For over two decades Saskatchewan’s Athabasca constituency had one member represent them at the Legislative Assembly.
That person was Buckley Belanger, who was first elected as a member of the Liberal party in 1995 before switching to the NDP for the 1998 election.
Belanger would be elected a total of 8 times to the position until stepping down to run in the 2021 federal election for the Liberals. Here, Belanger would be handed his first election loss as he fell to Conservative Gary Vidal in the Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River riding.
The well-known politician has now returned to northern Saskatchewan politics with a win in a municipal election in November taking over as mayor of Ile a la Crosse. This was a position he previously held in th early 1990s before transitioning to provincial politics.
MBC News spoke with Belanger about his new role, the differences in municipal and provincial politics, and his hope for Ile a la Crosse.
Belanger says he hopes to build a safer community, de-normalize drugs, build transparency and accountability, enhance sports and culture, and work well with other northern municipalities on shared interest.
The entire interview can be found here.
(TOP PHOTO – Buckley Belanger during his time as a Saskatchewan MLA. File Photo)