Saskatchewan Minute: Issue 122

Saskatchewan Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Saskatchewan politics.

📅 This Week In Saskatchewan: 📅

• Premier Scott Moe says he is not confident Canada and the United States will reach a renewed free trade agreement before the latest round of American tariffs takes effect. Speaking on The Evan Bray Show on Wednesday, Moe discussed the 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian goods announced by US President Donald Trump on July 20th, which are expected to take effect on August 19th. Moe said Canada needs to work through this round of tariffs as it has the others, staying focused on getting to the negotiating table, and argued the latest threats intensify the need for a renewed CUSMA agreement. He said he is optimistic about the negotiating window but not confident an agreement will be reached, and equally not confident the tariffs will actually go ahead. The Premier warned that Canada's manufacturing sector, particularly agricultural manufacturing in Saskatchewan, could be hit hard, and said current tariffs are already hurting industries such as forestry, with Saskatchewan leveraging its relationships in the Trump administration, Congress, and the Senate to advance Canada's position.
  
  
• Meanwhile, Premier Moe says Saskatchewan will take time to assess the impact of the United States' latest tariff threat. Speaking at the Council of the Federation meeting in Charlottetown, Moe called the threat unjustified and said it would drive up prices and kill jobs on both sides of the border. The Premier noted it is the ninth or tenth such round of tariff threats the province has faced from the current US administration. He said Saskatchewan, which exports to 160 countries, is well positioned to respond, adding that the duties are not due to take effect until August 19th. The White House has tied the move to what it calls unfair Canadian trade practices, including provincial bans on US alcohol, dairy supply management, and quotas on cars. Moe again argued against retaliatory counter-tariffs, saying they would only further weaken the North American economy, and said the goal should be a renewed continental trade agreement.
  
  
• The federal and provincial governments have signed an agreement to keep two Saskatchewan research farms operating after Ottawa put them on the list for closure earlier this year. The agreement between Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan covers the Indian Head and Scott Research Farms and is meant to allow agricultural activity to continue at the sites while a longer-term federal disposal process plays out. Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit and federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald signed the deal in Halifax on Thursday. MacDonald said the properties are no longer required for federal programs but that the governments want the land to keep serving an agricultural purpose. The Grain Growers of Canada welcomed the agreement but warned that it is only a temporary measure and that other federal research sites across the country remain slated for closure, calling for immediate action to secure long-term funding. The federal agency runs 17 research centres nationwide.
  
  
• A proposed artificial intelligence data centre in Moose Jaw will not go ahead after the provincial government declined its request for electricity, according to Justice Minister and Moose Jaw North MLA Tim McLeod. McLeod said a local company had proposed building the facility at the former Valley View Centre site, but the project would have required up to 150 megawatts of power from SaskPower, and that request was denied. Without the power allocation, he said, the data centre cannot proceed at the location even though the City of Moose Jaw is still weighing a development permit application. McLeod said the Government is not opposed to data centres in general and that Saskatchewan remains attractive to such investment because of its available electrical capacity, but that each proposal is assessed individually for a responsible allocation of power. He pointed to Bell Canada's data centre now under construction in the RM of Sherwood near Regina as an example of a project that has moved forward.
  
  
• Saskatchewan's crime severity remains far above the national average, according to figures released Wednesday that put the province's Crime Severity Index at 146.64 for 2025, nearly double the Canadian average of 75.01. The RCMP said 60 of the 84 Saskatchewan detachment areas with populations over 1,000 scored above the national average, and 11 recorded scores more than 10 times that level. Northern Saskatchewan accounted for 25 of those 60 areas, where Black Lake reached 2,197.58 and Pelican Narrows 1,558.50. Several urban centres also came in above the provincial average, including Prince Albert at 285.01, Yorkton at 172.53, Saskatoon at 108.07 and Regina at 91.44. The Index, compiled by the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, measures both the volume and seriousness of crime reported to police. RCMP Superintendent Amber Clark said the force is shifting to intelligence-led policing, adding analysts and using specialized teams to target repeat offenders and drug networks.

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