REGINA - The federal election campaign is in the home stretch and the campaigns have picked up the pace, particularly in Saskatchewan.
A particular highlight has been the arrival of more leaders. On Thursday night, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre made his first and only stop on the campaign trail in Saskatoon.
Poilievre’s rallies have typically drawn big crowds and this was no exception. The “Rally for Change”, as it was dubbed, drew what the Tories estimated was 4,000 supporters.
Perhaps as a response to Poilievre’s rally, Liberal leader Mark Carney was scheduled to make another appearance in Saskatoon on the final day of the campaign on Sunday. This would be Carney’s second Saskatoon visit of the campaign.
That event had been set to go this morning but was delayed to this afternoon, as Carney responded to breaking news of a major tragedy last night in the Vancouver area. An SUV plowed into several people at the Filipino Lapu Lapu festival, with 11 people confirmed dead. That tragedy cast a pall over campaign activities on the final weekend.
The fact that Saskatoon has been a focal point for both Poilievre and Carney during the campaign’s final week is indicative of how important the campaigns consider Saskatoon as a battleground for votes. The events were also aimed at voters in Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River which is considered a hot battleground. At Poilievre’s event, Conservative candidate Jim Lemaigre was among those who spoke during the introductions to Poilievre. Lemaigre is trying to hold Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River for the Conservatives against what is expected to be a strong challenge from Liberal candidate Buckley Belanger, as well as Doug Racine of the NDP.
Regina campaign
Perhaps revealingly, none of the national leaders have made their way to Regina during the campaign - a sign that perhaps Regina isn’t a battleground target area for the parties.
But the Liberals did tout a big name giving them a boost in the city. Cabinet minister Jonathan Wilkinson, who has Saskatchewan roots, joined candidates Jeff Walters (Regina-Wascana) and Mac Hird (Regina-Lewvan) on the campaign trail Thursday.
“We spent some time this afternoon door-knocking in the city centre and were met with warmth and genuine conversation,” reported Walters on the X platform. “Afterwards, he joined us at a volunteer appreciation event at the campaign office. Jonathan met many members of our dedicated team, answered questions, and spent valuable time listening to ideas and local concerns.”
The major focal point of the week in the provincial capital was the televised candidates’ forum aired on Access Now TV on Wednesday and Thursday.
Candidates from the various political parties running in the Regina ridings took part, and the forums did include Conservative incumbents Andrew Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle) and Warren Steinley (Regina Lewvan), though Conservative Michael Kram (Regina-Wascana) did not attend.
Provincial politicians weigh in
This past week also saw provincial Sask Party luminaries wade into the election campaign.
In a social media post, Moe was seen in a video from Shellbrook, Saskatchewan announcing why he was voting for the Conservatives. In that video Moe pointed out Shellbrook was 3,000 km from Ottawa, “but these last few years it’s felt like a million miles away,” he said.
“That’s because we’ve had a federal government that’s turned its back on this part of the country,” Moe said.
Former Premier Brad Wall also posted a video endorsing the Conservatives, saying the race reminded him of his 2007 campaign where the opposition party was offering hope and the governing part was offering fear.
“Does that sound familiar at all?” Wall said in the video. “We have choice in this election… a much better choice than to vote out of fear.”
Election day is Monday.
Just one day remains in the 2025 election campaign, with get-out-the-vote efforts expected to stake centre stage for all the parties on election day April 28.
Polls open across the province at 7:30 a.m. Monday and close at 7:30 p.m., to coincide with poll closing times throughout most of the country.
Then, join us for election night coverage which will be live-streamed on the , with real-time updates, analysis and coverage as results come in.
