Trudeau to speak with Sask. mayors next week

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be speaking with the leaders of Saskatchewan's largest urban centres in the coming days, the Prime Minister's Office has confirmed.

In a statement sent to CBC Saskatoon, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed Justin Trudeau will speak with Mayor Charlie Clark in Saskatoon and Regina Mayor Michael Fourgere in the near future.

Discussions have tentatively been set for early next week, potentially Tuesday, but officials say the exact time is still being worked out.

Trudeau has already spoken with the mayors of Calgary and Edmonton since being re-elected, the statement said.

Premier Scott Moe has expressed a desire for Western Canada to strike a "new deal" with the federal government calling on the Prime Minister to kill the carbon tax, commit to negotiating a new equalization formula and pursue new pipeline projects.

Western separation and alienation has been a central topic of discussion in Alberta and Saskatchewan since the election.

Saskatoon's mayor has already made his feelings known on western separation movements in a Tweet sent Thursday.

Clark said in a statement Friday that he looks forward to the conversation with Trudeau.

"There is a need to build policies and programs that find the common ground in how we support a changing resource economy, create new opportunities in the green economy, and play our part in tackling climate change," he said. 

"This is not easy work, there are real tensions, but we have a history of working together as a country that we need to build on. Cities need to be part of the solution."

Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Trudeau said he would be meeting with leaders to discuss issues facing the western provinces.

Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan's Minister of Trade and Economic Development, said Saskatchewan doesn't have an issue with the PM meeting with municipal leaders, but said he would be "highly opposed" to a formal agreement that would see the PM's office bypass elected premiers in favour of working with municipal leaders.

"That's not how the country works," said Harrison.

"Just because the Prime Minister doesn't like the positions of Premier Moe and Premier Kenney, doesn't mean he shouldn't be working through them and talking to them."

The statement from Trudeau's office noted calls to Moe and Kenney were two of the first made after the Liberal Party of Canada secured another term in government.

"The Prime Minister has now spoken with all sitting Premiers in the country and National Chief Perry Bellegarde," the statement explained. 

Mayor Fougere's office also confirmed that discussions were being set up for early next week, but didn't have an exact date for when they would be happening.