Canora—Pelly

Canora—Pelly is an eastern Saskatchewan riding encompassing the towns of Canora, Preeceville, Kamsack, and surrounding rural communities near the Manitoba border. The riding had been held by prominent Saskatchewan Party figures for decades — Ken Krawetz served as MLA from 1995 to 2016, holding senior cabinet roles including Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance. When Krawetz retired ahead of the 2016 election, Terry Dennis won the seat for the Saskatchewan Party. Dennis, a former longtime mayor of Canora and local grocery store owner, was acclaimed as the party's candidate for the 2020 election.

The 2020 election was held on October 26 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Canora—Pelly remained solidly in Saskatchewan Party territory, though the NDP's Stacey Strykowski ran an active campaign focused on healthcare concerns that had plagued the riding's smaller communities.

Candidates

Terry Dennis (Saskatchewan Party) — Dennis was born and raised in Canora, where he served as town councillor and then as mayor for fourteen years. He was the co-owner of Dennis' Foods, a family grocery store that had operated in Canora since 1947 before being sold in 2016. First elected MLA in 2016, he served on several legislative committees and as Legislative Secretary for Saskatchewan-Ukraine Relations.

Stacey Strykowski (NDP) — Strykowski is a lifelong area resident from Preeceville who sits on Preeceville Town Council. A community services activist and volunteer, she was a founding member of the Health Action Committee, through which she raised awareness about cuts to healthcare service delivery in the community. She was acclaimed as the NDP candidate after a nomination meeting in Canora.

Robert Hayes (Buffalo Party) — Hayes ran for the newly formed Buffalo Party in Canora—Pelly, part of the party's debut slate of seventeen candidates across the province advocating for greater provincial autonomy.

Breton Gattinger (Green Party) — Gattinger carried the Green Party banner in Canora—Pelly, receiving a small share of the vote.

Local Issues

Healthcare was the dominant local issue in Canora—Pelly during the 2016-2020 term. The Preeceville and District Health Centre experienced repeated suspensions of emergency room services due to physician shortages. Emergency room closures had been intermittent since 2006, and between April 2015 and April 2016, 229 out of 365 days saw emergency service interruptions. NDP candidate Strykowski made this a central plank of her campaign, arguing that the provincial government had neglected rural healthcare in smaller communities. During the campaign, the NDP reported a threatening letter directed at Strykowski to the RCMP, drawing attention to the sometimes hostile political climate in the riding.

Beyond healthcare, the riding's agricultural economy faced the same pressures as other rural Saskatchewan constituencies: carbon tax concerns, trade uncertainty, and the challenge of maintaining viable small-town economies as younger residents moved to urban centres. The riding's proximity to First Nations communities, including those in the Kamsack area, also raised questions about intergovernmental relations and the adequacy of provincial services for Indigenous residents.