Saskatchewan’s Minister of Advanced Education, Ken Cheveldayoff, has refused to explain why he leased a portion of his taxpayer-funded constituency office for nearly eight years to a law firm owned by a Saskatchewan Party donor, according to documentation reviewed by CBC.
Legislature rules, known as legislative directives, say that sort of leasing arrangement is forbidden.
In an email, CBC asked Cheveldayoff why he entered into a subletting agreement when it was found to be in violation of the rules.
He did not answer, instead saying “I have always been completely transparent with the Legislative Assembly Office regarding any and all of my MLA office expenses.”
Duff Conacher, the co-founder of Democracy Watch, said the subletting arrangement reduces public trust in politicians who are expected to act transparently in the public interest.
Conacher said Cheveldayoff’s actions have undermined the legislative reporting system’s integrity and the advanced education minister’s refusal to answer questions is “deeply unethical and dangerously undemocratic.”
“To refuse to provide an explanation and discuss it with the media is just another layer of secrecy on top of this already secret and ineffective system,” Conacher said.
‘Noncompliant and not eligible’
Every MLA receives thousands of taxpayers dollars annually to pay rent for their constituency office. The office is supposed to be the heart of a politician’s connection to voters.
Back in October 2017, Cheveldayoff signed a new lease for his constituency office in Saskatoon.
The agreement with the landlord allowed Cheveldayoff to lease out part of the space at 1106A Central Avenue to someone else, according to a letter obtained by CBC.
Ken Cheveldayoff’s constituency office is shown at 106A Central Avenue in Saskatoon on Feb. 25, 2026. (Travis Reddaway/CBC)
The lease agreement was signed nearly a full year after the Board of Internal Economy (BOIE), which establishes rules to govern members of the legislature, passed a directive forbidding MLAs from renting out some of their taxpayer-funded office space.
When CBC approached Cheveldayoff about his subletting arrangement, his office originally agreed to an on-camera interview.
The advanced education minister then followed up by providing a brief statement, saying he hoped it answered CBC’s questions. Cheveldayoff then stipulated that he would be “happy to provide a response for any questions you still have.”
A detailed list of questions was sent to him, including questions about why he entered into a subletting agreement despite the directive.
He did not provide a response to any of the questions.
Instead, Cheveldayoff said the arrangement was permitted under three successive speakers, with the Legislative Assembly Office processing and paying his constituency expense claims “without raising any concerns, nor indicating that the arrangement was improper or non-compliant.”
Cheveldayoff said he complied with a request by Speaker Todd Goudy, who was selected after the 2024 provincial election, to discontinue the subletting arrangement.
Ken Cheveldayoff, MLA for Saskatoon Willowgrove, is sworn in as Saskatchewan’s Minister of Advanced Education, in November 2024. (Alexander Quon/CBC)
Records obtained by CBC News show that Cheveldayoff was informed about the issues with the subletting agreement prior to the October 2024 election and the selection of Goudy as Speaker in November.
A letter dated Sept. 9, 2024 shows the deputy parliamentary counsel tasked with enforcing legislature directives informing Cheveldayoff that his violation of the rules was coming to an end.
“Since your lease was signed on May 2, 2017, after the October 4, 2016, directives came into force, your lease is noncompliant and not eligible for reimbursement,“ wrote Marie Shalashniy with the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.
“We write to inform you that the payment of your office rent will cease after the 2024 election due to noncompliance regarding the Directives’ prohibition of subletting.”
The letter makes a reference to Cheveldayoff being informed of the same decision in another letter in July 2024.
Cheveldayoff did not answer questions about the inconsistency between his response and the documents obtained by CBC.
Despite the lease not being eligible, records show that between May 2017 and the first two months of 2025, the legislative service paid out $132,135 in public funds to cover Cheveldayoff’s lease.
He defended the lease in an email to CBC, saying it “was actually beneficial to taxpayers as it reduced the cost of renting the office.”
CBC asked Cheveldayoff why he did not just rent a smaller office.
He did not provide an answer to the question.
The subletting agreement
According to the province’s corporate registry, Churchman & Co Law Office listed 1106A Central Avenue as a business address.
Churchman was operated by Elke Churchman, who died in late 2024. The company is now inactive.
Donation records indicate that Churchman gave $1,000 to the Saskatchewan Party in 2020 and $1,150 to the Saskatchewan Party in 2022.
In each of those years, Churchman’s law office sublet from Cheveldayoff at the location, according to the letter sent by Legislative Assembly Services to the advanced education minister.
Cheveldayoff did not answer CBC’s questions about his relationship with Churchman.
He did address the concerns raised by the Legislative Assembly Service about the subletting agreement. His response, obtained by CBC, suggested he was in the process of renegotiating the lease for his constituency office.
The Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel once again issued a warning to him.
“We reiterate that you are not permitted to share any space, operating costs or use of items or assets that have been acquired with BOIE Directive allowances,” Shalashniy wrote in a letter dated Sept. 30, 2024.
The quotation is in bold print in the letter. It’s not clear how Cheveldayoff responded.
Churchman Law ceased its operations on Nov. 30, 2024, according to a notice published on its website.
‘Enforcement systems … lack independence’: Expert
In a statement, Goudy confirmed he was made aware of Cheveldayoff’s arrangement when he became Speaker.
“While I cannot speak to decisions made by previous Speakers, I chose to ask Mr. Cheveldayoff to find a new lease arrangement. It is my understanding that within about a week, Mr. Cheveldayoff signed a lease that was consistent with our BOIE Directives,” Goudy said.
Goudy confirmed that Cheveldayoff is not under investigation.
During every election cycle, Legislative Assembly Services conducts a thorough review of all administrative issues related to MLAs and their constituency offices, Goudy said.
“Given that the 2020 election took place during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and involved certain in-person limitations, the 2024 election cycle provided the opportunity for an in-depth review of all constituency offices.”
Conacher, of Democracy Watch, said the information discovered by CBC highlights the need for a fully independent, fully effective and well-resourced enforcement system.
“Politicians write the rules for themselves, set up their own enforcement systems, and all of those enforcement systems unfortunately lack independence and give politicians control over deciding whether they and their colleagues have violated the rules,” Conacher said.