Pat Lorje

Pat Lorje (pronounced "lor ee eh") is a retired Canadian politician. She represented the riding of Saskatoon Southeast in the Saskatchewan Legislature from 1991 to 2003, and also served two stints as a Saskatoon City Councillor, serving a total of 22 years on Council.

Early life and career Lorje was born in Eastend, Saskatchewan in 1947 and attended school in the hamlet of Caron, near Moose Jaw. Her father, Rod Wilkening, was a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force who served in the Second World War and re-enlisted during the Korean War; however, he was killed in a car accident before leaving to Korea. Lorje was the oldest of four children left to their mother, Phyllis. Growing up in relative poverty, Lorje secured a governor general's scholarship and attended the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. As an undergraduate she got involved in politics, serving on student council. After graduating she put graduate studies on hold for three years to move to Holland with her husband, Ted. They returned to Saskatoon in 1972 and Lorje completed a master's degree in psychology, and she was subsequently hired as the first psychologist at the Saskatoon Mental Health Centre.

Political career

Saskatoon City Council Lorje's first foray into politics outside of university was as an alderman when she was elected to Saskatoon City Council in 1979 to represent Ward 2. She decided to run because working with women as a psychologist had made her realize that urban design and politics was a significant determinant of mental health. Her first inclination had been to run for provincial office with the New Democratic Party in 1979, but Premier Allan Blakeney called the election in 1978, leaving her without time to prepare. She ultimately served three terms, being re-elected in 1995 and 1999, before retiring from provincial politics in 2003. Her last win in 1999 was by a narrow margin of just 38 votes, which resulted in a short court battle with the losing Liberal candidate, Grant Karwacki. One court-ordered recount actually put Karwacki ahead, but Lorje ultimately retained the seat on appeal. She wrote a report that formed the basis of the provincial government's immigration policy and also became the first minister to visit every First Nation in Saskatchewan. However, she was subsequently fired from cabinet by Calvert in June for revealing details about the incident to the media. In a crowded 8-person field, she secured 48% of the vote.

Lorje's 2012 win brought her within striking distance of the record for most time served on Saskatoon City Council. However, in the 2016 election she was upset by rookie candidate Hilary Gough, who defeated Lorje by a slim margin of 139 votes. The loss was the first for Lorje, who by 2016 had served 34 years between City Council and the Legislature.

Personal life Lorje remained involved in the community after her time on Council, including serving on the board of the local Montgomery Place Community Association. However, in 2018 Lorje resigned from the board, citing the "racist attitudes" of some board members when the community was seen as divided over a proposal by the Saskatoon Tribal Council to establish a pre-school in the neighbourhood.

Over the years, Lorje was also involved with festival boards, including as a founding member of the 25th Street Theatre's Fringe Festival. She was also on the board for Saskatoon City Hospital for 10 years.

Electoral record (provincial)

Pat Lorje

Pat Lorje

Marcel Guay

Pat Lorje

Joan Black