Saskatoon Riversdale

Saskatoon Riversdale is one of Saskatchewan's most storied political constituencies. The riding was the home base of former NDP Premier Roy Romanow, who represented it from 1967 to 1982 and again from 1986 to 2001, and it subsequently served as the seat of Premier Lorne Calvert. The NDP had held the riding for virtually all of its existence, and since a 2009 by-election it had been represented by Danielle Chartier. In March 2020, Chartier announced she would not seek re-election, citing family considerations after nearly eleven years as MLA. Her departure left the NDP defending historically friendly ground with a new candidate in a year when the Saskatchewan Party was surging across the province.

The 2020 race proved to be one of the closest in the province, ultimately decided by just 81 votes after mail-in ballots were counted. The Saskatchewan Party's capture of this longtime NDP stronghold was one of the most symbolically significant results of the election.

Candidates

Marv Friesen (Saskatchewan Party) — Friesen grew up in the Riversdale neighbourhood and owned and operated Marv's Place Auto Repair for over 25 years as a journeyman automotive technician. He had been active in community volunteering, particularly with programs focused on youth such as Bikes for Kids and the Care & Share program. Friesen first ran in the riding in the 2016 election, losing to Chartier by approximately 228 votes.

Ashlee Hicks (NDP) — Hicks won a contested NDP nomination for the riding. A frontline worker and mother of three, she was active in the labour movement and had volunteered in the community by sewing non-medical cloth masks and delivering essential items to at-risk residents during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delanie Passer (Green Party) — Passer ran for the Saskatchewan Green Party. She held a B.A. from the University of Saskatchewan with a major in politics and an Indigenous governance and politics certificate, and had served on several boards.

Local Issues

Riversdale sits on Saskatoon's west side, an area that has experienced significant demographic and economic change over the inter-election period. The neighbourhood has historically faced challenges with poverty and housing quality—older housing stock in need of repair, higher proportions of rental accommodation, and incomes well below the Saskatoon median. At the same time, gentrification accelerated during this period, with rising property values, new businesses, and residential development reshaping the area's character. Residents debated whether these changes were improving the community or displacing long-time residents.

Healthcare and social services were central to the campaign. West-side core neighbourhoods continued to experience significant disparities in health outcomes, economic opportunity, and educational attainment compared to Saskatoon as a whole. Voters were concerned about emergency department wait times, addictions services, and supports for vulnerable populations. The pandemic underscored these concerns, as frontline and essential workers in lower-income communities faced heightened risks. The razor-thin margin of the final result reflected a riding in genuine transition—torn between its deep NDP roots and a Saskatchewan Party that had steadily built support through local community engagement.