The former mayor of Meadow Lake, Gary Vidal. (Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By meadowlakeNOW Staff

SHADES OF BLUE

Vidal surges ahead to take Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River

Oct 21, 2019 | 10:30 PM

In a riding where all three major political parties had a chance to win, Gary Vidal surged to victory over incumbent New Democrat Georgina Jolibois to turn Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River blue.

With 92 per cent of the polls reporting, the former mayor of Meadow Lake earned 9,939 for 41.3 per cent of the vote. Georgina Jolibois’ with the NDP had 7,057 votes for second place.

Trailing in third was Liberal Tammy Cook-Searson, the Chief of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, who received 6,434 votes. Green Party candidate Sarah Kraynick took 469 votes and People’s Party of Canada candidate Jerome Perrault received 190 votes.

In 2015, Jolibois won the seat by 71 votes after a recount over Liberal Lawrence Joseph. The NDP gained it from the Tories who held the seat since 2008 when Rob Clarke was elected. Clarke finished third in 2015.

Vidal said he wants to represent the Conservatives under Andrew Scheer for their commitment to fiscal responsibility and credibility.

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Vidal, who was born and raised in Meadow Lake, was elected mayor in September 2011 and was serving his third term when he stepped down to seek the federal seat. Vidal worked day to day since 1988 as an accountant and partner at Pliska Vidal and Co. He spent nearly a decade on the SaskWater board of directors. He was elected vice-chair of the Saskatchewan City Mayors Caucus in 2016.

“Overwhelmed,” Vidal told meadowlakeNOW after the win. “This is magnified several times over the mayors race but that mayors race was a long time ago.”

With a Liberal minority government awaiting in Ottawa, Vidal admitted it will be up to the entire Conservative contingent to figure out how they approach matters in the days, weeks and months ahead.

“My job right now is to represent the people Northern Saskatchewan the best I can and take their voice to Ottawa in whatever shape or size that looks like and just do the best I can to represent the people here,” he added.

Tammy Cook-Searson makes her concession speech after Vidal’s win. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

Searson told her supporters it was an amazing experience to run in the riding and congratulated the Liberals on “leading overall in our country.”

She was gracious in defeat.

“We did not get the result we hoped for …and I gave Gary Vidal a call to congratulate him,” she said.

— with files from Derek Cornet

—

cjnbnews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @meadowlakenow