Buckley Belanger facts for kids

Buckley Belanger, born on March 21, 1960, is a Canadian politician. He used to be a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Athabasca. This area is in the northwest part of Saskatchewan. MLAs are like elected representatives who work in the provincial government. Buckley Belanger was part of the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Saskatchewan. He also belonged to the Liberal Party of Canada at the national level.

What Does a Politician Do?

A politician is someone who works in government. They help make decisions for their community. Buckley Belanger was an MLA. This means he represented the people of Athabasca. He worked in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. This is where laws are made for the province.

Buckley Belanger's Political Journey

Buckley Belanger was first elected as an MLA in 1995. He started out with the Saskatchewan Liberal Party. In 1998, he decided to join the NDP. When he switched parties, he had to run in a special election. This is called a by-election. He won this election with a very high number of votes.

He was re-elected many times after that. His last win was in the 2020 election. This showed that people in Athabasca trusted him.

Before Becoming an MLA

Before he became an MLA, Buckley Belanger was busy. He served as the mayor of his hometown. This town is called Île-à-la-Crosse. He also worked as a journalist. He was an administrator for MBC Radio. This means he helped run the radio station.

Moving to Federal Politics

On August 15, 2021, Buckley Belanger left his job as an MLA. He wanted to try something new. He decided to run in the 2021 Canadian federal election. This election was for a seat in the national government. He ran as a Liberal candidate. The area he ran in was called Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River. He did not win this election. He was defeated by Gary Vidal, who was a Conservative candidate.