Cumberland

Cumberland is one of Saskatchewan's two vast northern constituencies, stretching from La Ronge and Air Ronge eastward to the Manitoba border, encompassing communities such as Creighton, Denare Beach, Deschambault Lake, Pelican Narrows, and Cumberland House. The NDP had held the seat almost without interruption since 1952, and longtime MLA Doyle Vermette, who was first elected in a 2008 by-election, announced in May 2023 that he would not seek re-election. His departure meant Cumberland would have a new representative for the first time in 16 years, and the open contest drew four candidates in a riding where the fundamental challenges of distance, poverty, and underfunded services define political life.

Candidates

Jordan McPhail (NDP) — Born and raised in La Ronge and a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, McPhail served seven years on La Ronge Town Council, where he chaired the regional fire department and sat on numerous community boards. At 31, he was one of the youngest candidates elected to the Saskatchewan legislature in 2024. He was chosen to succeed Vermette as the NDP's nominee in the constituency.

Gregory Seib (Saskatchewan Party) — A proud member of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, Seib served as the education coordinator for the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Education Authority at Deschambault Lake. He holds a Bachelor of Education, having taught and served as principal in Prince Albert, Asquith, and Deschambault Lake, and later completed a master's degree in northern governance and development in 2016. He resides in Deschambault Lake with his wife of more than three decades.

Siwichis Bird-Paddy (Green Party) — Bird-Paddy carried the Green Party banner in the northern riding, advocating for environmental stewardship and community-based approaches to the challenges facing Cumberland's remote communities.

Nasser Dean Chalifoux (Independent) received a small share of the vote.

Local Issues

The healthcare crisis in northern Saskatchewan was the overriding concern in Cumberland. Staffing shortages at northern health facilities meant that residents in remote communities often had to travel hours for medical treatment, and emergency services in the region were stretched thin. Doyle Vermette had spent years advocating for improved mental health and addictions services in the north, and his successor inherited those unresolved demands alongside a growing call for more permanent full-time healthcare positions rather than the part-time and casual arrangements that plagued northern recruitment.

Housing and clean water emerged as urgent issues specific to Cumberland. In 2023, Cumberland House declared a state of emergency over its water supply after the Big Stone River stopped flowing due to low watershed levels, drought, and upstream water diversions. The water crisis underscored the fragility of infrastructure in remote northern communities. Meanwhile, severe housing shortages on First Nations reserves, including reports of families on Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation living in temporary shelters without power, running water, or heat, illustrated the depth of the housing crisis across the riding.

Wildfire preparedness and response also weighed heavily on voters. Northern Saskatchewan experienced significant wildfire seasons in the years leading up to the election, and communities near La Ronge were regularly blanketed in smoke during summer months. The adequacy of provincial emergency management resources, evacuation planning, and support for evacuees remained sources of frustration throughout the constituency.