Moose Jaw North

Moose Jaw North covers the northern portion of Saskatchewan's fourth-largest city, a community with a diverse economy rooted in agriculture, transportation, and the Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw. The riding had been held by Saskatchewan Party MLA Warren Michelson since 2007, when the party flipped it from the NDP, which had held the seat continuously since 1986. Michelson was re-elected in 2011 and 2016 but announced in January 2019 that he would not seek a fourth term, opening the riding to a new generation of candidates.

Candidates

Tim McLeod (Saskatchewan Party) — McLeod was born and raised in Martensville and attended the University of Saskatchewan, where he earned a bachelor of arts in psychology and a juris doctor in law. After law school, he directed a restorative justice project facilitating sentencing conferences for high-risk youth in the criminal justice system. He moved to Moose Jaw in 2005 and practised law with the firm Chow McLeod. He served two terms on the Prairie South School Board from 2012 to 2020, including several years as board chair, and sat on the University of Saskatchewan Senate and the board of governors of the Saskatchewan Trial Lawyers Association.

Kyle Lichtenwald (NDP) — Lichtenwald had lived in Moose Jaw for fifteen years and had been a teacher in the city for over a decade. He held degrees in business administration and education, as well as a master's degree in education. He completed the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic School Division's leadership course and volunteered with the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation, providing educational experiences through its professional learning community. He campaigned on the need for a stronger voice in the community to advocate for healthcare and education funding.

North Hunter (Green Party) — Hunter ran as the Saskatchewan Green Party candidate in Moose Jaw North, focusing on climate change and community-level issues. She advocated for expanded universal pharmacare including dental, optical, and mental health coverage, and supported a guaranteed living wage.

Local Issues

Healthcare was a central issue in Moose Jaw during the 2016-2020 term. The city had celebrated the grand opening of the new $99.5-million Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital in November 2015, a state-of-the-art facility featuring a permanent MRI scanner—the first outside of Regina and Saskatoon—a helipad, and a hyperbaric chamber. However, by 2020, concerns were emerging about service disruptions, with basic radiography and laboratory services experiencing interruptions. The NDP campaigned heavily on what they characterized as the government's failure to ensure adequate healthcare staffing and services in Moose Jaw.

Education funding was another flashpoint. With the NDP candidate being a local teacher, the party's message about cuts to classroom resources resonated with some voters. The city's economy also faced the broader challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which created uncertainty for local businesses, the tourism sector, and the agricultural services industry that supports the surrounding farming communities. The federal carbon tax remained a divisive issue, with the Saskatchewan Party framing the election partly as a referendum on opposition to federal environmental policy.