A new MLA will replace the one that has represented the Estevan riding for more than a decade, during the Sask Party’s nomination night on March 26.
“It’s an important night, of course, for the Sask Party,” said Patrick Bundrock, executive director of the Sask Party, noting the excitement in the air that consumes nomination nights, which will take place at the Day’s Inn.
“Anytime you choose a candidate, there’s always excitement,” he said.
The new candidate will either be Estevan’s mayor Roy Ludwig or Lori Carr, an Estevan native and city councilor in her third term.
That excitement, however, will be bittersweet, as it will officially mark the beginning of the current Estevan MLA Doreen Eagles’ retirement.
Eagles will say her final words, as a member of the Sask Party, when nomination night comes to an end, which Bundrock described as a “very sad” scenario.
In an interview with the Mercury prior to the start of the spring sitting at parliament, Eagles said she was excited for her final spring sitting, noting how it always feels “a little bit like the start of school.”
She said she plans on staying close to home and spending time with her family once she officially steps down as Estevan’s MLA.
“I have a farm, so I’m just going to stay out on the farm and do some things I haven’t been able to do for a very long time, like gardening,” she said.
Eagles was first elected to represent the Estevan riding in the 1999 provincial general election. She was re-elected in 2003, 2007, and 2011. During her terms in opposition, she served as caucus Whip.
Eagles said one of her most memorable moments as an MLA was the launch of STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society) in southern Saskatchewan.
“I really believed we needed it,” she said.
When it came to the local constituency, Eagles had a hard time selecting one stand out moment, but said the announcement of the CT scanner is something she will remember forever.
“I lobbied for it tirelessly,” she said. “It’s about people’s lives, so it gives it another meaning.”
Even with all the excitement that surrounds the position of an MLA, Eagles said she is very much looking forward to the extra personal time, adding it was sometimes difficult to make plans with family while in office.
“You never know when you’re going to be home next,” she said.
Despite the decline in oil prices and the tight provincial budget, which was released today, Eagles said she will push the need for a new nursing home in Estevan as long she can.
The Hearthstone committee reached its $8 million goal in December 2014 for a new nursing.
The nomination night in Estevan will start at 7:30 p.m. and is an open meeting.
Any current standing member of the Sask Party who has bought a membership seven days prior to the meeting can vote online, at the Sask Party office or through the local association, according to Bundrock.
“We’re expecting a big turnout,” Bundrock said.
