Mandryk: NDP turning White City high school into a political football

Article content

It’s not as if White City east of Regina doesn’t have an argument for its own high school.

As noted in a news release put out by the town prior to holding a joint press conference with the NDP last week, the bedroom community grew by around 25 per cent in the last census for the period between 2016 and 2021.

“Both our elementary schools are already at or above capacity,” said White City Mayor Mitch Simpson. “And with hundreds of youths preparing to enter high school, we are far past the point of needing long-term solutions. We need real investment now.”

Article content

Also, it’s not every day that the Opposition can attach itself to a non-partisan stakeholder complaining about government not meeting its needs.

It’s even less common to see such a stakeholder coming from anywhere outside the two big cities.

So it’s perhaps not surprising to see the NDP — desperate to establish a foothold anywhere outside Regina and Saskatoon — throw its support behind White City’s high school bid.

The NDP did promise a high school for White City in its 2024 election platform … as opposed to a long-promised east-end high school in Regina (something pledged by consecutive provincial governments for at least three decades now) to take the pressure off Campbell Collegiate.

By contrast, the governing Saskatchewan Party — perhaps similarly politically motivated by its own need to hold on to its urban foothold — previously threw its support behind a nearby school-building project within Regina city limits.

Article content

Article content

Just prior to dropping the writs in the province’s 61 ridings, the Sask. Party government last September announced both a new elementary school and high school to serve the Towns and Greens on Gardiner neighbourhoods.

The two joint-use facilities will be shared by the Regina Public and Regina Catholic school divisions. The new high school will accommodate 2,000 students and the elementary school can house 1,400 students — 800 spots allotted to the Regina Public division students and 600 to Regina Catholic students.

With all due respect to the good people of White City, this seems a better, more practical public policy. It is accommodating the greater, longer-held needs in Regina, while still providing a solution for those who chose to live in the nearby bedroom community with lower property taxes.

But, interestingly, those long-held needs of Regina have now become secondary to the NDP who, coincidentally, have come to the realization that it can’t form government if it can only win Regina and Saskatoon.

Article content

Also last week, the NDP took up the cause of Warman and Martensville parents, now being hit in the pocketbook with $250-per-student bus service charges from the Prairie Spirit School Division.

“The bus is an essential service for working families — especially in bedroom communities like Warman and Martensville,” said NDP education critic Matt Love.

Anyone seeing a pattern here?

Admittedly, this bus service charge goes much deeper into the Sask. Party government’s overall underfunding of public education. Recently, it was learned Regina Public may be cutting valuable band programs.

But it’s hard not to notice that where the NDP now sees the greatest educational needs is where it also sees the greatest political opportunity.

These bedrooms communities may be the NDP’s only opportunity to gain seats outside of Regina and Saskatoon, given the 2024 election results.

Article content

The NDP failed to win any seats in Moose Jaw or Prince Albert last fall. And, amazingly, it actually lost ground in rural Saskatchewan. Eighteen of the province’s 21 most lopsided wins (by 2,500 votes or more) last election were all by rural Sask. Party candidates.

So the NDP has now fixed its sights on the bedroom communities, although the 2024 election results suggest winning there is still a tall order.

White City-Qu’Appelle was the 18th closest seat, in which the NDP finished 1,705 votes behind. Meanwhile, Martensville-Blairmore was the 26th closest seat, won by the Sask. Party by 1,688 votes.

Nevertheless, this isn’t deterring the NDP from strongly advocating for these bedroom communities … whether or not that means advocating for the best public policy.

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.k

Our websites are your destination for up-to-the-minute Saskatchewan news, so make sure to bookmark thestarphoenix.com and leaderpost.com. For Regina Leader-Post newsletters click here; for Saskatoon StarPhoenix newsletters click here

Article content