Sask. Party, NDP vie for attention, votes in Regina Walsh Acres

Regina's northwest has become campaign central for the summer as an upcomingbylectionhas voters seeing signs on lawns and candidates on doorsteps.

Regina Walsh Acres is looking for a new representative four months after the death of Saskatchewan Party MLA Derek Meyers.

Meyers was a newcomer to politics when he was elected in 2020. He was seen as a rising star in the party, popular in the caucus, and a regular at Regina events.

Nevin Markwart will look to hold the seat for the party. He was acclaimed as the candidate on June 5.

As of Friday, Markwartand the NDP's Jared Clarke were the only candidates nominated in the riding.

Clarke ran for the NDP in the 2020 provincial election in Indian Head-Milestone.

As he headed out door-knocking on Wednesday night, Markwart said the first hurdle was informing voters that the byelection is happening.

"This isin some regards a weird election. I've been out with the team for four or five weeks now and it really is about awareness, just letting people know that there's a byelection that's taking place."

Walsh Acres held by Sask. Party since 2011

The voters in the constituency of Regina Walsh Acres sent New Democrats to the legislature consistently from 1967 to 2011.

But the Saskatchewan Party has held the seat for the last 12 years.

The NDP nominated former MLA Sandra Morin in the 2020 provincial election, but Leader Ryan Meili said findings of a "confidential vetting process" prevented him from endorsing her.

Morin ran as an independent and received 797 votes, and the Saskatchewan Party's Meyers defeated the NDP's Kelly Hardy by 606 votes.

University of Regina professor of politics and international studies Tom McIntosh said those who voted forMorin in that election won't necessarily go for the NDP this time,but not having a former MLA play spoiler should be encouraging for the party.

"It's probably a good motivating factor for the NDP campaign. Whether it makes as big of a difference to the actual vote, I would be less certain of that."

McIntosh said a summer byelection is hard to predict due to the uncertainty of voter turnout.

"It's not a regular election. Fewer people are going to vote. The timing is less than ideal. People are on vacation, they are at their cottage, they are not paying attention to politics in July and August."

Markwart back in Sask. with an eye on legislature

Markwartis a familiar name for hockey fans in Regina.

The former Regina Pats winger was a first-round selection of the Boston Bruins in 1983 and went on to play 309 games in the NHL from 1983 to 1992.

He moved back to Regina in the last few years and is trying to win a seat in the neighbourhood where he grew up.

"My sister has only lived in the riding her entire life. I'm excited to be back home being in the riding. I'm meeting people that literally I haven't seen for 40 years."

Following his hockey career, Markwart was in the investment industry and more recently in cybersecurity.

"I just feel like it's time to give back. I've had three very rewarding careers in the first 58 years of my life, and I do believe that they've prepared me to be a participant in the government and to help grow the province."

Markwart said he is "aligned" with the Sask. Party's mantra of growth.

"The upper half of the province, in my view, has perhaps a trillion dollars of prosperity and wealth opportunity for us. I don't know of another jurisdiction in North America that has that opportunity."

Clarke focused on affordability

Clarke was born and raised in Regina and is a teacher with Regina Public Schools.

Clarke saidthere is one issue that voters in Walsh Acres are focused on.

"Affordability is the number 1 issue we are hearing on the doorstep. People in Regina Walsh Acres are struggling to make ends meet. They're seeing that the Sask. Party is not making choices that help them pay their bills."

Clarke, a teacher, said education funding has been another topic on voters'minds.

"We just celebrated a lot of Grade 8 grads at the end of the school year, and talking with people, they are realizing that for almost the entire time that they were in elementary school, there have been cuts to education."

Clarke promised to be fixture in the constituency if elected.

"My commitment when I decided to run was that I was going to be an MLA who shows up on your doorstep and shows up at events. Not just at election time, but throughout my whole term as long as I get to be anMLA."

Clarke is also abiologist and birder who has been a frequent guest on CBC programs.

Sask. Party critical of Clarke's carbon tax comments

At the end of the byelection news conference on July 13, Saskatchewan Party staffers handed out news releases to media targeting NDP candidate Clarke.

Clarke has been outspoken about climate change on social media over the past several years.

"The cost of doing nothing about climate change will exceed a carbon tax by leaps and bounds we must act now," Clarke posted on Twitter in 2018.

Premier Scott Moe mentioned Clarke's tweets when kicking off the campaign.

When asked about the Sask. Party raising his old tweets, Clarke said it was a distraction tactic, and that people are more concerned about cost of living, their children's classrooms and health care.

"He wants to talk about the carbon tax, he can talk about the carbon tax."

Earlier this year, NDP leader Carla Beck said the federal government should not increase the carbon price because of affordability issues in Saskatchewan.

McIntosh said he does not think Clarke's comments on the carbon tax will play a role in the outcome.

"Chances are if you oppose the carbon tax, you probably weren't going to vote for the NDP anyway."