# Buckley Belanger

Harold "Buckley" Belanger (born March 21, 1960) is a Canadian provincial politician, who served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Athabasca, in the north-western corner of the province. He is a member of the provincial New Democratic Party and the federal Liberal Party of Canada.

## Career

He was originally elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 1995 general election as a Liberal member. He left the party to join the NDP in 1998, recontesting his seat in a by-election in which he attained 93.64 per cent of the vote, the second highest margin of victory ever attained by an electoral candidate in the province. Belanger has been re-elected in every election since then, most recently in the 2020 general election, in which he was re-elected with a majority of 618.
Prior to his election to the legislature, Belanger served as mayor of Île-à-la-Crosse, and worked as a journalist and administrator for MBC Radio. On August 15, 2021 he resigned from the legislature to run in the 2021 Canadian federal election, as a federal Liberal in the riding of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River. He was defeated by Conservative candidate Gary Vidal.

## Electoral history

2021 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gary Vidal | 10,036 | 48.8 | +6.5 |
| | Liberal | Buckley Belanger | 5,533 | 26.8 | +0.3 |
| | New Democratic | Harmonie King | 3,548 | 17.2 | -11.4 |
| | People's | Dezirae Reddekopp | 1,002 | 4.9 | +4.1 |
| | Independent | Stephen King | 240 | 1.2 | – |
| | Green | Nasser Dean Chalifoux | 215 | 1.0 | -1.0 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 20,574 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 127 | 0.6 | -0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,701 | 44.8 | -12.5 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 46,257 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | +4.0 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||

### 2020 Saskatchewan general election

2020 Saskatchewan general election: Athabasca :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Buckley Belanger | 1,730 | 56.81 | -7.86 |
| | Saskatchewan | Kelly Kwan | 1,112 | 36.52 | +12.80 |
| | Green | Leroy Laliberte | 204 | 6.70 | +4.75 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,045 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | 0.00 | – |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | – | – | – |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 9,053 |
| Source: Elections Saskatchewan, Global News |||||||

### 2016 Saskatchewan general election

2016 Saskatchewan general election: Athabasca :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Buckley Belanger | 1,734 | 64.7% | – |
| | Saskatchewan | Philip Elliott | 625 | 23.3% | – |
| | Liberal | Michael Wolverine | 267 | 9.9% | – |
| | Green | Max C.D. Morin | 53 | 1.9% | – |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | – | 100.0 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | – |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | - |
| Source: Elections Saskatchewan, Global News. |||||||

### 2011 Saskatchewan general election

2011 Saskatchewan general election: Athabasca :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Buckley Belanger | 1,867 | 63.79 | +4.38 |
| | Saskatchewan | Bobby Woods | 1,021 | 34.88 | +2.99 |
| | Green | George Durocher | 39 | 1.33 | –1.88 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,927 | 100.0 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | +0.70 |

### 2007 Saskatchewan general election

2007 Saskatchewan general election: Athabasca :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Buckley Belanger | 1,885 | 59.41 | –10.58 |
| | Saskatchewan | Phil Elliott | 1,012 | 31.89 | +8.54 |
| | Liberal | Malvina Iron | 174 | 5.48 | –0.54 |
| | Green | Sean Gilchrist | 102 | 3.21 | – |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,173 | 100.0 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | –9.56 |

### 2003 Saskatchewan general election

2003 Saskatchewan general election: Athabasca :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Buckley Belanger | 2,407 | 69.99 | –14.39 |
| | Saskatchewan | Greg Ross | 803 | 23.35 | +20.80 |
| | Liberal | Philip Durocher | 207 | 6.02 | –7.05 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Sean Gilchrist | 22 | 0.64 | – |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,439 | 100.0 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | –17.60 |

### 1999 Saskatchewan general election

1999 Saskatchewan general election: Athabasca :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Buckley Belanger | 2,512 | 84.38 | –9.26 |
| | Liberal | Allan Adam | 389 | 13.06 | +8.84 |
| | Saskatchewan | Bert Roach | 76 | 2.55 | +0.42 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,977 | 100.0 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | –9.05 |

### 1998 Athabasca by-election

Saskatchewan provincial by-election, 26 October 1998: Athabasca :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Buckley Belanger | 2,153 | 93.64 | +53.43 |
| | Liberal | Winston McKay | 97 | 4.21 | –41.37 |
| | Saskatchewan | Tyson Delorme | 49 | 2.13 | – |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,299 | 100.0 |
| | New Democratic gain from Liberal | New Democratic gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | +47.40 |

### 1995 Saskatchewan general election

1995 Saskatchewan general election: Athabasca :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Buckley Belanger | 1,347 | 45.59 | +40.85 |
| | New Democratic | Frederick John Thompson | 1,188 | 40.21 | –43.58 |
| | Independent | Jimmy Montgrand | 390 | 13.20 | – |
| | Progressive Conservative | Clay Poupart | 29 | 0.98 | –7.54 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,954 | 100.0 |
| | Liberal gain from New Democratic | Liberal gain from New Democratic | Swing | Swing | +42.22 |