Carney, premiers gather in Saskatoon for first ministers’ meeting

CTV’s Jeremie Charron provides a lookahead to the first ministers meeting with the economy and eliminating trade barriers at the top of the agenda.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada’s premiers will discuss the future of interprovincial trade and how best to counter U.S. tariffs at today’s first ministers’ meeting in Saskatoon.

The gathering is usually held in Ottawa. However, the change in venue was made in early May, after Premier Scott Moe invited the prime minister to Saskatchewan with the intention of improving relations between the two governments.

National infrastructure projects, the effects of the ongoing U.S. trade war, and Carney’s promise to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers by Canada Day are all on the agenda.

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Premier Moe has said he hopes the federal government will support a “port-to-port” energy corridor to connect provincial resources to Asian and European markets.

The concept was discussed at a meeting of western premiers and territorial leaders in Yellowknife in May.

Moe says this proposed “generational project” will secure Canada’s economic future and transform the country into an energy superpower.

Monday’s meeting marks Mark Carney’s first visit to Saskatoon following the April 28 federal election – which saw the Liberals increase their seat count and retain a minority government.

The gathering also marks the first time a prime minister along with the premiers have met in Saskatchewan since 1985.

Wildfire emergency

However, the meeting of national and sub-national leaders comes at a time when Saskatchewan is battling a worsening wildfire season which has devastated parts of the province’s north.

Premier Moe declared a provincial state of emergency on May 29, which is set to last for 30 days.

As of Sunday afternoon, there were 15 active wildfires burning in the province with only four of them contained. The Shoe Fire remains the largest, currently estimated to cover more than 305,000 hectares.

According to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), 20 communities are currently under evacuation orders and over 80 structures have been destroyed.

“We have had 214 wildfires, which is well above the five-year average of 129,” Steve Roberts, vice president of operations with SPSA, said in press conference Sunday afternoon.

According to Roberts, high daytime temperatures, warm evenings, and strong winds are expected to persist - making firefighting efforts more challenging and increasing the risk of fire spread.

“We have had little or no precipitation in weeks in the areas that the fires are burning,” Roberts added.

So far, about 8,000 people have been evacuated, with the most recent additions being the communities of Timber Bay and Malanosa due to the Ditch Fire.

Roberts says the province has mobilized firefighting resources from across Canada and even the United States, with crews arriving from Quebec, British Columbia, Alaska, Oregon, and Arizona.

While the number of those displaced due to wildfires have been increasing, Roberts noted that some communities, such as Canoe Lake, have already begun to see residents return as fire conditions stabilize.