Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be having a phone conversation with Regina Mayor Michael Fougere Tuesday morning.
Trudeau indicated last week that he planned on speaking with the mayors of Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary to gauge from them what their concerns are after last week’s election, where no Liberals were elected in either Alberta or Saskatchewan mainly because of anger centred at the Liberals over things like the energy and agriculture sectors.
Fougere said the message he will give is one that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
“I would want to leave him with the knowledge that there’s a lot of frustration in western Canada and in Saskatchewan,” Fougere said. “The blue wave that took out Ralph Goodale is a strong message of people who are concerned about the future, they feel frustrated, they feel they have not been listened to.”
Fougere said Trudeau must realize his policies cost Ralph Goodale his job.
“So that he would know that, the Prime Minister would be aware of the impact and knowing that his policies have really not set well with Western Canadians.”
Meanwhile, several mayors of smaller centres in Saskatchewan have come forward with displeasure over their lack of involvement.
Weyburn’s Mayor Marcel Roy was one of those leaders, saying his local economy is suffering with the lack of development in the energy sector.
“When you get out into (Saskatchewan), you’ve got Estevan, Weyburn, Swift Current, Lloydminster, all the way up to Kindersley,” Roy said. “These areas are all drastically affected by just the oil industries policies that are being given out.”
Roy said more than just Regina and Saskatoon face consequences of decisions made in Ottawa that involve the energy sector.
“We’ve got infrastructure problems, that’s what all the mayors talk about all the time,” Roy said. “How do we keep all of our roads, streets, sewers, water and everything going all the way along?”
“It’s a very difficult problem.”
Roy said there’s a common theme when he talks with other mayors across the province, a lack of money coming into the local economy.
While Roy said he wasn’t expecting a seat at the table of these talks, he added he would have liked an opportunity to voice his opinion and council’s view to the Prime Minister over current energy sector concerns.
{With files from Mitchell Blair and Ryan McNally}
