Pierre Poilievre’s Visit to Saskatchewan Reveals His Fear of Losing One of His Party’s Last Strongholds
Donald Trump has tried once more to help his favorite candidate win the Canadian election, but as with everything else, he is about to fail.
With just four days left before voters head to the polls, Pierre Poilievre made his first campaign visit to Saskatchewan, one of the few provinces where he still finds support. However, even here, he struggled to fill a lonely warehouse with hundreds of his pro-Trump supporters, yet the conservative media hailed this as a VICTORY!!!
Poilievre opened his stand-up political routine with fresh material aimed at Mark Carney, taking advantage of the recent controversy surrounding a March phone call and Trump’s rants about Canada becoming the 51st state.
“Is there a firefighter in the house?” Poilievre asked, scanning the room before delivering the punchline with a broad grin. “There’s an emergency—Mark Carney’s pants are on fire again.”
I doubt any firefighters were present; the civil sector isn’t exactly Poilievre's favorite crowd. Ultimately, what he said was of little consequence, as he lacks any real plan or vision for Canada. Instead, he resorted to relentless attacks on Carney’s multifaceted strategy.
Poilievre’s flow was interrupted by three protesters waving an American flag, calling for Canada to become the 51st state. LOL. “Get them outta here,” he urged as the hecklers were escorted out to a chorus of boos. Just five minutes later, the shouts of a lone pro-Palestinian activist were drowned out by chants of “we want change,” led by the Conservative leader himself.
Similar 51st state protests and pro-Palestinian disruptions also occurred during Carney’s visit to Saskatoon earlier in April, so it serves Poilievre right, no kidding.
Poilievre also appeared more smiley and upbeat than in previous stops this week in Vaughan and Halifax, buoyed by Trump’s late endorsement that helped him raise his numbers by a mere 0.1 percent over the last three days. But that’s about it. He isn’t going any further, and now he needs to find some real arguments to win over the Canadian crowd.
Trouble for the Conservatives, Even in Their Strongholds
In a surprising twist, Pierre Poilievre finds himself among the party’s staunchest supporters in Saskatchewan—a province that has historically been a Conservative bastion, with all 14 seats swept by the party in both the 2019 and 2021 elections. However, this election cycle could signal a shift.
Political analysts are raising alarms that Poilievre’s late-stage campaign stop in the Prairies may hint at underlying troubles. “The fact that Poilievre is dedicating time to Saskatchewan is quite telling,” notes Loleen Berdahl, a political studies professor at the University of Saskatchewan. She speculates that the Conservatives’ internal polling might reveal a looming threat, despite the Liberals and NDP failing to secure a federal seat in the province since 2015. “The question arises: Are they still viewing Saskatchewan as a stronghold, or are they sensing vulnerabilities?”
Berdahl argues that Poilievre’s recent platform promise to combat “woke” ideology in the federal public service reflects a defensive posture aimed at solidifying support among existing voters rather than expanding the party’s appeal. “This suggests an effort to preserve their base rather than broaden their coalition,” she asserts. Moreover, the “anti-woke” rhetoric is gaining traction in neighboring Alberta and is increasingly resonating in the United States.
This messaging may resonate more with rural constituencies than with voters in Saskatchewan’s urban centers of Regina and Saskatoon.
Meanwhile, outside the industrial parks and away from the Conservative faithful, red Liberal signs are appearing more frequently on the winter-worn lawns of Saskatoon—a striking development given the historical animosity toward the Liberal Party in the province.
“Seeing any enthusiasm for the Liberals in Saskatchewan is quite remarkable,” Berdahl observes.
In the 2021 election, the Conservatives dominated, winning all but five ridings with over 50% of the vote. However, waning NDP support might consolidate behind the Liberals, putting several districts at risk for the Tories. Key battlegrounds are emerging in Regina, Saskatoon, and the northern riding of Desnethe-Misinnipi-Churchill River.
The potential for the Liberals to wrestle these seats from the Conservatives has drawn both Mark Carney and Jagmeet Singh to Saskatoon on the same day during the campaign's third week. Although Berdahl notes the national NDP's limited traction, the party remains competitive at the provincial level, having secured 27 out of 61 seats and 44% of the vote in last year’s provincial election.
“What could be driving voters from the NDP to the Liberals? Is it dissatisfaction with Jagmeet Singh? The provincial NDP has worked diligently to distance itself from the federal party,” Berdahl points out. She predicts that at least one northern riding may flip from blue to red, though she doubts the Liberals will capture more than three seats overall. If they do, it would signify a profound shift in political sentiment in a province that hasn’t elected a Liberal MP in a decade.
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