With Canada and the United States in the middle of heated trade negotiations at the national level, policy-makers from four Canadian provinces and 11 U.S. states are looking to forge closer ties at the Midwestern Legislative Conference in Saskatoon this week.
The conference is running Sunday to Wednesday, and brings together provincial and state legislators from Canada and the American Midwest. Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario are the Canadian provinces in attendance, and Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin are the U.S. states.
Conference chair and Saskatchewan MLA Lori Carr said the goal is to find common ground on the regional level and learn from each other, adding that if policy-makers cook up a possible trade resolution, they’ll take it to their respective federal governments.
“We really are talking more local here,” Carr said.
She described it as an opportunity to share regional success stories, citing carbon capture in Estevan, Sask., as an example.
“If they still have coal plants that are burning, then they might be able to take up on this technology,” Carr said.
“We have a lot of trade that goes back and forth across the United States border from Saskatchewan and the majority of our trade goes to these 11 U.S. states,” Carr said. “So they’re our customers, in essence.”
Manitoba MLA Terry Duguid said it’s a special time in Canada-U.S. history.
He said the conference will help emphasize what Canada and the United States have in common “rather than our differences.”
“It’s important to understand one another and the ties that unite us in trade and defence,” Duguid said.
“Our relationship — despite headlines — is strong, is very connected and integrated.”
Topics that might come up this week include the importance of the agriculture economy, energy, border security and water management, Duguid said, calling water especially important given the drought hitting much of the west.
Illinois state senator Elgie Sims said the mood among delegates has been positive so far, despite the trade war looming over the conference.
“I think we all understand we’re, at our core, we’re friends, we’re partners, we’re allies,” said Sims.
U.S. President Donald Trump previously said Canada had until Aug. 1, this Friday, to carve out a new trade agreement. Both he and Prime Minister Mark Carney have signaled there might not be a new deal by then.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper and U.S. ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra will be speakers at the conference.
