Gary Grewal creates history, becomes first Indo-Canadian to enter Saskatchewan Assembly
Saskatchewan has become the fifth Canadian province to elect an Indo-Canadian to its Assembly. Assemblies of British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta already have had a representation of the Indo-Canadian community.
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Gary Grewal, representing the ruling Saskatchewan Party, has been assured of a place in the Provincial Assembly in the October 26 elections. He has taken an unbeatable lead of 533 over the incumbent Yens Pedersen of NDP with less than 300 mailed in votes remaining to be counted.
Gary Grewal, a graduate of Panjab University has been in the hospitality business in Regina for the past 25 years. It has been his first assembly election where he not only ended the stronghold of the NDP but also helped the ruling Saskatchewan Party improve its seat tally from 46 in the outgoing House to 49 this time. There are 61 seats. The main Opposition party, NDP, which had 15 seats in the last Assembly could get only 12 this time.
Interestingly, both the Sasketchewan Party and the NDP had given the equal representation to the India-Canadian community. While the Saskatchewan Party had put up Gary Grewal from Regina Northeast and Manny Sadhra from Saskatoon Fairway, the NDP had fielded Bhajan Brar from Regina Pasqua and Tejinder Grewal from Saskatoon Silverspring Sutherland.
After Moe, Sihota became the first-ever Indo-Canadian to get elected to any provincial assembly or Parliament in Canada in 1986, Gary Grewal has. After a gap of 34 years, earned the distinction of becoming first member of the Indo-Canadian community to get elected to the Saskatchewan Assembly.
Though many Indo-Canadians have followed Moe Sihota in the British Columbia assembly, Amandeep Singh has become the first turbaned Sikh where the ruling Saskatchewan Party has won a comfortable majority for the fifth time in a row.
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Gary Grewal, a past Director for Canadian Cricket Association, was also the President of the Indo Canada Association. He is also associated with the Sikh Society of Saskatchewan.
He polled 3617 votes against 3084 polled by Yens Pedersen.
-PTC News
