Wednesday May 21, 2025 | YELLOWKNIFE, NWT [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Premiers from western provinces and the territories are meeting in Yellowknife today and tomorrow, May 21 and 22.
They have assembled for the Western Premiers’ Conference representing Alberta (Danielle Smith), British Columbia (David Eby), Manitoba (Wab Kinew), Northwest Territories (R.J. Simpson), Nunavut (P.J. Akeeagok), Saskatchewan (Scott Moe) and Yukon (Ranj Pillai).
These seven premiers comprise more than half of the Council of the Federation (all of Canada’s 13 premiers).
Range of key issues:
The western premiers are discussing a number of issues ranging from international trade and tariffs, economic corridors and energy security as well as Arctic security and sovereignty, emergency preparedness and housing. That list did not include health-care or immigration and no specific mention of food security.
These issues align almost entirely with what Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in his mandate letter to his cabinet colleagues today in Ottawa.
A conference wrap-up press conference will be held on Thursday afternoon, May 22. [News coverage link to come]
Separation talk:
While some media are suggesting that the specter of separation looms over the gathering, the fact they are all there for to discuss a broad and deep range of issues may be a counter claim to that.
Meanwhile B.C. Premier David Eby did comment on the separatism talk yesterday, ahead of the conference: “It’s really unfortunate that at this moment when Western Canada is stepping into the spotlight that there’s any discussion at all about leaving Canada,” said BC’s premier.
“Western Canada has a lot to share with the rest of Canada about removing internal trade barriers and working together,” Eby said in a CTV media interview.
Western provinces — including BC — have over the years expressed their frustration over not receiving the same level of equalization payments that central and eastern provinces receive.
These are urgent economic times. The western energy-rich provinces don’t get their fair share of support from Ottawa and BC takes a lot of immigrants without getting additional support.
This week, some western business councils pushed for the feds to kickstart the economy, including by ditching a proposed emissions cap. That does not include BC’s business council but their president Laura Jones said in media interviews that she thinks legitimate points are being raised by the movement including about oil and gas in Alberta.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she doesn’t support separation, but neither has she spoken against the push for a vote on it.
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