Biggar—Sask Valley

Biggar—Sask Valley is a west-central Saskatchewan riding first contested in the 2016 redistribution, encompassing the towns of Biggar, Langham, Hague, and Wilkie. The local economy is rooted in mixed farming, alfalfa production, and oil, with Biggar also home to Prairie Malt Limited, a major barley processing facility. The riding was held by Saskatchewan Party MLA Randy Weekes, one of the longest-serving members of the legislature, who was first elected in the former Redberry Lake constituency in 1999 and had represented the Biggar area since 2003. Weekes was acclaimed as the Saskatchewan Party candidate for the 2020 election.

The October 26, 2020 election saw the emergence of the Buffalo Party as a new political force in rural Saskatchewan. Originally registered as Wexit Saskatchewan in March 2020, the party changed its name to the Buffalo Party in July and ran seventeen candidates on a platform opposing public health mandates and advocating for greater provincial autonomy from the federal government. In rural ridings like Biggar—Sask Valley, the Buffalo Party drew support from voters who felt the Saskatchewan Party was not aggressive enough in its opposition to Ottawa.

Candidates

Randy Weekes (Saskatchewan Party) — Weekes grew up on a family farm near Biggar and holds a Diploma in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan, after which he returned to farm and ranch. First elected in 1999, he served in multiple opposition critic roles before the Saskatchewan Party formed government in 2007. By 2020, he was seeking his sixth term in the legislature.

Twyla Harris Naciri (NDP) — Harris Naciri is a Metis woman born and raised on a mixed cattle and grain farm in the community of Briarlea. She holds a youth care worker diploma from Saskatchewan Polytechnic and serves as constituency assistant for the Saskatoon Fairview MLA. A captain in the Canadian Armed Forces Cadet Instructors Cadre, she commanded 328 Royal Canadian Army Cadets from 2012 to 2015. As president of the Saskatchewan New Democrat Women, she championed the "20 for 2020" campaign aiming to elect at least twenty women to the legislature.

Trevor Simpson (Buffalo Party) — Simpson worked in the oilfield near Kindersley for about twenty-five years before returning to the Ruthilda area in 2014 to help with the family farm after his brother was left in a wheelchair following a car accident. He ran on a platform of provincial autonomy and prioritizing Saskatchewan's natural resource economy.

Darcy Robilliard (Green Party) — Robilliard represented the Green Party in Biggar—Sask Valley as part of the party's provincial slate.

Local Issues

The agricultural economy was the dominant concern in Biggar—Sask Valley during the 2016-2020 term. Grain and canola producers faced uncertainty from trade tensions, fluctuating commodity prices, and the imposition of the federal carbon tax, which increased fuel and fertilizer costs. The Saskatchewan Party government's court challenge against the carbon tax was a rallying point for rural voters, with the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal ruling against the province in 2019 and the case proceeding to the Supreme Court of Canada in September 2020.

The emergence of the Buffalo Party reflected a broader current of western alienation sentiment in rural Saskatchewan. Some voters felt that existing parties, including the Saskatchewan Party, were not sufficiently confrontational in dealings with the federal government on issues such as carbon pricing, pipeline development, and natural resource jurisdiction.