Saskatoon University-Sutherland is a new riding created through the 2022 redistribution, combining most of the former Saskatoon University constituency with portions of Saskatoon Silverspring-Sutherland. The seat takes in the University of Saskatchewan campus and the adjacent Sutherland neighbourhood — a former rail town annexed by the city in 1956 — along with surrounding residential areas that house a diverse mix of students, faculty, young professionals, and established families. With incumbent NDP MLA Jennifer Bowes announcing in June 2023 that she would not seek re-election, the riding drew a contested NDP nomination and a vigorous four-way general election race.

Candidates

Tajinder Grewal (NDP) brought a distinguished scientific career to his first run for office. Holding a doctorate in plant pathology, Grewal had served as chief scientist and head of the genomics laboratory at SGS Canada, worked as a research officer at the University of Saskatchewan, and held a position at the Saskatchewan Research Council. A resident of Saskatoon for more than twenty-five years, he co-founded the Punjabi Cultural Association of Saskatchewan in 2004 and served as its president from 2010 to 2012. He won the NDP nomination in a contested vote against two other candidates. His election made him one of the first turbaned Sikhs to sit in the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly.

Ghislaine McLeod (Saskatchewan Party) was born and raised in Saskatoon and had ties to the University-Sutherland area spanning more than four decades. A senior communications specialist at Cameco and owner of Capital G Communications, McLeod previously served as director of communications for the University of Saskatchewan from 2004 to 2008 and sat on the board of the Saskatoon Regional Health Authority.

Dawne Badrock (Saskatchewan United Party) ran on a platform emphasizing parental rights in education and opposition to federal carbon pricing, themes central to the Saskatchewan United Party's broader provincial campaign.

Local Issues

The University of Saskatchewan's presence makes post-secondary funding and student affordability perennial concerns in this constituency. Tuition increases, housing costs for students, and the university's role as the region's largest employer all featured in doorstep conversations. The neighbourhood of Sutherland — with its older housing stock and mix of long-time homeowners and renters — felt the pinch of rising costs more acutely than some of Saskatoon's newer suburbs, and affordability became a unifying theme across demographic lines. Healthcare access was a significant concern as well: residents pointed to the difficulty of finding family doctors and the strain on the city's hospital system. The teachers' contract dispute, which had seen job action in early 2024, mattered to the many families in the riding with children in nearby public and Catholic schools. The riding's cultural diversity — reflected in Grewal's own background and community involvement — also made immigration and settlement services a topic of discussion, with candidates asked how the provincial government could better support newcomers integrating into Saskatchewan communities.