Despite a horrific winter storm overnight, election day in both Creighton and Denare Beach will continue on as planned.
Polls have opened in both communities and workers and election officials are at both the Creighton town office and Denare Beach village office, ready to take votes.
Provincial election rules do not typically allow for a delay due to weather, but the provincial government announced Nov. 9 that returning officers would be authorized to postpone local council and school board elections due to the snowfall and poor conditions on provincial highways. As of 10 a.m., the vote was slated to go ahead in both Creighton and Denare Beach according to local election officials.
Under Saskatchewan electoral rules, a local election date in a northern municipality can be moved, but only to a date before the original election day and only with at least 90 days' notice.
In each community, eight people are running for six council spots. In Creighton, Neal Andrusiak, Martyn De Decker, Kory Eastman, Dan Hlady, Darren Grant, Richard Masson, Anita Rainville and Colleen Stallard are running - all are incumbents except De Decker and Masson.
Denare Beach's election sees Jean Champagne, Dale Holmgren, Nicole Holmgren Bayless, Scott McCullum, Karen Thomson, Paul Trottier, Beverly Wheeler and Frank Wiegers running for office - all but Holmgren Bayless and Trottier are incumbents.
The big seat on council is not up for grabs in either community. Both Creighton and Denare Beach mayors Bruce Fidler and Carl Lentowicz have been reelected by acclamation - no challengers for the position had stepped forward before the nomination deadline.
All voters must Canadian citizens over age 18 and must have lived in Saskatchewan for at least six months before election day, in the community they are voting in for at least three months or must have owned land in the community for at least three months before election day.
