Midwestern Legislative Conference, with focus on trade and energy, wraps in Saskatoon

Canadian and American lawmakers wrapped up four days of cross-border collaboration in Saskatoon this week at the 79th annual Midwestern Legislative Conference, with Saskatchewan playing host and setting the tone.

Lori Carr, Saskatchewan’s minister of mental health and addictions, as well as seniors and rural and remote health, served as this year’s chair. She said the gathering was timely and essential, given current global tensions and trade uncertainty.

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“There is much, much more that brings us together than will ever divide us,” Carr said during an interview on the Evan Bray Show.

Listen to Carr’s interview with Evan Bray:

“We’ll get through what’s going on, and our path forward will be strong as our economies continue to grow.”

The annual conference brings together legislators from 11 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces – Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario – to share ideas and discuss key regional issues. This year’s conference was focused on trade, infrastructure and energy security.

Carr said the conversations between American and Canadian delegates were overwhelmingly positive, despite questions about whether the conference would even go ahead due to geopolitical unease.

“They weren’t sure, given the environment, if we were actually going to host the conference,” Carr said. “But people were thankful to be here, and the conversations left no doubt that these kind of grassroots connections really matter.”

Carr emphasized that the event is intentionally non-partisan in nature, with delegates encouraged to focus on shared priorities rather than political divisions.

“When I looked at the list of delegates coming up from the U.S., I didn’t focus on whether they were Republicans or Democrat,” she said. “We want to talk about issues that mean everything to everybody.”

Trade access, agriculture, energy costs and potential tariffs were top of mind for many attendees. Carr said lawmakers from both countries understand how national decisions – especially in Washington – can affect everything from the prices of farm equipment to food security on the prairies.

“We do what we can at our level,” she said. “We want them to hear the importance of the trade that happens between our states and provinces… and the effect that decisions made elsewhere have on our people.”

As chair, Carr also selected this year’s theme: Fueling North America’s Energy Future. As the MLA representing Estevan, one of Saskatchewan’s energy hubs, she said the topic is both personal and urgent.

Panels included speakers from Cameco, Westinghouse and other energy sector leaders, with a focus on nuclear power, pipeline access and long-term sustainability.

Carr said the conference left her confident in the strength of regional partnerships, and she said she hopes that the message from the prairies will be carried home by delegates on both sides of the border.

“At the end of the day, we know who makes this big decision,” she said “But we also know that conferences like this help ensure the Saskatchewan message gets through.”

The conference concluded on Wednesday afternoon.