Saskatoon—University

Saskatoon—University occupies the north-central portion of Saskatchewan's largest city, encompassing the University of Saskatchewan campus along the east bank of the South Saskatchewan River and extending through established residential and commercial areas to the north and west. Created during the 2012 redistribution from portions of Saskatoon—Humboldt and Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, the riding was first contested in 2015.

Candidates

Brad Trost (Conservative) — A geophysicist by training, Trost held a Bachelor of Science in geophysics and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Saskatchewan. He worked as an exploration and mining geophysicist before entering politics. First elected in 2004 in the former riding of Saskatoon—Humboldt by a margin of 417 votes, he was re-elected in 2006, 2008, and 2011 and founded the Conservative Party's Energy Caucus in Parliament.

Claire Card (NDP) — Card was a professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine. During the campaign, she focused on health care issues and the need for appropriate allocation of health care spending.

Cynthia Marie Block (Liberal) — A journalist and former news anchor at CTV News Saskatoon, Block made her first foray into electoral politics with the 2015 campaign. She spoke to concerns about the growing gap between the wealthiest Canadians and the middle class.

Valerie Harvey (Green Party) and Eric Matthew Schalm (Rhinoceros) — Harvey represented the Green Party, while Schalm stood for the satirical Rhinoceros Party.

About the Riding

The University of Saskatchewan, established in 1907, is the riding's most prominent institution, with roughly 25,000 students and a campus stretching along the South Saskatchewan River. The university is home to the Canadian Light Source, Canada's only synchrotron research facility, as well as the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) and the InterVac biosafety containment facility. Innovation Place, a research park adjacent to the campus, houses numerous organizations in areas including agricultural biotechnology, information technology, and environmental sciences. The riding's neighbourhoods include Nutana, one of Saskatoon's oldest residential areas, as well as Varsity View, Greystone Heights, and portions of the Broadway commercial district, known for its independent shops and restaurants. The South Saskatchewan River, which bisects Saskatoon, provides the riding with riverside parks and the Meewasin Valley trail system. Federal issues during the 2015 campaign included research funding for the university and its affiliated laboratories, affordable housing pressures in a city experiencing rapid growth, and infrastructure investment to address aging roads and bridges. Saskatoon—University was considered one of the more competitive urban ridings in the province, with the NDP and Liberals both mounting strong challenges to the Conservative incumbent.