Premier Scott Moe toured Candle Lake this morning along with Mayor Terry Kostyna (to his right) and Sask. Rivers candidate Eric Schmalz (far right). (Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

By Susan McNeil

Premier Visit

Moe talks elections & boat docks during visit to Candle Lake

Aug 18, 2023 | 5:00 PM

Just days after by-elections in southern Saskatchewan, Premier Scott Moe visited Candle Lake in the heart of the Sask. United Party’s (SUP) only riding.

The riding is currently held by MLA Nadine Wilson who left the Sask. Party after “misrepresenting” her vaccination status in 2021 and subsequently started the SUP.

“I’m here with Eric Schmalz, who will be our candidate in the upcoming election in just over a year,” said Moe. “When it comes to this area of the province and this constituency more particularly, it’s been strongly represented by the Sask. Party.”

Schmalz is currently the Reeve of the RM of Prince Albert and won the Sask. Party nomination in early July.

“We’ve got a lot of great things happening in the small communities in this constituency and we want to see it continue,” said Schmalz. “We don’t want to see a time where people decline in the plight of the small town in rural Saskatchewan.”

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Supporting services in small communities is one way the government can help make sure the population does not decline, he added.

Mayor Terry Kostyna toured the community with Moe and Schmalz, stopping at the local health centre and library before touring the wider community by golf cart – a choice made possible by recent changes to provincial rules that allow communities the option of having golf carts as vehicles on public roads.

The Resort Village of Candle Lake had pushed for the change.

Moe said the Village is growing in more ways than one and that means challenges for governments.

“The dynamics of who lives here and how the community is providing the services for the folks who are permanent residents here but (also) providing services for people that visit this community throughout the winter – not to mention the many thousands that visit Candle Lake through the summer.”

Talks also centered around how improving services might work, such as partnering between the province, Village, and the private sector.

Cande Lake has been experiencing a population boom that increased during the pandemic as former Saskatchewan residents retired in Alberta and moved back home.

Between the 2016 and 2021 census periods, the population grew 38 per cent, increasing from 840 to 1,160.

Those are permanent residents but as a resort village, thousands of visitors make their way through the community. They are mainly in summer, but the village sees a healthy number of winter tourists as well.

Moe admitted that the run-up to the next general election in 2024 is one of the reasons to increase his presence across the province.

“That would be part of the reason I’m out myself, across the province visiting constituencies like Saskatchewan Rivers is so that we can hear directly from Saskatchewan people,” he said.

When asked about the removal of a boat dock and filleting station at Nobles Point, Moe said the public’s opinion on the matter has been taken.

The facilities were re-installed as a temporary measure shortly after being removed.

He said provincial officials are talking to the community about how the dock and filleting station can be made more permanent and who will be responsible for their upkeep.

“I would say this is one of those instances where the government has heard very succinctly with the need for those facilities by the people that are utilizing them,” Moe said.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com