis said he has represented various groups and people through his entire working life and he hopes to continue representing the area’s farmers, ranchers, oil field workers and business people in government. He said he is able to relate to nearly every sector in the area.

The candidate said he believes in results and quick, informed decision making – traits that work well as an elected representative and policy maker. He noted that he is a member of a results-based municipal council and his time as deputy mayor of Kindersley has peaked his interest to enter provincial politics.

Francis said he is a team-oriented person and he will take a collaborative approach to representing the constituency if elected to be the party’s candidate, and then elected to Regina. He said he plans to be a grassroots representative and the constituency would be a priority for him. Also, he said he knows the area and he views the opportunity as a good chance to reconnect with people in the area.

He said health care, infrastructure such as roads, eduction and fair taxation are issues important to the constituency. Francis added that he would like to work to keep the province in good shape for future generations and with the last 10 years being a great period of growth for Saskatchewan, he is “excited about having an opportunity to build on that success.”

Tom Geiger was born in Esterhazy and he has lived in the Kindersley area for 25 years. As a funeral director and embalmer, he has been the manager of funeral homes in Kindersley, Eston and Kerrobert since 2002.

He obtained a bachelor of economics degree from the University of Saskatchewan while minoring in political science, and he has been involved with a multi-generational family farm among his other experiences.

Geiger spent two terms as a councillor for the Town of Kindersley, and he served on several committees as a result. He has also served on several other boards, councils and panels holding several positions with groups related to health care. The groups include the Kindersley and District Health and Wellness Foundation, Kindersley Regional Medical Arts Authority, current chairperson of the Kindersley Community Advisory Network and vice-president of the Saskatchewan Board of Funeral Homes.

The candidate has earned a Human Relations in Grief award.

Geiger said he chose to run in the nomination race because he has always had an interest in politics and he enjoys helping the public, a trait he has employed as a funeral director. He said he has been approached by people in the past to consider running for a seat in provincial government.

He noted that his training as a funeral director has focused on listening to people, and working to facilitate positive outcomes of various kinds. He said his volunteer work has focused on bringing people together and improving the lives of others, and he hopes to improve the lives of everyone in the constituency.

Geiger said people could expect him to focus on the constituency and as a believer in the opportunities in the area, he would advocate for improvements in health care, education, highways and industry. He said local issues include the lack of primary health care services, lack of affordable housing, need for highway improvements and shortage of educational resources and opportunities.

He said if he ends up in Regina, he would work to rebuild the relationship between the constituents and the MLA in the constituency, and he would hold a summit to work with other leaders in the area to develop a long-term strategy for the constituency. Geiger added that “out of all six candidates, I have the most diverse skill set and demonstrated experience in bringing positive change to the constituency.”

Isabelle Ryde was born in Saskatchewan and raised on a family farm near Redvers. Ryde and her husband have operated a farm in the Eston area for 37 years and her background is in agriculture, but she has also worked as a bus driver and teaching assistant. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in sociology from Great Plains College in Kindersley.

Ryde was elected to council in the Town of Eston in 2007 where she served for two years before moving out to the farm and later becoming a councillor in the Rural Municipality of Snipe Lake for seven years. She served on various committees in the area of economic development, oil and gas, road construction and health care among others, and she has completed the Municipal Leadership Development Program.

She noted that she chose to run for the nomination to be a voice of integrity and accountability for the constituency. She said she cannot change the past or speak for other elected officials, but she would endeavour to be “vigilantly honest” while listening and addressing people’s concerns.

Ryde said the combination of her experiences and education have prepared her for serving the people living in the Kindersley constituency. She mentioned her compassion for the role, and her ability to listen and communicate as skills that would help her in the role.

The candidate said she is a team player who has strives to motivate and encourage people. She noted that she will obtain the critical information necessary to make effective decisions and she believes people will make the wisest decisions when they have the most accurate information available.

Ryde said meeting and talking to people in the constituency has been a highlight of her campaign. The issues she has heard have revolved around more efficient health care services, more options for public transportation, more attention for addictions services, taxes, more work to improve highways and more opportunities for small businesses to thrive in the area.

“As your Sask. Party nominee, I will make it a priority to spend time in this constituency listening to your concerns and connecting with people,” Ryde added, noting that it would be an honour and privilege to represent the area. “I plan to be accountable, and to work diligently to gain the trust of the constituents.”

Jeremy Welter was born in the area and raised on the family farm near Kerrobert. He said he is fourth-generation farmer, a husband, a father and a small business owner. He and his wife operate a wholesale business for lighting, along with other agricultural and industrial supplies.

Welter has served as the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) representative for the Rural Municipality of Mariposa for five years and he has sat on the APAS board for the past two years. He has served as chairperson for the association’s economic trade and strategic growth committee.

He noted that he was invited to participate in the first APAS Youth Mentorship Program where he was able to get an in depth look at the process of bringing grassroots policy issues to provincial and federal levels. He has attended the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual general meeting for the past three years.

Welter said the people, communities and municipalities in the Kindersley constituency have not had much of a voice in Regina for a long time, so he decided to run as a result. He noted that he wants people to remember they do have a voice and their voice matters, and he wants people to know he would listen to their concerns and work to address their concerns.

“I would always be open to listening to the people of the constituency and working on their behalf,” he said, noting it would be an honour to serve all local constituents in Regina. “I would do everything I could to ensure the continued success and expansion of our local economy.”

Welter said he believes his experience with APAS has given him a strong background in providing a voice to local people and taking their concerns to a provincial level. He said he would be visible in the constituency and he would meet with officials from all municipalities in the area. The candidate said if elected as an MLA, he would continue to listen through both the constituency office and personal contact.

He noted that he believes trust in office and the connection to an elected official in the constituency is at an all-time low, and it is the biggest concern in the area. He said it is important to continue the trend of success and expansion of the local economy to drive the future growth of communities in the constituency and to keep future generations living and working in the area.

Education is also an area of importance to him, he added.

Darwin Whitfield was raised on his family’s homestead near Coleville, where he and his wife continue to live. He has worked as a farmer, local politician and Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League official. Whitfield is now the reeve of the Rural Municipality of Oakdale.

He has served on Oakdale’s council for 22 years and he has served as reeve for 10 years. He has served on various other boards and committees due to his position in local government. He served as a director for the West Central Enterprise Region, as chairperson of the Kindersley Regional Medical Arts Authority, and member of the Western Regional Landfill Inc. board.

Whitfield had coached nearly all age levels of minor hockey for 25 years, achieving a Centre Four Hockey League (CFHL) championship. He has earned the Canada 150 Community Achievement Award, and awards for being the most dedicated official from Hockey Canada and the Saskatchewan Hockey Association.

He noted that he decided to run for the party’s nomination because he believes the constituency needs a candidate that will “work with communities to help achieve a strong (and) vibrant region to attract development and economic diversification across the constituency.”

Whitfield said he has a diverse skill set that includes operating a small business, working in agriculture, and serving as reeve, and he believes his skills give him the skills necessary to start working for the constituents in Kindersley if he is elected to government. He said he has the skills to start working on behalf of the people right from the start.

The candidate said he has always believed in putting the needs of communities first, and he would look forward to serving the Kindersley constituency in the same way. He said he will always take people’s views into account when making decisions.

He noted that he would act with integrity and accountability to the constituents. He said he has heard people want to have more access to their elected officials, and the people want their voice heard in Regina. He said he would serve constituents with the same integrity and dedication he has shown in local government.

He added that an overwhelming issue throughout the area is the condition of highways, so he will advocate for road improvements if elected to government. Health care and education are also concerns that need to be addressed.

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