| Yens Pedersen | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Political party | New Democratic Party |
| Residence | Regina, Saskatchewan |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Yens Pedersen is a lawyer and was a candidate in the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leadership race. Before entering the leadership race, he served as the President of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. Yens was the NDP candidate in the constituency of Regina South in the 2007 provincial election.[1]. He is the candidate again in the same constituency in the 2011 election.
Yens was raised on a family farm near Cut Knife, Saskatchewan. He attended and earned his law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and currently is a lawyer at Miller Thompson. Yens has been the chair of the Taxation section of the Canadian Bar Association in Regina and is also the president of the Regina Business Association. In the past, Yens coached his daughter’s soccer team and has served on the board of directors for Saskatchewan Express, the musical theatre group, and for The Royal Lifesaving Society (Saskatchewan Branch). Yens has been a fundraiser for many medical charities including the Hospitals of Regina Foundation, the MS Society, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Canadian Diabetes Association.
On January 22, 2009, Pedersen announced his bid to succeed Lorne Calvert as the leader of the Saskatchewan NDP at the party's June 2009 leadership convention.[2] He finished third at the convention. After Deb Higgins was eliminated on the first ballot, Pedersen threw his support behind Ryan Meili, the second place finisher on the first ballot.