Tank: Battleground Sask.? Carney makes late Liberal Saskatoon stop

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Long a wasteland for federal Liberals, Saskatchewan is now clearly considered a battleground, particularly in Saskatoon.

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That’s the only possible conclusion to be drawn from a visit by Liberal Leader Mark Carney on the last day of the federal election campaign.

Carney made a stop for a 13-minute speech in Saskatoon as part of a cross-Canada blitz that began in Windsor, Ont., Sunday. He became the only federal leader to visit Saskatchewan twice during the campaign with a pit stop before an estimated 650 supporters in a city that has not elected a Liberal MP since 1993.

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Carney’s rally at the former farmers’ market building in the Riversdale neighbourhood, now home to Gather Local Market, came three days after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a rally in Saskatoon that attracted thousands to a remote warehouse on the outskirts of the city.

Carney stuck to his message centred on the threat posed by American President Donald Trump and failed to mention his main election opponent once: “In this trade war, just like in hockey, we will win.”

The former Bank of Canada governor, who called a snap election last month shortly after he won the Liberal leadership, explained he wants Saskatchewan MPs to be part of his government.

And Saskatoon–University Liberal candidate Greg Poelzer, who spoke briefly before Carney, said “we’re bloody close” in Saskatoon.

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An interactive voice response poll conducted Friday and Saturday by Spadina Strategies suggests extremely close races between Liberals and Conservatives in Saskatoon–University and Saskatoon South. The poll of 1,320 Saskatoon voters is considered accurate within 2.69 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

Spadina Strategies is run by Liberal supporter and veteran Coun. Zach Jeffries.

Carney made no mention of Regina, which all party leaders skipped during the campaign, even though Regina–Wascana is expected to be a competitive race between Liberals and Conservatives.

But the people who attended Sunday’s event were already converts with most — the same as at Poilievre’s rally — telling Carney they had already voted even as he asked for their support and help.

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Despite years of animosity between the Saskatchewan Party government led by Premier Scott Moe and the federal Liberal government of Justin Trudeau and Moe’s full-throated endorsement last week of Poilievre — a rare move by a sitting premier — Carney commended Moe for his efforts in addressing the U.S. trade war.

Muffled boos arose in response to Moe’s name, but Carney waved the crowd to stop with a message of unity.

“We’re all in this together,” Carney told his supporters. “We’ve got to work together. He’s the premier. He just got elected.”

Conversely, Poilievre hailed “the great Scott Moe” at his rally for his opposition to the federal carbon tax.

Carney said he hopes to meet with all the premiers soon if he is elected Monday.

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The former goalie continued to display his love of hockey metaphors by likening the state of the campaign to the last minute of the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final.

“Everyone else has their heads down,” Carney added about Trump tariffs. “We have our elbows up.”

Carney acknowledged some had waited hours for his appearance — the mass killing in Vancouver changed Sunday campaign plans for the parties — but that the party has been waiting much longer to elect MPs from Saskatchewan.

About 20 people gathered outside the venue cheered and rushed to get their cellphones out as Carney’s plane with the red and while Liberal campaign colours flew directly overhead less than an hour before his appearance.

Opinion polls suggest Carney’s party has the best chance to prevent an unprecedented third straight sweep of the province’s 14 seats by the Conservatives.

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Teri Redekop attended both the Carney and Poilievre events wearing the same T-shirt with the slogan “You will have to go through me” in the colours of the transgender flag.

Redekop, whose maternity leave ends Monday, shared video that shows Saskatoon police removing her from the Poilievre rally in handcuffs without explanation.

Neither police nor the Conservative Party have responded to messages seeking comment. Redekop said she registered to attend the event and was not given a reason why she was removed.

RCMP at Carney’s event originally told her she could not enter because she has been identified as someone who disrupts political events. But Liberal Party officials convinced the RCMP to let Redekop enter.

Redekop’s arms still bear bruises from the police encounter that were visible despite her tattoos. But at least she got to listen to Carney.

Phil Tank is the digital opinion editor at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

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