Three candidates for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River riding

With the changes to the electoral boundaries, the Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River incumbent, Conservative MP Gary Vidal, is not running for re-election. This change has left the riding open to three new names on the ballot looking for your vote. Buckley Belanger (Liberal Party of Canada), Jim Lemaigre (Conservative Party of Canada) and Doug Racine (Canada’s New Democratic Party) are this year’s candidates for the 2025 federal election.

Buckley Belanger, Liberal Party of Canada

Buckley Belanger was born in Ile a la Crosse and was raised by his stepmother after his mother’s passing. After graduating from high school, he established a local radio and television station in his hometown. He later moved to La Ronge to work for the Missinippi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) as a broadcaster and continued to help set up local radio and television stations in several Northern communities, including Cumberland House, La Loche and Beauval.

At the age of 28, Belanger returned home, where he was elected mayor of Ile a la Crosse, serving a total of three terms. In 1995, Belanger stretched his political wings a little more, being elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) until 2021. During his time as an MLA, Belanger served as Minister of Environment and Resource Management and Associate Minister of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs.

Now, working hard to earn votes as the Liberal candidate, Belanger is hoping to bring the voice of Northern Saskatchewan to Ottawa, his campaign page said.

Jim Lemaigre, Conservative Party of Canada

Jim Lemaigre is a member of the Clearwater River Dene Nation, who once served as an RCMP officer throughout many Saskatchewan communities. He also served as program manager for the First Nations and Indigenous Policing Program through the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety.

Lemaigre was unseated from the Legislative Assembly by Leroy Laliberte during the 2024 provincial election.

Doug Racine, Canada’s NDP

Doug Racine is a descendant of the Red River Métis, who worked alongside his father as a young boy on the family trapline. At the age of 15, he became a registered hunting guide before enlisting with the military. For 12 years, Racine’s service included overseas peacekeeping tours and worked with the Special Service.

Once he returned from military duty, Racine went back to school to complete his law degree, practicing criminal, civil and administrative law for 25 years. He and five other Indigenous lawyers founded and led the Aboriginal Law Group and continued to represent multiple Indigenous organizations and communities throughout the years.

Racine also ran for the New Democratic Party during the 2024 provincial election in the Saskatchewan Rivers constituency.

The Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River riding covers roughly half of Saskatchewan and is the third largest federal riding located in a province.

According to Statistics Canada 2021, 70 per cent of the population is Indigenous, with 64 per cent of the language spoken being English, followed by Cree (21.3 per cent), Dene (10.8 per cent) and French (1.3 per cent).

Over the past 20 years, the Conservative Party has held a seat after the federal elections in 2004, 2008, 2011, 2019 and 2021. The New Democrats were elected in 2015 and the Liberals in 2006.

MP Gary Vidal chose to step down from politics as his home is no longer in the latest boundary changes to the constituency.

As the largest and northernmost riding in the province, northern issues are front and centre in the 2025 federal election. A major concern is the cost of living, with food prices soaring and residents facing a scurvy outbreak last fall. The riding is home to major industries such as mining and forestry, making sector-related issues a key part of the conversation. It also has the highest concentration of Indigenous voters in the province, so Indigenous issues are expected to play a vital role in the campaign.

–With information from John Cairns.