Founding member of Sask. Party MLA Bill Boyd retires

A longtime MLA and founding member of the Saskatchewan Party is retiring from politics.

Bill Boyd will be resigning from his Kindersley seat effective Sept. 1. The Sask. Party responded to the news on its official Facebook page Tuesday.

“All the best to our friend and founding Saskatchewan Party member Bill Boyd as he announces his retirement from politics today,” the post reads.

“Thank you for your service and your vision in helping to create a brand new party in 1997. If it wasn’t for Bill Boyd, there wouldn’t be a Saskatchewan Party.”

Boyd was originally elected as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Kindersley in 1991. Three years later, he became the PC leader.

In 1997, Boyd joined with three of his conservative colleagues and four Liberal MLAs to found the Saskatchewan Party. When he was re-elected in 1999, he was one of 26 Sask. Party MLAs sent to the legislature.

While Boyd stepped down as Kindersley MLA in 2002, he was once again elected in the constituency in the 2007, 2011 and 2016 provincial elections.

Boyd’s contributions to the province continued after the Saskatchewan Party formed government in November 2007.

He was appointed as the Minister of Energy and Resources, Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Power Corporation, Minister Responsible for Uranium Development Partnership, and the Minister Responsible for Innovation under Premier Brad Wall.

In 2010, the politician’s cabinet duties changed to include SaskTel and the Global Transportation Hub (GTH).

Boyd went on to hold several more cabinet and committee positions. In 2014 Wall asked the long-time MLA to continue serving as Minister of the Economy, adding the responsibility of energy and resources. Boyd held these posts until August 2016.

According to the Sask. Party website, Boyd and his wife Lynn operate a pedigree seed farm near Eston, southeast of Kindersley. They have two children who are in their twenties.