When the provincial election occurs this fall, it will be a battle of Patterson versus Patterson in the Moose Jaw Wakamow Constituency, after Sask. Party supporters selected their representative recently.
About 40 members attended the nomination meeting on Feb. 1, which saw Megan Patterson win via acclamation.
Patterson was pleased with the number of supporters who turned out, including MLAs Steven Bonk, Blaine McLeod and Tim McLeod, former students, current colleagues, childhood friends and new voters.
She noted that many people believe in the Sask. Party’s guiding principles and want to ensure that the momentum the organization has created continues, which is why so many attended.
Patterson will replace outgoing MLA Greg Lawrence, who announced last September that he wouldn’t seek re-election after a motorcycle injury. He then resigned from caucus in late January after police announced they were investigating historical complaints — assault and choking — unrelated to his political duties.
“I’m excited to be representing Moose Jaw Wakamow (for the Sask. Party), the riding I grew up in,” Patterson said recently. “I have strong family ties in the riding. My parents still live in the house I grew up in. And it’s the same house that my grandparents built.”
Patterson said she has acquired many life experiences after leaving Moose Jaw to attain an education and pursue employment. She believes those experiences make her a better advocate for residents in the riding.
Meanwhile, during this fall’s election she will go up against the NDP’s Melissa Patterson, who was acclaimed last July. The Sask. Party candidate said “it’s unfortunate” that they share the same surname, which meant she would have to differentiate herself in voters’ minds between now and the election.
Although she is officially the Sask. Party’s candidate in Moose Jaw Wakamow, Patterson won’t engage in full-time campaigning yet because she works full-time as a business instructor with Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Moose Jaw. So, she’ll door-knock when she can.
“That’s (working) got to be me focus until the writ drops. But I’m certainly going to continue to do what I’ve been doing. And I’ve certainly been trying to build a strong team as well,” she added. “(But) I will continue to get out to events (and) meet people in the constituency … .”
With Patterson being acclaimed, she was asked whether she was concerned about fewer people participating in the democratic process. She said it’s not easy putting one’s name forward for politics, especially with how social media has “changed the game” and made it easier for people to manipulate information.
Patterson has always known that she has a responsibility to be a “servant leader” since her parents raised her to believe in the importance of community service. She acknowledged that she is somewhat nervous for the forthcoming campaigning because “of how visceral things get,” which can be difficult since she is a personable individual.
Furthermore, many people who run for politics sacrifice their time because they want to make things better for their communities, she continued. Her goal is to improve life for residents and make Moose Jaw overall a better place to live, work and raise a family.
Patterson could represent more people within the constituency if she’s elected because Elections Saskatchewan has been rearranging riding boundaries recently. The Moose Jaw Wakamow boundaries are expected to stretch further east and west and include more rural areas.
Patterson acknowledged that some rural residents may be confused about for whom to vote since many voted in the Lumsden-Morse byelection last August and would now vote in the Moose Jaw Wakamow constituency for the general election. She thought this would require better communication to inform those voters.
“I’m looking forward to campaigning in a bigger ride. I just need to have people working on my team that are very entrenched in those polls that are in the rural ridings,” she said, adding she’s looking forward to — hopefully — representing Moose Jaw Wakamow and making the community a safe, vibrant, growing and welcoming place.
