Saskatchewan MP won't run again, cites Tory decision to disallow open nomination race
A Conservative member of Parliament says he isn't seeking re-election because his party is not allowing an open nomination in a new riding.
Gary Vidal cites the party's response to changing electoral boundaries in his announcement that he won't run.
Vidal was elected in 2019 to represent the sprawling Saskatchewan riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River in the province's far north.
Vidal says the riding boundaries are changing "drastically" and he will no longer reside in the electoral district he serves, but rather in the new riding of Battlefords-Lloydminster-Meadow Lake.
He says the party has decided there will be no open nomination to choose the candidate in that new riding, which he says "is not the expected outcome I anticipated."
A spokeswoman for the party says Vidal was given the chance to run in his current riding.
Sarah Fischer says the party respects his decision not to seek re-election.
The redrawn version of Vidal's current riding is still home to most of his current constituents, but it's losing the community of Meadow Lake, where he says he was born and raised.
Vidal's decision follows an announcement in February that he was stepping away from his role as the Tories' critic in Parliament for Indigenous services.
The new federal riding boundaries took effect on Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.
Chemical spill could be cause of stinky water in Puslinch, Ont., new report says
People living in Puslinch, Ont. may have the answer to why their water smelled so bad last year.
Should you save or splurge on makeup this summer?
If you're wondering whether you should splurge or save when it comes to buying skincare products and makeup this summer, we got some answers for you.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.