Saskatchewan Minute: Issue 81

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

📅 This Week In Saskatchewan: 📅

• Premier Scott Moe says his government is encouraged after Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump discussed reviving the Keystone XL expansion during a two-and-a-half-hour meeting in Washington. Canada did not secure relief from US steel and aluminum tariffs, but a federal source said Keystone XL was raised in the context of potential tariff talks. The project would ship Alberta crude to Gulf Coast refineries, crossing southwestern Saskatchewan before entering Montana, and Moe called it a positive opportunity alongside efforts to open access to Asian markets via a pipeline to the northwest coast. Expectations for the White House meeting were modest, yet Moe said the relationship advanced and he remains optimistic about Canada’s economic outlook. He added that getting the next set of federal decisions right could unlock growth, and he plans to keep advising the Prime Minister accordingly.
  
  
• The Saskatchewan government has reinstated its moratorium on Crown land sales, removing 18 parcels totalling more than 4,400 acres from public auction after criticism from opposition parties, Indigenous leaders, and environmental groups. Premier Scott Moe said the sales resumed prematurely and that the pause will remain while the Ministry of Agriculture explores alternatives such as leasing or short-term permits. Critics argue that selling public land undermines long-term sustainability, reduces public access, and accelerates land concentration among large farms. The NDP Opposition linked the resumed sales to the Province’s growing debt, calling them a short-term financial fix. Treaty representatives noted that First Nations face barriers to acquiring Crown land despite treaty entitlements, while conservation advocates warned that privatization leads to habitat loss and ecological degradation. The government has previously sold over one million acres of Crown land since the mid-2000s, generating hundreds of millions in revenue.
  
  
• The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation is criticizing the Province’s decision to introduce an additional antlerless elk hunt from November 20th - 27th, arguing it breaks from Saskatchewan’s elk management plan and was made without proper consultation. The organization says running the hunt alongside deer season poses safety risks and burdens landowners. The government says the measure is needed to address crop damage caused by elk, echoing its reasoning for a spring hunt that was also met with opposition. The federation contends these ad-hoc policies ignore long-term population management and conservation concerns. Elk are difficult to manage, as they are valued for hunting and tourism but also cause agricultural losses. With southern elk populations growing slowly and pressure from farmers increasing, ongoing challenges continue in balancing economic, environmental, and safety priorities within Saskatchewan’s broader wildlife management strategy.
  
  
• Saskatchewan announced $5.3 million for gender-based violence prevention through the National Action Plan, with officials highlighting progress alongside Family Services Regina. The Province says $5.2 million from the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General is supporting community-based organisations under the plan, part of $32 million committed in 2025 to partners that deliver interpersonal violence services through the justice system. Of that total, $14.2 million per year is earmarked for community partners, second-stage shelters, and Victims Services. Minister Alana Ross says the funding expands prevention, intervention, and accountability measures to build safer, more resilient communities. Examples include housing and specialized supports for human-trafficking survivors, the Natural Supports Programme’s REAL Talk training, and enhanced Early Intervention Programmes in Regina and Saskatoon that increase access to counselling for children and families. 
  
  
• Saskatchewan exports to China fell 76% in August to $96 million amid a tariff fight, with Beijing’s duties on Canadian canola widely seen as retaliation for Canada’s 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. About 60% of Saskatchewan’s China-bound exports are agriculture and food, and shipments have slid since June. The Opposition NDP says Premier Scott Moe should push Ottawa to remove the EV tariff to protect jobs and farm incomes. Moe has urged caution, noting Canada acted in lockstep with the United States and that unwinding the tariff is not a simple fix. He recently joined a trade mission to China and says dialogue must continue while Saskatchewan pursues diversification, citing nearly $50 billion in annual exports over the past three years. China remains the Province’s second-largest market, taking nearly $4 billion in agriculture goods last year.

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