Michael Joel-Hansen
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
The Saskatchewan government minister who chaired a major legislative conference in Saskatoon believes the event provided North American leaders the chance to connect and build important relationships that could be helpful in the future.
Lori Carr, Saskatchewan’s minister of addictions, mental health, seniors and rural and remote healthcare, said the Midwest Legislative Conference brought representatives from four Canadian provinces and 11 U.S. states together, providing a forum to talk about important issues.
A major topic discussed at the conference, which began Sunday and wrapped on Wednesday, was North American energy security. Carr said around 5.9 million homes currently get their power from Canada, so “it only makes sense that we continue to work on that together.”
Tariffs were also a hot topic, Carr said. Representatives from Saskatchewan have been reminding their American counterparts about
the major imports which go from the province to the U.S., including uranium, oil and potash — which is especially important for farmers in many mid-west states.
“Their agriculture industry is highly dependent on the products that we have,” she said.
On the potash front, Carr added, U.S. representatives see Saskatchewan as a reliable and safe seller of potash, and want the positive trading relationship to continue.
Most see Canada as the U.S.’s top ally and are prepared to continue working with provincial leaders, Carr said.
“We have far more in common than we don’t.”
Carr said the conference connected legislators, citing an example of when there were plans to cut back border operation hours on the U.S. side.
She said some Saskatchewan MLAs were able to contact representatives from North Dakota and ask them to stay open a bit longer than they were planning to.
In 2019, Saskatchewan became the only Canadian province to gain full Midwest Legislative Conference membership, elevating the province’s leadership role in regional policy development.
Trade and Export Development Minister Warren Kaeding said this week that Saskatchewan was “proud to help host a conference that reflects the economic strength of our region.
“Saskatchewan’s participation in MLC underscores our commitment to building resilient supply chains, attracting investment, and strengthening our trade opportunities with U.S. partners.”
