ESTEVAN — The concept of Saskatchewan independence continues to be discussed at town halls in Saskatchewan.
Prairie Rising and the Saskatchewan Prosperity Project teamed up to host more than a dozen town halls at locations throughout the province. But in a Feb. 24 post on its Facebook page, Prairie Rising said it was moving forward on its own.
Prairie Rising board member Michelle Krieger said their focus is on the legal pathway for where they need to go, while Saskatchewan Prosperity’s attention is on the why.
“It’s probably better for us to get our message out to be doing it on our own,” said Krieger. “When you put the two of us together, the events morph into a three, four or four and a half hour thing.”
Krieger said it’s best to have their own dedicated events to explain what they are trying to accomplish.
People have asked how there could be two groups, but Krieger noted there are other entities working towards the same goal of a referendum on Saskatchewan sovereignty, and eventually they will have to work together.
The first Prairie Rising town hall since the split was Feb. 28 in Moosomin.
Krieger and fellow board members Stephanie Garber said attendance has been good for their meetings. They had 260 people attend a town hall in Estevan on Feb. 21, and 50-75 people in Arcola the following day. Communities have been selected because they were invited, they said.
Meetings typically open with a presentation and then a question-and-answer session.
“This came about because, like everybody else in the province, we were feeling that our lives were getting unaffordable, that the policies coming down didn’t help Saskatchewan people, and the frustration built,” Krieger said.
Garber and Krieger said they came together with four of their closest friends and tried to determine how to solve the issue. A Prairie Rising Forum was held in Regina in October 2025 to launch the effort, and since then town halls have been happening.
Krieger believes the sentiments expressed at town halls have always been in Saskatchewan and now they’re coming to a head.
“We got together and decided instead of complaining about it, we’re going to try to decide something about it,” Krieger said.
They believe there is a path forward to having a referendum, but the laws in Saskatchewan for such a vote are very different from Alberta.
“I hope people come away from our meetings also feeling empowered, because Saskatchewan really does have what it takes to make it on its own, and I think people just needed to be reminded of that,” said Krieger.
Even if a referendum were to be held to change legislation in Saskatchewan, it would be non-binding, they said.
“People don’t have a voice despite our government saying we do. We don’t. I think regardless of what it is for, our movement is for independence … and I think the people of Saskatchewan need to have a voice,” said Garber.
Prairie Rising wants the referendum to occur in 2027. Krieger said the organization needs to gather the support for them to press the government to change the Referendum and Plebiscite Act so that it is more in line with other provinces.
“Once that happens, an actual petition can go out to … have a referendum on the question,” said Krieger.
Current legislation also isn’t clear on the percentage of voters needed to hold a non-binding plebiscite, which Garber said would be a “really expensive opinion poll that the government is under no obligation to listen to.”
They recognize they have a big task in front of them, but they believe it is attainable.
“We have a plan to get there, and I hope that people leave feeling like they can be part of shaping our futures, because when you get right down to it, it is less for us and more for our children and grandchildren,” said Krieger.
Among the commonly-asked questions, they said, is if Saskatchewan can afford to leave Canada.
“Saskatchewan, with its natural resources, has more than enough equity to pull away and be successful on its own,” said Garber.
If Saskatchewan residents vote in favour of separation, Garber said it wouldn’t occur immediately. Negotiations would have to occur with the federal government. The Canada Pension Plan, which Garber said would become part of the negotiation process, is another common focal point.
“We can always look at having our own CPP and maybe increasing it so that our seniors aren’t struggling and can actually afford to live in Saskatchewan, which would be an ideal situation,” said Garber.
Prairie Rising is not looking to join the U.S., they said at the Moosomin town hall.
The next town hall will be March 7 at the Timothy Eaton Centre in Moose Jaw, starting at 2 p.m.
