(submitted/ Darrell Patan)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

2025 FEDERAL ELECTION

‘Common man’ Darrell Patan running in Battlefords–Lloydminster–Meadow Lake for Canadian Future Party

Apr 15, 2025 | 2:13 PM

Darrell Patan says he’s not a career politician, but rather a “common man” stepping up for the people of the Battlefords–Lloydminster–Meadow Lake riding as the newly named Canadian Future Party (CFP) member of Parliament candidate in the 2025 federal election.

The CFP is a newly formed federal political party, officially registered in August 2024. Having worked in the construction industry for nearly 19 years, Patan said his political awakening began in 2022, “the tail end of COVID” and was rooted in a deeply personal experience.

“I have struggled with mental health in the past and my therapist had told me to find something I was passionate about,” he said, sharing that he later came across an opportunity to get involved with the Conservative Party of Canada, which slowly sparked an enthusiasm to do more.

He ultimately stepped back from the CPC over its social positions—particularly its treatment of the LGBTQ2S+ community, something that hits close to home.

“When I was quite younger, I had an uncle that lived in Edmonton and when he committed suicide, none of us knew why,” he said.

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“He was part of the LGBTQ and queer community in Edmonton and because of people with certain conservative values, he took his own life. That was my first window into hate.”

His 24-year-old daughter is also part of the LGBTQ2S+ community. He said that experience has shaped his rejection of rigid social norms.

“I could no longer listen to what they feel Canadians should consider as good behaviour of two sexes, teaching the vulnerable that they are only male or female,” he said. “It’s not a huge part of the [CFP] platform, but that is a part of my passion.”

He describes himself as “fiscally conservative” but “socially liberal.”

“Every person is allowed to live their life however they want,” Patan said. “We just all got to learn to—we’re in one basket. We’re all from coast to coast to coast. We’re all Canadians. And I think our party that we created best exemplifies that.”

Platform priorities

Patan’s campaign platform touches on a wide array of issues, including energy, housing, healthcare and reconciliation. He wants to support workers in the oil patch while helping shift Canada toward clean energy.

“We’re not going to necessarily punish the oil patch in the classic way that makes them angry,” he said. “We want to work with carbon-based companies that are extracting oil, and coal and natural gas, and use them to help transition Canada to a greener lifestyle.”

That includes developing an energy fund that could help both resource companies and communities.

“If we can come up with some kind of energy fund that keeps the oil industry alive, but at the same time is helping cities, towns and other places wean themselves from it slowly… they can also at the same time find new technologies and ways to funnel their profits,” he said.

On housing, Patan said CFP will push for a revived Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)-style program focused on affordability, including the use of federal land for housing developments to reduce land costs, which he believes is a key to making homeownership more accessible.

“If the federal government has land that’s available to use, we can basically give it to the builders via private or governments.”

“An average lot cost for a single dwelling home is anywhere from probably $79,000 to $250,000 depending on where you live. If you take that price out of a house, the ability for a young family to purchase a home becomes much easier.”

He also said the program would include access to low-interest CMHC-backed financing to further support affordability.

Patan also said Canada’s health-care system needs serious reform, particularly around staffing, access and wait times.

“It has gotten to the point where people are… not getting the treatments they need because of wait times.”

He said CFP wants to make it easier to bring in internationally trained doctors and nurses, and to explore creative solutions such as allowing private physicians to rent unused hospital space during off-hours, pointing out that the goal is to improve efficiency without undermining the public system, and to ensure consistent care across provinces.

Patan also called for a stronger commitment to Indigenous reconciliation.

“For too long they have been just kind of pushed along as if ‘we’ll get to you,’” he said. “Our party wants to sit down with all of the Indigenous leaders of this country and hear them out and finally come to an agreement [and] let’s get them as steady and as prosperous as every other Canadian.”

Despite having no political background, Patan said his lived experience is what qualifies him.

“I’ve lived a common life. I’ve paid my taxes. I’ve listened to the governments. And I’ve obeyed the governments. But the government has lost its focus on the blue-collar worker, [and] the common Canadian from coast to coast.”

“I want to go to Ottawa and I want to show some Saskatchewan strength,” Patan said.

“And do my part to keep Parliament honest and open to the voter.”

The 2025 Canadian federal election is scheduled for April 28. Voters in Saskatchewan can cast their ballots during advance voting on April 18, 19, 20, and 21.

Other known candidates in the Battlefords–Lloydminster–Meadow Lake riding include Larry Ingram for the Liberal Party of Canada, incumbent Rosemarie Falk for the Conservative Party of Canada and William Petryk for the New Democratic Party of Canada.

The Green Party of Canada was deregistered from the election after failing to provide a financial report to Elections Canada.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com