Yorkton may be looking to elect more than just an MP, as Mayor Aaron Kienle has been nominated to run as the Liberal Party candidate in an upcoming byelection. His candidacy was announced by the Liberal Party of Canada on Thursday. In a press release, Sachit Mehra, president of the Liberal Party of Canada, said Kienle “will be the strongest voice to deliver for communities across the region as part of Mark Carney’s Liberal team.” “As Mayor of Yorkton and as a small business owner, Aaron Kienle brings the experience and leadership needed to build a stronger future for people across Yorkton-Melville,” Mehra said in the announcement. Kienle has his work cut out for him, as Yorkton-Melville has only elected Conservative representatives to Ottawa for the past three decades. In the upcoming byelection, the Conservative candidate will be Nelson Pohl, who won the party’s nomination in June. The NDP have yet to announce a candidate. Section 65 of the Canada Elections Act does not place restrictions on mayors seeking federal office, but it is unclear how the recent announcement will affect Yorkton. “I think it’s prudent and I think it’s ethical that I take a leave of absence as the mayor of Yorkton,” Kienle told CTV News Thursday morning. He will step aside from his mayoral seat when the byelection is called. A new situation to Yorkton but it’s not unique to Saskatchewan. In 2021, Moose Jaw’s mayor at the time, Fraser Tolmie, ran for the Conservative Party. Brad Hvidston, Yorkton’s city manager told CTV News that there’s a procedure in place for these types of situations. “As far as services go, it won’t interrupt anything that we do, and we’ll continue carrying on with council’s priorities,” Hvidston said. A leave of absence means that Kienle would not be participating in council meetings. “Once he takes his leave to run in the election, then that’s when he’ll, not be attending meetings or anything, and the deputy mayor will step into that role,” the city manager explained. The City of Yorkton has prepared a frequently asked questions section on its website to address questions residents may have about the municipal implications of the mayor’s federal nomination. What happens within the City of Yorkton after the campaign depends on the election results. “There’s nothing in legislation that says [the mayor] has to step down [if he wins the federal seat], although I think it becomes difficult to manage both rules at the same time and do it productively,” Hvidston said. Should Kienle win, he would become Saskatchewan’s second Liberal MP, alongside Buckley Belanger, the MP for Desnethé – Missinippi – Churchill River and secretary of state for rural development. Elections Canada has not yet called the byelection.
